Husband and I are Just Getting Own Authority After Leasing for 2 Yrs and Need Mentors

My husband and I have just received our DOT number and we are thrown into the process of gaining our own authority!!!! We are so excited , however , was not prepared for the attack of people calling us to give us their services and we haven't even had time to figure out what they do yet!!!! Anyone who would like to tell us how to go about finding out how to find a load board? or Factoring service? We have taken the leap but was a little deeper than we thought ..lol....just if we could know what to look for in these companies, do they lie like trucking companies, promise the world, then don't preform? Guidance please.....Thanks....

 

Check the OOIDA website for the business end of trucking.

 

I went through www.dotauthority.com It's a service and costs maybe $300. Real easy.

Do you have a truck and trailer yet?
Have you checked to see if you can get insurance? Liability and Cargo. If not, stop and start there. That can be a deal breaker right off the bat. That will be your biggest hurdle to jump. Many can't get the insurance. Sometimes they require the whole year paid in full or a portion. Start there then come back.

 

what type of transporting are you going to do?

If you are business savvy its not that hard to keep up with the business end

Being organized helps a lot.

 

skip OOIDA check out NASTC wish I had found them when I started out

 

OOIDA is a good start IMO they will help you out. Next I am not passing judgement but you might look at a leasing to a company like Landstar or Melton, or any of the O/O companies. Lots to learn on your own and as you were L/O you have been taken care of so to speak. Good luck.

 

find a load board? Try google or trucking magazines, same for factoring?

 

www.theinternettruckstop.com for finding loads
www.dsfactors.com for factoring

 

I will second the NASTC recommendation

They put on a new member class in Nashville and will go through everything you need paper work wise and offer very affordable services that you can start with. Their fleet one fuel card offers significant discounts at TA and Petro. They will have an insurance guy, a factoring guy, the drug testing pool coordinator, an IT guy and a bunch of other resources.

I use a number of the services - IFTA filings, log audits, fuel cards and IT service for invoicing.

Take the week and both of you should go to the class. The cost is only like $500 plus hotel and travel.

All the people there are very friendly and will remain a great resource.

 

OOIDA has their own loadboard. It is a DAT loadboard. www.mymembersedge.com. You can also find a link from the OOIDA website. There are a couple of other loadboards you might want to check out: www.internettruckstop.com and www.getloaded.com. I rarely use loadboards. I still subscribe to the OOIDA board. If you are a member you can receive a discount on the rate. Some of the larger brokers have their own loadboards you can access for no charge once you are set up with them. Most brokers offer quick pay on their loads where they pay you within 24-48 hours, but discount the rate by usually 1 1/2-2%. Some may discount at a higher rate. I have not used a factor for several years. Make sure you read all the fine print on any of those contracts before signing with one. If you decide to work with a factor you should look for one that doesn't require you to factor all of your receivables and doesn't have penalties for cancellation of your agreement. Talk to several before making a decision so you can find one that works best for you.