is it still worth getting your own authority these days in the dying industry ?

So true! Thanks.

Wishing you the best as well!

 

This is true. If you can have the right attitude and be honest and be helpful and be successful in such a way that you can sleep well at night, that's spectacular.

I suppose in every business there are Crooks and thieves, but I have a background in Contracting. I knew so many contractors that were just thieves it staggers the mind.

I knew this guy that was a landscaper and then he got into Excavating and Paving and concrete. He cheated every customer he ever had. He stuck the concrete plants for hundreds of thousands of dollars. He did work for the townships and somehow he's got lawyers that they can't do anything to him. Every job he did was wrong and he skimped and still got paid. Somehow he he even shafted the equipment companies then he bought the Excavating equipment from and apparently they can't do anything to him either. He had guys working on prevailing wage jobs that he put the money in his pocket. Just a thief all the way around.

Then as luck would have it a family member got him a connection at the port and with that he got access to an unlimited amount of freight.

Then he began leasing on trucks. Then he opened one satellite location then a second then a third by now he may have five or six. Then he opened a garage where he could do truck and trailer repairs.

Every repair he rips off whoever came in. The last time I saw him he was in his office smoking a cigar telling me how much he loves Trucking because he's got other guys out there doing all the work for him he doesn't have to buy a truck or anything- they put out all the money and take all the risk and he just steals money off of every single solitary truck.

Then he laughs and starts talking about his Mercedes and his Porsche and his multimillion-dollar house on the bay down at the Jersey Shore...

But to achieve that without being a scumbag like that guy, being honest and hard-working and helpful and having a good attitude has to be a great feeling.

And you can feel good about yourself and sleep well at night.

 

You can take my opinion with a grain of salt, but my authority went active in March of this year. Anyone would tell you, not the best timing. After ironing out a few things the first month and getting past the 90 day mark in order to be able to be accepted by a lot more brokers, it hasn't been difficult.

Everyone measures success differently and each person has their own idea of what's successful to them. I have a 2020 truck and trailer, high insurance and even with the rates where they are I am able to generate $9k-$10k per month after expenses, before taxes running 22-24 days a month.

I run harder than a lot would probably want to, but to me its about building the business, generating as much income as I can and setting the company up for success down the road. Why waste a day when you can generate $700-$1200 in revenue per day doing runs? I won't change my style when the rates come back, like the past has shown them to do.

Some people will scoff at that, some will think its great. I don't care what people think, it works for me. I didn't start an Authority to run by myself, I have other plans with it. If you're only going to run with yourself, I may have a hard time jumping into an Authority. Theres plenty of good O/O companies out there. You just have to pay attention to the fees, it's not always about percentage.

 

Nice post!!!

Not that you necessarily care, but your gonna make it dude! And big. I never understood the whole stack money up and then take a couple months off. Stack money up and then stack even way more up and expand. I worked like a dog for years and years and years and built into a position where if I wanted I could go live on an island for a month and money would keep flowing.

I see so many people work hard and make it through the bad times, only to be burnt out and take time off in the good times. Seems so ### backwards to me. Work hard in the bad times, and work like a mad man in the good times.

So for me I see the long term instead of the short term and I think your gonna do exactly the same. Love it. Good luck to you and it would be cool to see updates on your progress.

 

I just don’t get people’s fear of robotrucks. Even if it does happen, we are years and years away from it actually being a threat to the industry. Sure, the technology is there, but it’s not practical, and zero infrastructure has been started to support them.

 

Most importantly, that no one talks about, is what insurance company is going to insure an autonomous semi traveling down the road? I imagine the cost to be extremely prohibitive in the near to mid term. One fatal crash and it's over. This industry is controlled by the insurance companies and I cant see them wanting to take on that risk.

 

Thanks Midwest, I should have phrased the "I don't care what people think" differently. Im always open to constructive criticism, but if you're going to criticize, then give me your reasons why and explain your side and I'll do the same. Don't simply say you're stupid for taking $1.20 freight or whatever the case may be. Im always open for debate, backed up by facts and numbers, not opinions and hearsay.

