You had goals and aspirations to contend with (and probably a pinch of midlife crisis) that weren't going to be satisfied as a company driver no matter how much they paid you. There's another guy who posts regularly who did something similar...left a high paying linehaul job at Old Dominion and bought his own truck and flatbed trailer. A remarkable feat requiring a remarkable about of startup capital to be willing to part with in a short period of time. Most guys have to work up to that over a period of years or even decades.
Back when I was adorable.
Discussion in 'LTL and Local Delivery Trucking Forum' started by LtlAnonymous, Oct 20, 2022.
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Yeah, at the end of the day, I'm not going anywhere. My wife and I have insurance that makes our doctors' offices ooh and ahh, we have a pension, I'm making what should be an easy six figures (though I stupidly took on a strenuous run to get my stupid landscaping done this spring)...I'll likely retire from here. It's a great fit for me.
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Banker has done something admirable, and bet on himself. And it's worked out from what he tells me. So...though UPS lost a great asset, he's done just fine for himself on his own. Having food on a table you get to see frequently is the goal. He's more than achieved that (and that ridiculously nice pool area god it kills me I'm fine I'm fine).
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Last edited: Jan 10, 2023
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My problem with the O/O career track is that after you get your own authority, and after you get direct customers, where does that leave you? Locked into a contract. What good is all that dough if you never have time to spend it? I suppose then you hire on other drivers, expand your capacity, but now you're a people manager, less a truck driver.
In my experience, the happiest O/O seem to be the gear heads. The guys who eat and breathe diesel fumes and are can afford to share margin with brokers and still clean up at the end of the year because they have the mechanical knowhow to keep a $25k truck rolling on any given day, and don't pay for tows or mechanics or warranties or computer repairs, so their only real cost, aside from brokers, is tires and fuel, and taxes. The rest of the revenue goes straight into their pocket, and they keep flexibility enough, working through brokers, to take a month or two off whenever they feel like it.LtlAnonymous Thanks this. -
Others may but I have absolutely no desire now or ever to have any employees. The right contract freight with a large carrier offers me the revenue and flexibility I desire currently. There are some cases in my industry where one’s own authority can be good, but not currently for me. A $25,000 rig in my industry would be scrap. I spent $285,000 for a custom built tractor and trailer in 2016 and $125,000 for a new trailer in 2022. The revenue has to be high enough to justify the expense to allow for a reasonable R.O.I. and fortunately it is. I did my research before building the rig so I was confident of my earnings potential with the rig.
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