Is this the end for me in trucking?

gokiddogo · May 2, 2023

Lexuslane said: ↑

Clarksons farm is an entertaining and funny show
Realistic too apparently
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Alright, I will put it on the list.

And then - I have a day like today. After working at the farm again all day today and chatting with the boss man before coming home explaining again how I think this is not really smart to continue - he more says he'd like to see me hire a driver, if I'm not driving it myself. Looking around and considering the past few years, I really am top dog around there, I do think if I had the equipment I could take care of the entire trucking side of it, and he'd give it to me. Arrrg. Once again a passing thought of thinking I can have it all - I'm young and full of P&V I can do it, right?? Then I get to looking at my old girl parked in the back lineup and really, can I let it go? Feels a lot like I am trying to take a beloved pet to be put to sleep. Hardest thing ever.

Pepper24 · May 2, 2023

gokiddogo said: ↑

So, I am looking for some advice. Basicly, I do not want to drive a truck, or be in the business anymore. It is just very hard to let it go. I have built a nice living for myself, my customers love me, but there are some major road blocks I just can't see getting through in order to live the life I want to live.

A little background. I am 35 now, been trucking since 2007. Own truck in 2011, own authority in 2012. I have enjoyed all the ups and downs, seeing new places and the whole experience. Started with a w900L, had an accident (which was a blessing in disguise), came back with an old fl classic with my tail between my legs for a few years, then got into what I have now, a 389. Ordered a new top of the line GD reefer. On top of the world, as far as looking good going down the road and enjoying the ride with a sense of pride. The problem is - nothing is new anymore. I have done everything I want to do enough times from the perspective of a driver. Yes I do still enjoy going down the road looking out over MY huge hood, the air cleaner lights in the windows, the lights all the way down both sides rocking out, one of my favourite drives is eastbound of Laramie to Omaha. Put 'er on 75-80 and just let it roll, passing most everything in sight. All that being said, the game of life is lacking, it is not possible to maintain any serious relationship living this lifestyle. If I ever want to have a kid and raise it every day, this isn't going to allow it. In short, I do not want my life to look the way it does now at age 40 or beyond. So I need to somehow change it today so I'm not humming and hawing for all eternity. I have actually taken a spot at one of my customers, it is again seasonal but for 8 months a year. I will make a year's pay in that 8 months and still have a spot for a second source of income or to vacation or do nothing. I have a decent pile of money saved for retirement, my house is almost paid for, I did recently buy a 2020 ram rebel (tired of forever fixing my 07 f150 every time I take it out), I have no dependents or a woman draining my finances. I am in acceptable spot, financially. I am able to call this quits and make much less, at least for a few years before I am perhaps a certified mechanic, and back to making what I was at the peak of my trucking career.

Reasons I want out:
-The road forward is either to hire a driver or an owner operator. I would prefer owner operators, I don't want to own more trucks than I need to, or hire more people than needed. An owner operator is a business partner, there aren't the same protections you have to provide as a company driver. Also they own the truck. I do not want to take care of and maintain more trucks than necessary. The trucks cost money, the trailers make money. If I take either of these roads, now I am responsible for someone else's living. When the market gets slow, do you operate at or even below cost in order to keep someone moving? You can't really just park it like I do now when the market dumps out.
-The equipment itself. I have been very lucky *knock on wood* with my emission truck. No major issues. The next round is 2027, which will likely mean a more expensive engine and less reliability. Then the EPA says something about 2032 and 25% must be battery. CA wants 2036 no more diesel trucks and 2042 electric. I realize likely none of this will actually come to be realized - but the idea in my head is the same. If the day comes I am to have even a fleet of 10, the thought of simply buying and running old S60 or 6NZ etc, is not a sustainable solution over the long term. Everyone will sooner or later be forced to run this new tech they are putting out. How does that work if you have 10 trucks and 1 or 2 are perpetually in the shop? The less number of trucks you have the harder this number will hit if you have down time. The regulators can't seem to ever be content and just continually throw more and more at us and it seems to be speeding up.
-If someone asked me about getting into ownership I would say YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY INSANE. The price of this equipment has shot through the roof, insurance is expensive on a good day, again every few years there are pushes to push the minimum insurance higher which would just drive that cost up even more. So if you go and buy a unit and put a driver in it and he decides to quit now you have an expensive asset, or multiple, sitting there demanding the bank payment every month while you may have to take a less than desirable driver who abuses it.
-Because equipment prices are high, and I do have a desirable truck, I can get a good price for my equipment. I will list below what I have. I'd appreciate any input on dollar figures as to what it may be worth.
-(I may get roasted for this) Driving a truck, for me, has become a mind numbing brain dead thing to do. The part I actually enjoy most of it is all the accessorial stuff. Going to meat inspection (both sides of border), having the border paperwork correct the FIRST time so the broker doesn't have to go back and forth in the end costing me time. Fixing minor issues on the road, lights or greasing, etc. Just going down the interstate mile after mile has gotten old. My brain is screaming at me THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN THIS.
-Liability. Even if I expand, or don't, every day is another day I could get rear ended then sued into the poor house. I don't ever want to deal with that. Doesn't matter if I am driving or someone else is with my name on the door. It seems very easy to lose it all very quickly in this business. I have watched many others before me it happens to them. Or their customers decide the rate is now lower. There is just way too much to put at risk and then it is way too easy to lose everything. For the longest time I have the blinders over my eyes and trucking was the only way to make money. Now I am way more open to the rest of the economy and all the possibilities. There are better businesses to be in.
-I am itching to learn new stuff. And do a more physical/mentally demanding job.
-I am not in horrible health, but I am surely not getting any better either. I'd like to be able to actually use a gym membership, rather than trying to figure out how to workout in a sleeper or at a truck stop.
-The regulators can seem to find no end as for ways to take our money. The latest nail in the coffin is (Canada at least) your ELD now must be premanently fixed to the dash, or else you get a ticket or maybe even OOS. I don't know, I don't really care. If the world is going to starve because I quit doing this then I guess the people will go hungry.
-Approximately 2/3 of customers are primarily price driven. The whole idea of having fixed costs, insanely high overhead, and then the way it works is basicly "today we will pay you 1.00, tomorrow we want to pay you 0.75 or 0.50" - try telling that to any other industry, an electrician, plumber, even there is another thread recently to company drivers they want to shift the pay from .68 to .61 and there are plenty of comments F them you should quit working for those cheapos NOW!! As the company owner you are being burned on both ends. Costs keep going up, customer always wants to turn the screws on the top side for revenue. Drivers always on the lookout for another place to work for a nickel a mile more.