I went into this based on research, facts, a long term goal and I came from having other businesses. The people out here doing well seem to keep to themselves for the most part and you rarely hear much from them. It's kind of a shame. I would enjoy a forum where we could all bounce ideas off of each other without dealing with the idiots who only want to run their mouths with nothing to back it up. An environment where we could help each other, even though most of us are in different areas, niche's etc.

I can turn into a workaholic, especially in an environment where the more you work, the more you earn. A wasted day is a wasted dollar. With that mindset and a couple years, you can grow, expand and then start to physically work less as you help others reach their goals, in turn helping you reach yours. Any great business starts with hard work and determination to reach a goal, so many people quit long before they get there and then criticize others who want to try because they, themselves, failed. The business itself isn't the cause of the failure, the failure is due to the person running the business.

Im happy to provide updates if people care to see/read about them. Maybe it would be helpful to others.

 

Wow, I swear you just pulled that stuff straight from my brain. lol. I’m not sure who raised you or how old you are but that mindset is key to everything IMO.

Especially the part about helping others reach their goals while in turn helping you reach your goals. That right there is so important. Nothing better then helping someone realize their true potential and them end up making Lee money then ever while helping you to realize growth and income like you’ve always hoped for and dreamed.

Edit: Oh and don’t worry I knew exactly what you meant about not caring what people think. I’m the same way, I actually care a lot and will listen to anyone then sort through the bs and take what I can. But, end of the day I gotta have that mindset of I don’t give two ####s what anyone thinks because that’s how you stay strong and focused.

 

In a perfect world as I add O/O's, my company would be a stepping stone for them into doing their own thing. Theres plenty of people out there who don't want that and they will be great to have also, but there are plenty who do. Also, maybe they are curious about it and seeing it first hand will help them decide if it's right for them or not instead of relying on a lot of bad information out there. Either way, helping others succeed will always have a snowball effect in everyone reaching their goals.

I will enjoy helping them get to the next level, or simply showing them the way to succeed with their goals by sharing my experience and journey through it, helping them as they go. Im 42 by the way.

 

I’ve found that owner ops and drivers are a very finicky bunch for the most part. About the best thing you can do for drivers is provide a very stable job where they can work hard and in return make great money for themselves and their family, and then have enough time off to spend doing whatever it is they love. You’ll still get people that come and go for a lot of reasons, mostly they hate what they do and are mad at the world. However, in between those you’ll come across hard working, stable minded, legit people who just want to work hard, have good equipment, and a fair stable company to work for. They end up staying around and protect them like the gold they are.

Owner ops unfortunately I’ve only found one that’s stable. I’ve had a handful but a lot of them get into bad financial shape and start making stupid decisions trying not to go broke. All of those decisions have become before they came to me. Since they can’t make a killing right out of the gate with me they move to the next company promising the world and it doesn’t happen and they are gone. I don’t promise people anything that’s not true. People like to hear about rainbows and butterflies I guess. The ones that are really successful with you they won’t stay around either because once they can they’ll go out on their own. I haven’t given up on running owner ops but I don’t really care to bring them on. If they find me great, if not I don’t care. I like to have control over my business 100% anyway. So I just keep expanding ding with company trucks.

What I’m mostly talking about is actually office people. Without the drivers and trucks you cant do any work, but without efficient work and profitable work, you can run your wheels off and you’ll go broke. Then, you have to have people who bill and collect properly. What if a $5000 load gets missed? Or what about if all the gazillion gov regs between trucking and taxes don’t get followed and completed perfectly? You can have great work to do, great trucks, great drivers, and still fail. So, it’s really a big team effort and no one aspect is less important then the other. I like finding people who have never been in trucking so that they have no baggage or preconceived ideas on how things should be. How they learned likely was a failure way to do it or they would still be there doing these failed ways. Whether it’s a guy who 10 yrs ago dropped out of HS and hasn’t found his way yet but is over being a young jack off. Or, someone who went to college because that’s what your “supposed” to do but never used it and haven’t found their calling yet. These people you can hire cheap at first, show them the proper ways, and as they grow so does their income, their career, and your business. All the time your molding them to do things exactly as you would. Still listen to their ideas though because that’s how you get the best outcomes by collaborating.

Anyway, I’m way off on a tangent Here so I’ll stop. lmao