Fed Up with being a Company Driver, wanting to be O/O.

Based on the posts/threads I've seen elsewhere on the Forum related to this topic -- going independent/lease about now is a lot like trying to sunbathe at the beach....while a hurricane is making landfall.

-- L

 

If you lease on to a company with plenty of their own freight there isn’t much to worry about. But leasing on to someone to run stuff off the load board wouldn’t be an ideal situation.

 

Get a hold of Chinatown he can find a good job

 

Waiting for things to be good will just mean trucks will cost more, if you got the cash to buy now and hold out til rates improve you may be alright. Jumping in when everything is already good look what happened during covid. Rates thru the roof truck priced as well and now they are giving the trucks back to the lenders cuz rates sank. The rates change faster than the price of equipment. So if you can swing it, use it to your advantage. If that's what you have your heart set on.

 

Yep, best time to enter is when the market for your trailer hit the low and is is climbing out. Question is when is that…. There are market predictions to assist so it’s not totally blind. Right now equipment that is 1 or 2 years old can be found cheap.lots of guys didn’t make it thru.

 

Also remember when times are tough is the best time to get in. If you can make it in the bad you will thrive when it is good. Makes a better business person in my eyes for the long run!

 

I had my own truck at Landstar for about 10 years and never made great money. About the same as company driver and less some years. I’m back to driving company truck. I miss the freedom and get tired of the company BS but don’t miss the bills or repairs of having my own truck.

when go home now I turn off the key and don’t have any worries. No freight or low paying freight, not my problem I have guaranteed minimum pay. $4.50-$5 for gallon of diesel that’s the owners of company problem. If the truck needs repairs I tell them and hopefully they can fix in the company shop, if not or they don’t fix it in time. Then it’s Freightliner or a tow truck.

Im joking a little, but when I had my own truck and at home I was always looking for my next load. Because you always had bills to pay. I missed out on the high paying freight everyone had been getting last several years. The repair bills can add up very quickly. Plus paying for repairs that don’t even fix the problem.

 

I totally understand where you’re coming from. I’m at Landstar 11 years now but about to wrap it up and go into a whole new industry. I didn’t make that much either except first few years with truck depreciation and when the market was hot- but nothing good lasts. The repairs were getting crazy too. I also don’t think I could handle company driving, freedom at Landstar was pretty addictive. So, I decided trucking was a losing cause for me and made steps into something else.

 

My number one question for you is this...

Do you have a plan? A real plan?
Do you have capital/money saved, etc.?

If you have a plan put it out in the open here and let's discuss it so we can help you make the best informed decisions.

I am a firm believer of having a second or third pair of eyes and brains to look over my ideas or plans to see if I missed something.