Drivers have been a great deal of help to me on the road! Today was my worst ever. I broke at the FUEL LINE at a truck stop in Council Bluffs, Iowa. May drivers walked by but SOME stopped to give advice even offer a tow!!! Guys who have been out there a while and know how to manage a small business are invaluable in this industry. But these guys are few and far between these days it seems. My debut year has been extremely painful, costly,humbling and fun if you can believe it. However, I WILL endure as I believe it is built into us Texans as it is ALL Americans. Nothing will stop me I have bought my first truck (a Pete 387) this week and will continue to haul, to thrive, to endure no matter what. I am proud to be a rookie in this industry. I have the good fortune to have a supportive WIFE, BANK and a few REAL PRO DRIVERS who have helped me along. Newbees beware!!!! My mistakes have been costly but they will not stop me. Carefully consider what your told,do your OWN research and be prepared to get knocked down JUST GET UP and GO. Then get up and GO. The only thing that has really been there for me is MY DESIRE to GET UP and GO GO GO THANKS TO THE REAL MEN & WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN THERE FOR ME!!!! Bryan F. Owner--Triple L Transport.....and da** proud of
You've got good spirit, however this is why we don't recommend new drivers going owner operator. Why not make all of your mistakes on somebody else dime? Costing you a fortune and will continue to cost you a fortune. Hopefully you are wealthy enough to stick through the first few years. I really admire you're perseverance but if you can't fix that simple problem you are in trouble! Before buying a truck you should really know the ins and outs of the mechanics of it. If you cannot fix your truck, other than the major stuff, ie;engine overhaul, computer problems etc... I will guarantee you not making it as an O/O! These are just harsh facts. At this point the best I can recommend to you is A. sell your truck B. Take some mechanics classes. One other piece of advice, as an O/O you should have just about every tool in your truck. You should also have a vast assortment of parts and ways to make/fix parts in your truck. I would drink a gallon of diesel before paying someone $100 an hour to fix a fuel line! Sorry if this sounds harsh or rude but hopefully it gets the attention of other newbies thinking this same thing.
i know what you mean chompi--i have close to 30 yrs in the trucking business--and i am tiptoeing into the o/op area--but some of the posts i see where people jump right into the deep end feet first with out knowing anything scares the hell out of me---some of these posts scare me -that i am on the same road with these guys--yes you have to learn somewhere --but wow do it in steps --beat the hell out of a co truck while you learn not your own---but it is good for them to be here--as there is a lot of valuable info posted online---it seems the cdl mills and mega carriers send the new ones out with just enough rope to hang themsives
Your mistakes will stop you at some point. Even banks have a limit and you can't make time payments on sunshine and rainbows. The guys who waked by you weren't being rude I'm sure, they probably just didn't know how to help you.
