2017 is coming, what do you expect

Nice setup!!

 

New to the board. Just got my CDL and was looking to get into Hauling. I have a good friend who has been in the business for 10+ years willing to teach me. Should I purchase a 3/4 car and 2001 Freightline FL 80 for $11,000?

 

Knowing what I have learned working for others first, I wouldn't buy either. I feel the experience you gain from others first is one of the more important pieces of running a successful business. Then when you know what you are doing well, buy what suits your current needs. Walk well before you run!

 

Horrible choice of equipment and a horrible time to get into this business.

 

By "this business" I will assume you mean the 3 car auction and POV business. While I definitely don't recommend a rookie buy a stinger and start hauling new cars, the new car hauling business is great right now. I only speak for myself as results may be different for others.

 

Why is it a horrible time to start? Do you recommend I work for a company like United Road to gain some experience first?

 

This the truck he's selling. It's not a stinger btw. I was going to do auction runs to start out no new cars yet.

 

Terry said it's a horrible time to start, not me. I know nothing about his side of the business. I know about hauling new cars for a large company first as a company driver and now as an owner op. If you plan to haul new cars then I do think you should start as a company driver, but it is only my opinion. I tend to do what others recommend against so you make the call.

 

I have been reading through threads and your posts seem like valuable information. I normally don't feed into what people say about it being a bad time and all. I have 2 friends who are currently in the business. One is an O/O who does well working with 1 broker doing lease returns/auction drops. So I know there is still money to be made.

 

My opinion is often different than most. But in 30 years of trucking, mostly Union and mostly as a company driver I have heard my share of negativity. Early in my career I went to a boss to ask him if I needed to start looking for a new job, because a senior driver told me that things were getting ready to dry up. The boss told me to stop listening to bitter old negative truck drivers! The work never did dry up, in fact it got busy and I made more money that year than I had the last. Now I have enough experience to be one of those bitter old negative truck drivers, but I still try to think positive most of the time.
My opinion is that if you can't make money in this great economy you won't ever make it! The 3 car wedge may truly be wrong but it might work great for you, I really don't know so the opinions of people like Terry who have done that are very important to you. If you as a young truck driver listen to all those who tell you that you can't do something, you probably won't succeed. In my opinion you have to take it with a grain of salt because there is some truth in what they say, but you have the ability to make it work if you work hard enough.