Getting Accounts & Creating Routes

I've been trying to get started for almost 6 months now. I have been to every load board, website, forum, etc. and still haven't been able to haul a single load. Granted my situation is a little different than most as I have a single axle freightliner and a 35' gooseneck trailer that I already had from my other business. It seems as if the gov bulls**t is never ending and every time I think I am ready to haul, something else comes up. Now I am having issues finding a broker or shipper that will work with me and/or my smaller truck and trailer. I am about to the point of giving up and hiring on with someone or leasing on but I do not want to lose my ability to create my own schedule as I do still have another business that I own/operate. I tell people now that I know why no one starts trucking anymore on their own is because you almost can't do it without going broke before you get the first load. I am disgusted with the amount of gov involved in running a truck up and down the road nowadays.

 

@Andrew Woods i would look for ltl loads. I don’t know if you are, but get involved in this boards hot shot section. That’s a good hot shot set up, and should have no problem running ltl loads.

As for brokers, when they ask... yes sir i have a 48x102. Trust me it will save you more head ache then it’ll cause you. besides, you’re not booking “full” loads they shouldn’t need 48’ worth of space.

In my years as a company man, i constantly ran into where we would book loads for 45-48’ roll up doors & tell the broker we had 53’ swing doors. The freight fit no problem, but people get stuck on that 53’ & them swing doors & demand them even when not needed.

 

I appreciate the advice! I have called a few brokers today and now I am dealing with them not wanting to deal with me due to being a new authority. If only I could deal with the shippers and not the brokers would be a lot easier.

 

Some aspects of regulation made this easier. You had to have a shipper that needed your truck.(forget the other carriers contesting it) Today it's just get your authority use brokers and then complain about the rates they pay.

 

There again, the problem with brokers is that they don't want to deal with me usually being as it is a new authority....

 

You have limited your freight options with your current setup . Might look at signing on with a hot shot company working the oilfields with that setup .

 

Nothing to add.

 

There are plenty of brokers out there that will work with new authority. Think of it like credit, new to the credit world you have to work with what is available. New to trucking, same thing. Do a good job in either one and you get to work with better ones.

 

I'm sure there are, however, I need to still be able to choose my own loads and destinations. And currently the ones that I would choose have all been a no go for me so far.

 

Yes, I agree. I already had this equipment due to needing it for my other business to haul my equipment. Otherwise I would have started out with a full size truck and trailer. I do have a couple options if worse comes to worse. I can a: reinstall a fifth wheel on this truck and buy a fifth wheel flat bed trailer with ramps (still limited due to the single axle truck) or b: sell the truck (probably wont bring much being a single axle) and buy both a full size truck and trailer. No matter what I will have to have a dove tail trailer with ramps to haul my equipment around.