Another thinking about getting my own truck thread lol..

pavrom · Dec 17, 2019

One buddy of mine told me once :
" It doesnt matter how much you make , what matter is whats left after expenses "
Some people make ton of money and have high end cars , live in prestigious neighborhood , eat a lot at nice restaurants , others make much less , do proper finance management , spend less , stay out of debt and at the end of the year have more money left in the saving account than guy that makes 3-5 times more . Its all about personal goals

pavrom · Dec 17, 2019

..a lot of people have problems with calculation not even realizing it ...

Atlaw4u · Dec 17, 2019

If I were you I would look first at trying to find a better paying company gig. The benefits of being an O/O are great but the risks are greater.

joseph1853 · Dec 17, 2019

Dino soar said: ↑

How well do you know your daughter's boyfriend's father? Do you know him well enough to sit down and really have a real conversation with him about this or is her boyfriend giving you the information?

I'm not telling you not to do it at all, but there's a few things to think about. First of all you have to buy a truck and most likely you're going to have to buy a trailer, and that trailer is very specialized for doing quarry work/ construction and possibly agricultural work. But beyond that a lot of money gets tied up into something for a very specific gig.

Sometimes there is a lot of work until the contract expires, sometimes there's a lot of work through the summer but nothing through the winter. And often with companies and quarries and things of that nature the trucks tend to work on seniority. So the last one hired is the first one laid off.

It might be a good suggestion instead of finding a day cab that you find a sleeper just in case work dries up and you have to travel a little farther or whatever else. Do whatever will give you the most dexterity because sometimes shi happens.

I don't know that 2008 is a good year for any truck but I'm sure there are more knowledgeable people that could guide you in that way.

And I also don't know that I would say that getting your own truck is the way to more money. If that is your sole motivation I would think twice about it. It is often a harder Road for not as much money or about the same money. I think that it is more about the independence than the money, to be honest.

Good luck.
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I say it's about money but that's not all it is. As you said it's about independence/freedom/not having to depend on one soul company etc..

I make on average around $1000 dollars a week currently and for were I live that's really not bad money for driving a truck or anything for that matter and that's probably one of the main reasons I've not started running my own rig to be honest. The jobs pretty stable and it keeps my wife happy. Not so much the idea of being an independent contractor.

I've talked to my daughters boyfriends dad on a couple of occasions but wouldn't say I know him really all that well but being that were both truck drivers there's a comroderry that wouldn't be there with two complete strangers.

It is a bit of an advantage for me though knowing him considering he has been doing this for severel years and is very familiar with what it takes to succeed in the field. I mean I could always go to him and ask him about whatever if needed.

That being said either way I can always go back to running a company truck if I find out I'm just not cut out for it..

joseph1853 · Dec 17, 2019

Chinatown said: ↑

I worked at a couple companies that had 0/0's running local and they were all getting rich, to hear them tell it.
Check with Greatwide; sometimes this company has some decent routes, local/regional/otr.

Lease Purchase Program | United States | Greatwide Truckload
https://www.greatwideotr.com/lease-purchase
At Greatwide We Turn Drivers Into Owner Operators With Our Lease Purchase Program! Good Credit Bad Credit No Problem! Apply Online To Get The Process Started. Visit One Of The Dealers Below In Person Or Online And Pick Your Truck. ...

Greatwide Truckload | Owner Operator Jobs | United States ...
https://www.greatwideotr.com
Greatwide is an agency/owner operator based company with offices throughout the 48 contiguous states, offering truckload services including flat, vans and specialized equipment. Additional service offerings include freight brokerage, LTL shipping, specialized over …

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Thanks for your imput. Not looking for otr positions currently. Have wife and kids at home. But I'm sure greatwide would be a good company to look into though for sure.

You hear some say it's great and they would never go back to being a company driver and then others say not so much. Of course some can do math and some can not as one of the other post stated lol..

