Is it ok to start out as a O/O

I too came in with an eye on being an O/O... but, after talking to experienced drivers was advised to learn to drive and gain some experience driving some elses truck..

Which I did and I am glad I heeded there advice..

Now that I have experience and am able to make it as a solo company driver.. I am planning on getting some O/O training and experience before I take the plunge..

I am going to team with an O/O... this will give me real insight and experience in all that is involved with being an
O/O... all to often us newbies think it is just about getting paid more and having to pay for fuel and repairs.. and there is a lot more to it...

 

My boy started with his own tractor 2 years ago when he was 21,with No truck driving school. He went out on the wheat harvest when he was 18. IMO he learned way more than he could from any school.He has done fine.Hejust bought his own trailer last week so I would say he is gonna stick with truckin for the long haul

 

I took the test, after driving around a parking lot for a few hours,( no school) passed, went to ft worth bought a truck got under a load, by the time I hit Reno, I figured out the gears!! Couldn't back into a truck stop parking spot for a couple of weeks, but I got it soon enough. Would I recommend it? Prolly not.

 

Most times you will make less as an owner, but people like myself and my son do not want to be told what to do and we are not very good at taking orders we Have to work for our selves be cause no company would put up with us.I came home last Tuesday and my dispatcher has offered probably 100 loads since then I just keep telling him No.

 

IFTA, IRS, DOT, State regulators...AND learning how to acquire freight all at the same time? I don't recommend it. But, I don't know your mental aptitude and business savvy, either. Just posing a mere yes or no query will not have any beneficial advice for you from anyone. I suggest talking to permitting companies about getting your own DOT authority, quoting insurance, check your state regulations on the trucking industry, look at load boards and CALL the brokers to query the rates. Make out a list of how much you will HAVE to make each day to pay for your business. I know mine, I HAVE to make $200 a day just to keep my business afloat and prepare for the day when I get caught in a #### storm. And that doesn't account for time off or fuel.

My biggest suggestion is to learn the ropes while driving under someone else's insurance, truck payments, office overhead, freight brokering house, etc. Truck driving is more than just driving a truck and the lifestyle isn't for everyone. If you're like my current wife and can't go a day without a shower, you might want to rethink your career options. If your claustrophobic, think about living three to four weeks at a time in a 8x6 box. Eating garbage food half the time your out...The laundry list goes on and on. And while your learning the ins and outs of the industry, your learning the ins and outs of the lifestyle. Even just a mere 6 months of driving while your researching will go a long way to helping you make a better informed decision about whether or not this is a business to invest your life into.

If you do your research, you will have a much better understanding of just how much difficulty you will encounter as an O/O. Being an O/O isn't just about driving the better and faster rig, it's about independence and freedom to go when and where I want. But the biggest reason I am embarking on the independent O/O route is I am starting MY OWN BUSINESS. It's also a lot more responsibility where one wrong move or a simple mistake of the pen could end up with you living in a cardboard box under a bridge. Don't be too quick to pull the trigger. Think about today and sleep on it. Think about it next week and sleep on it again. Think about it a week later and sleep on it again. Talk to a company and see how much you'll make working for them and sleep on it again. Weigh the two options and you will probably see there isn't too many financial gains to be made in the initial starting phases between a company driver and an O/O. It isn't until the O/O has a dedicated freight company or owns his equipment ($80,000 approx)that he starts to see major profits. Being an O/O isn't easy, if it was, there would be way more O/O than company drivers. For every successful O/O, there are 10 failures. Do you think you have the attitude and knowledge to be 1 out of 10? If so, I encourage and applaud you. If not, or if there is even a shred of doubt, drive someone else's truck for a while.

 

I did it 9 years ago with no experience. Just like a taxi only bigger.

 

It all depends on your thresh hold for pain!! Try a good Lease Purchase first, if you can make money doing that then you got the chops!

 

Don't think you will learn much about the business end of this business, driving for anyone else. Most companies are not going to let you see the paperwork. You will learn, that they, make money off your ### in their truck. You already know that.

I see you have plenty of experienced people in your life to ask. IF they think you can make it. I would say try. I told someone else the worst that will happen is you go broke. Keep your CDL clean and you can always go work for them other companies, if you fail. Learn from your mistakes and try again later.

