Bought my first truck

These are hard times for an O/O. Everything is getting higher except rates. Now insurance companies have decided to jack prices up. I would stay leased on, and I hope you're getting a fuel discount with the fuel mileage you are stating.

The times I made the least in trucking are the times I owned more trucks than I could drive myself. If you hire friends, it usually never works out. Most drivers that are willing to work for a very small O/O are usually not who you want to drive for you, but there are exceptions.

Sitting home and keeping your trucks rolling is much harder than driving them yourself, and you many times make less money while working harder and having lots more stress.

I bought a truck at a good price once because I went to work for someone I know that wanted to be a truck owner, having never owned a truck or drove one before. I took care of everything for him since I had owned before. Yet, he sat at home worrying about the truck breaking down, every repair, where the truck was until he almost drove himself crazy. In a couple months, after all the small problems the truck had were fixed, he was calling me asking me to buy it from him and he would sign for me to get it. Be sure you know what you are doing, and be sure you can handle the stress of ownership before you get drivers.

With GPS, it is a lot easier to keep up with drivers than it was back then, but there are also thousands of more rules and thousands of more DOT cops out to get you.

 

A friend did similar. Started with 1, now has 5. He and the wife and office lady run the office side. His goal was to stop driving. He still has to deliver the odd load, rescue abandoned trucks, and his biggest gripe is that the phone never stops ringing.

And that's with a dedicated outbound account, using their trailers.

You simply trade the wheel for a cell phone and more stress.He's survived though.

Not being negative Nelly just sayin.

 

If you got the money and know you want to pull a step deck buy a trailer now cause if your rent for one year that is $6.500 for nothing. Just my 3 cents.

 

Congrats on the new to you truck !!!
Now comes the part where you really learn what trucking is all about .
Good luck and have fun

 

Take at least 15k and put it somewhere and forget about it. Thats about the best advice youll hear

Congrats

 

I had a ball when I was an owner operator. Everything is what you make it. I wasn't no law abiding citizen though.

 

You should look at improving that MPG on the truck. Get it up into that 6.2-6.5 range and over a small period of time that savings could be a nice down payment for your own stepdeck.

 

My 2 cents.... Less is more. Stay small and efficient.

 

When it comes to finding employees, don't find the guy who is mad at his current company looking to make a move, look for the guy who is happy where he is and offer him a better deal.

Good employees are not hired they are stolen.