End part 1 of 2
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Dam did anybody really finish reading all of this.quarter way through I couldn’t take anymore of the drama.Work don’t work who cares

Born2win · May 2, 2023

Pepper24 said: ↑

Dam did anybody really finish reading all of this.quarter way through I couldn’t take anymore of the drama.Work don’t work who cares
Click to expand...

Lmfao

Oxbow · May 2, 2023

Pepper24 said: ↑

Dam did anybody really finish reading all of this.quarter way through I couldn’t take anymore of the drama.Work don’t work who cares
Click to expand...

When you apply your life to a goal and succeed, it is a lot more than just work.

Short Fuse EOD · May 2, 2023

Oxbow said: ↑

When you apply your life to a goal and succeed, it is a lot more than just work.
Click to expand...

@Oxbow well said.

bzinger · May 2, 2023

@gokiddogo do what works for you and congrats on your accomplishments! Not many accomplish what you have at your age .
At 59 and in since 1987 ...in a really safe place these days I'm just getting bored .
Buttttt that's better than many are doing now .

D.Tibbitt · May 2, 2023

gokiddogo said: ↑

Alright, I will put it on the list.

And then - I have a day like today. After working at the farm again all day today and chatting with the boss man before coming home explaining again how I think this is not really smart to continue - he more says he'd like to see me hire a driver, if I'm not driving it myself. Looking around and considering the past few years, I really am top dog around there, I do think if I had the equipment I could take care of the entire trucking side of it, and he'd give it to me. Arrrg. Once again a passing thought of thinking I can have it all - I'm young and full of P&V I can do it, right?? Then I get to looking at my old girl parked in the back lineup and really, can I let it go? Feels a lot like I am trying to take a beloved pet to be put to sleep. Hardest thing ever.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's just not time yet... if it was. Perhaps you would feel you aren't leaving anything behind, because there wouldnt be anything left to give.. You know ? Sometimes there always a new challenge right in front of our faces , it just takes a brief moment of time to collect our thoughts and proceed forward... whatever decision you make is the right one, but you have to commit to it with all u got. otherwise you will always have doubts about what ur doing when the problems come from the new challenge....

There's nothing wrong with taking some time to think your way thru things... I constantly stew over ideas in my head for months and months - for trucking it was Years, and baby steps along the way.. To see the entire picture of it... it's the only way to go thru life productively, in my opinion. Otherwise, decisions we make, are only ever made based on emotion... which is not always bad, but sometimes isn't the best choice for the long term.

just some things I have learned the hard way in my short life... I hope it may help give you some clarity.. But if not , I hope u can find what ur looking for.

Pepper24 · May 3, 2023

Oxbow said: ↑

When you apply your life to a goal and succeed, it is a lot more than just work.
Click to expand...

I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.You’re trying to apply a saying to a goofy ideal.So truck driving or having a truck I’m guessing you’re trying to compare to success?what is your ideal of success?Just owning a truck and paying your bills there are 100is of thousands of people doing all kinds of job’s doing the same, you don’t have to own a truck to achieve that kind of success.nowif you own multiple trucks and responsibilities include meeting payroll for multiple employees ok.Your just being silly.if you have to try to be cool your not.

Mattflat362 · May 3, 2023

Ok

Short Fuse EOD · May 3, 2023

Pepper24 said: ↑

I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.You’re trying to apply a saying to a goofy ideal.So truck driving or having a truck I’m guessing you’re trying to compare to success?what is your ideal of success?Just owning a truck and paying your bills there are 100is of thousands of people doing all kinds of job’s doing the same, you don’t have to own a truck to achieve that kind of success.nowif you own multiple trucks and responsibilities include meeting payroll for multiple employees ok.Your just being silly.if you have to try to be cool your not.
Click to expand...

OP, is not just your basic driver. He runs cross boarder operations, has his own customers that depend on him, and runs a business that is heavily regulated in two countries. So I would say Oxbow was right on.sounds like you got tired of spitting on @Concorde in another forum and are now here trying to bring the hate on a feller that started is own authority pretty much at age 21. If anything one should listen to @gokiddogo cause he was able to do what many have failed.

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