Not really sure how well my math is though lol.. I would guess it's above average though if I were to guess.

AModelCat · Dec 17, 2019

I would look into more what the job entails before choosing a truck. Trucks aren't a one-size-fits-all thing. Generally speaking trucks used for gravel are a bit better built than your typical highway tractor.

Do they pay by load? By weight? Hourly? If you're paid by weight then you'll want a truck with a lighter tare weight. But without sacrificing durability. Usually that means day cab or small sleeper.

DUNE-T · Dec 17, 2019

A perfect example of why you shouldn't listen to people, saying that before becoming an o/o, one has to work as a company driver for a few year. OP has worked for ten and does not know a thing.
To start: 2008-2010 are considered the worst years for a truck. That 13k truck will quickly become a 40k one and if you don't have that cash available, you shouldn't even bother with financing. Banks will just laugh in your face and will tell you to open a credit card instead. No reputable lender will even touch that junk of equipment.

Western flyer · Dec 17, 2019

joseph1853 said: ↑

Figured I'd post this on here as ya'll always give great advice.

Been driving for around 10 years or so and feel like I should be making more money. Trying to figure out a way to do that and keep coming back to running my own rig.

My daughters boyfriends dad runs his own truck pulling a dump trailer and says he makes "decent" money (3000 take home a week) which is nearly double what I take home on my best weeks running a company truck.. Of course he owns his truck (1998 mack) and his own trailer but i think he's paying on it.

He's home every night and doesn't go far out (low fuel cost) because here in waco the city's doing a lot of work on the highway roads. says he should be able to milk this gig for another 5-10 years.. Kind of a unique opportunity it seems. He has his own authority but does not use it he says. Says he leased his truck onto a company that contracts with the city to hall there debris from the road construction and such.

So I came across a 2008 freightliner with detroit engine for $13,500. Looks like a decent rig that I would think should do a decent job pulling dump trailers and all.

So comes to getting financing for the truck somehow. Never bought my own big truck before obviously so hoping I can get some insight from you guys. I know I could go into any car dealership with my credit score and get pretty much any car I want with no down but assuming that won't be the case with a big truck.
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Never believe anything a owner operator or
Leased driver tells you about how much they make.
Most of them have to lie to keep from being embarrassed
About the truth.
Ask him to show you his pay stubs for the
Past year.
See it with your own eyes.

joseph1853 · Dec 18, 2019

DUNE-T said: ↑

A perfect example of why you shouldn't listen to people, saying that before becoming an o/o, one has to work as a company driver for a few year. OP has worked for ten and does not know a thing.
To start: 2008-2010 are considered the worst years for a truck. That 13k truck will quickly become a 40k one and if you don't have that cash available, you shouldn't even bother with financing. Banks will just laugh in your face and will tell you to open a credit card instead. No reputable lender will even touch that junk of equipment.
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lol not sure I'm "totally" ignorant of the situation but yeah I get your point. But I do know there always more to learn.

The trucks not bad for what it is.. I can tell when a trucks been abused verses one that has not and this one is definitely not one of those.

But I'm sure you're right on how a bank would respond.. But I don't think it would be because of the truck but more of how much money they would be able to make off of it. Not enough money in it for them in another words.. It's funny I bought a car not to long ago for around the same price that doesn't have any ability to make me any money or the bank for that matter other then interest but they had no problem giving me a loan for it.. I know its apples to oranges kinda thing but still some similarities..

I wasn't aware that all trucks between 2008-2010 were all crap.. Are you sure there's not some that are decent? lol..

And yes being a company driver does nothing for your ability to run a business for sure.. I think the idea most have when saying you need to be a company driver for awhile is to just get comfortable driving the truck..

Anyways thanks for your input.

AModelCat · Dec 18, 2019

2007 to 2010ish were the first generation of DPF engines. Seem to be very problematic. I do know of a couple folks who've had very few problems with them.

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