Getting authority yourself or through company?

Great information DoubleDear. I think alot of members on this board could benefit from that information.

 

How much $$$ is it without asking a company to do it for you?

 

check with OOIDA. they can set it up if that is what you want..... however I would wait till spring, freight volume is very slow....just my 2-cents worth...

 

I talked to DOT something or the other company. It was around $650 for everything. Even though they advertise $300.

I think I'm going to do it myself.

 

I got my authority through www.dotauthority.com and I think I paid $600 for the whole thing. It was worth it to me. Took only a little bit of my time online and they did the rest. It went real smooth.

As far as finding your own shippers I can tell you that most do not want to deal with you. It's not that they don't like you. It's a pain in the ### for them to deal with 1,000 truckers instead of 1 broker. I can honestly see their point.

I've been hauling for one company in Mass for years but they won't deal with me direct. I've stood there when they read off the loads they had for the month coming up and the prices they were going to pay for shipping. IT WAS A LOT!!!!

I get a little more then other drivers and usually get the good loads that must be there on time but they still won't deal directly with me even though everyone knows me.

They write one check a month to the broker. They ##### at one person for the whole month when a load is late. They talk to one person to find out where a load is for the whole month. They deal with ONE person....PERIOD.

 

I can't find the do-it-yourself thread

 

I beleive this is the thread he's referring to.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...-operator/13608-so-you-want-own-your-own.html

 

i have my authority and used to make good money most flatbed freight the customer could have it shipped or customer pickup but now most freight is prepaid eliminating most customer pickups so now you can't deal with the little guy . i used to work for a brick company that had a few boom trucks and a handfull of owner ops and a lumber yard that had 4 locations kept very buisy most of the year brick co got sold when the 80 year old owner finally retired the went to completely cutomer pickups and the bigger trucking co's went to all the customers and cut the rates we were getting by at least 25% cutting the single guy out as they can make 1 call to the big company and have anything anywhere picked up and deliverd with one bill at the end of the month.

and 98% if the manufacturers do the same thing if they need 10 trucks tomorrow the big co's or brokers can get them what they need so you as the owner op has to go thru brokers that take all the profit for your load. most owner operators are working just for a paycheck anymore and not really making a profit .
if you have multiple trucks (at least 5) then you might be able to make a real proft instead of just a paycheck otherwise you are better off just leasing to a company and eliminating most of you expences and paperwork hassles

i know a guy with about 30 trucks and he told me for every 5 trucks he adds he needs another person in the office to do all the paperwork and that are as he calls it dead weight because they aren't turnin wheels