 

I've got a lot of free advice to anyone starting out and even rookies I meet just in their first few years of driving. I'm actually finishing up a book I've written on how to be an O/O, the risks and rewards. It benefits the trucking community as a whole when we all do things right and don't have preventable accidents/problems out on the road that gives the public a bad image of us truckers. When you first start out there's a whole lot of stuff to learn. It may not be a bad idea to team drive for a company with an experienced driver to ask questions to and to get a feel for life out on the road. There's a whole lot more to know than just holding the steering wheel and a whole lot of different situations you may find yourself in that it helps to be prepared for. "Situations that aren't in the training manual" like my mentor used to say. You can definitely learn on your own, but learn all you can about what to do and how to do it before you start out. You don't want to be learning the expensive lessons offered by DOT in the weigh stations! lol!
Ive been driving for 21 years and in that time I've bought many trucks for myself as well as helping others to pick one out. Everyone has a favorite but consider a detroit or cummins engine since they are much cheaper and easier to work on. The first fatal problem most people make in becoming an O/O is being underfunded when they start. Many people try to get an older truck that they can afford, say around $12-15 thousand for a higher mileage truck, then they start taking runs close to home, say within 500 miles or so. This doesn't work out and here's why: That older truck is going to have problems. I don't care if it was well maintained and has a fresh inframe motor or not. The problem is in the age of the accessories such as the turbo, intercooler, radiator, drivers, axle seals, engine seals, kingpins, power steering, drivelines, ujoints, air/water separators, compressor, etc.... All kinds of things can lead to you being out of service and making costly repairs. And these don't get replaced when the truck gets repowered. Now, I know it sounds counter intuitive, but try considering financing a newer truck with lower miles. If you put down 15k on a 50 or 60.000 dollar truck, you should be able to keep a payment under 1000/month. Also, having a truck only 2-4 years old may open you up to more work from more people, usually better paying work also. Trust me, you will have much less downtime in the longrun, enough to make the extra money for the payments. Not to mention a truck that will last you 4-5 years instead of just "getting by". And not to mention your trade in value when it comes time for a new one.
Another major consideration is the amount of time it takes for you to get paid on the loads you haul. I have done a lot of good paying runs only to go home broke while I sit for days waiting on a bunch of big checks to come in the mail. Try considering using a "Factoring" company when you get started. They charge around 5-10 percent. I know it doesnt make sense to give up part of your profits, but if you can run, say, 24 days a month instead of say, 19 days because you keep running out of money, than the extra money you make will way more than make up for the factoring fee. Dont make this part of your long term plan, but it helps to keep you funded when you start out. Also, many o/o's will shy away from brokers who pay 30+ days out, so many of the loads will pay more than the 5-10 percent difference anyway. Here's another tip: I'd rather run 2000 miles at a time with my flatbed rig for less money. I carry a lot of permitted and specialty loads so I often see $3-4 a mile or more for going say, 400 miles. I'd rather take a load that pays $2.50 a mile that goes 2000 miles because I can keep moving. The loads that look like they are paying more don't necessarily and its because of all the load/unload time and waiting that goes into it. Another tip: learn about permitting, get your twic card, and look for specialty loads coming out of ports. Its more money and a lot of guys aren't out to compete with you as there are for regular loads, so it doesn't drive the rate down.
When you buy your rig and trailer, try to get one that has the same sized tires all around, then go out and buy yourself a good steertire that can serve as a spare for any tire on your rig. I bought myself a bunch of tire tools, such as a set of tire bars, an impact (make sure its for unilug 33mm, the higher the ft-lbs the better) and an auxillary airtank to hook into my rig tank so I can get enough air to the impact to break loose and retighten the lugs. You will need 1/2 inch fittings and hose for the extra air. Being able to fix a tire will save you time and headaches and money.
Keep your speed around 64 mph. Every truck has its own "sweet spot" but it will immediately save you money. Being an O/O means saving money where you can, unlike when a company pays for the fuel and you run the 70mph speed limit. The 6 mph difference can save you hundreds in fuel costs each month! Learn how to check everything on your rig on a regular (I do weekly) basis. A bad slack adjuster and a missing booster clevis pin can put you out of service. Learn what to look for and make sure to keep your rig nice and tight. If you use a good DAT load board and maybe a few others you should always stay busy. Don't skimp out on money when it comes to finding the best loads. Keep it right, keep it safe, and work hard, and you should start to see a 6 figure income in the first 2 years. If your keep doing things right for subsequent trucks and hiring good qualified people, you will own your own small fleet and be able to work from home in 5 years, making $1,000 A DAY or more. Any questions feel free to ask. Good luck to you and happy trails.

 

This is some good advice. I do have a couple question, Are the specialty loads only for Flatbed? What ports do they come out of? And any advice on how to find these loads.