Using online load boards and load board apps

It is that easy if you want it to work that way. But many carriers have contract customers that keep them in the black.

 

Yep, it’s that easy, just need a place to stash all that cash.

 

OP, I hope you got the sarcasm there. Sure, once you're up and running as an O/O you can just find loads, call on them and book them but it's not as simple as it sounds. Also, that isn't the hard part. Not by a long shot. Start reading here about everything it takes to run a trucking business on your own and then see how easy you think the big picture is.

 

Load boards are almost like dumpster diving. You have to sort through a whole bunch of crap just to find something worthy of keeping. And not all dumpsters have something worthy of keeping in them.

And right now there are so many trucks relying on them that the competition is fierce.

Imagine 5 people jumping on a potato chip they found in the corner of a dumpster full of rotting meat.

 

It's that easy, after you have your truck, trailer, authority, insurance and whatever all else. Honestly getting the loads is the easy part. Breaking even is easy. When you start wanting to actually put serious money in the bank is when it gets more difficult, you have to have some sense of when you should just wait for a load, where the "dead" or cheap areas are and you know you'll be there for weeks if you wait for something to pay what you think it should.
I guess it's really not "just that easy" after all.

 

What most don't get is that it no matter what your equipment costs, it isn't easy to make even what a good company driver can make.

Ideally you want to make a good 50%+ more than a company driver makes, and do it in 25%+ less time.

Im sure there are owner ops out there who run their ### off all year and end up bringing home $40k a year. That's ridiculous.

The biggest things is you have to learn the market and adapt to it. You cant do the second if you dont do the first, and there are lots of people who do neither.

 

That's true it's hard sometimes to be a owner operator. My wife and I used to just sit in the trailer and cry sometimes. That shiney 379 was worth more than our trailer and its was a thirsty old girl. And money will go with the wind direction. I was proud of that truck parked out back. I used to drink coors light(hydrate) early Saturday morning and then go to work on her on the weekends. Over all just find yourself some regional/locals in the money lanes and stay there. I say right now it's not worth it.