Jalopnik wrote an article on gliders.

Dude this is the trucking industry, if you've got experience and a decent record it will take more time to get a bigmac than it does to get a job. Insisting that a company driver risks anywhere near as much as an owner operator is just foolish.

 

If the risk is so great why do it

 

Cuz some of us were cut out for it. We ain't happy being a company drone forever. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just that we see the OPPORTUNITY (not the guarantee) to make more money, as well as the pride and freedom that goes along with owning your own truck/business. For some, that is the driving force.

 

Exactly. I haven't had a 'job' since turning 18. I am not cut out for working for someone else. That being said, if i was forced to rely on new engines and their emissions i would no longer be in trucking. The risk is far to great. The only way to get that risk down to an acceptable level is to implement a strict trade in cycle. I'm not interested in never ending truck payments. A good down payment and good credit is going to put your monthly payment about 2500 add another 400 for physical damage insurance.... on average that's going to be 1 week a month of work just to make the payment/insurance cost That's 12 weeks a year i could be playing with my kids or fishing. This was acceptable when it was only for a few years followed by 10 years of no payments. But on a never ending cycle? Ya that's not going to happen. I work to live, not live to work.

 

I don't see why you guys don't do what my boss is doing.

Lease your trucks from either Penske or Ryder, get the service contract and you have 24/7 roadside assistance, a network of shops nationwide, sub trucks in the event of a breakdown, and a new unit every six years.

I can't imagine owning my own truck anymore. It's just so much less hassle. Is it expensive? Probably, but it can't be that nuts because we're "leasing" our units to "owner/ops" in our company. And of all the things they're complaining about cost of the lease isn't one of them.

 

For a decent sized fleet leading or buying new on strut trade in cycles makes a lot of sense. But in that situation you arent trying to make a lot off 1 truck. If the trunk only makes nets 50k working full time all year long and you pay a driver 45k that's 5k in profit per truck. Times 20 trucks and you got yourself a nice income.

If you own 1 truck fifty thousand net while working a full year doesn't work. At least not for me, i work to live i don't live to work.

 

That's the nice thing about being a company driver. When my truck was in the shop for a week, and then again for three weeks last year, I went home. I hung out with my family. I tried to not spend too much money so I didn't have to dip into savings. I enjoyed it. Kinda sucked financially, but I never stressed about it. I didn't have a truck payment, insurance payment, customers finding other trucks to run freight I'd worked hard for.

I know some folks are in a harder spot financially than I am, but it's a whole different game.

 

Maybe if you can't "run a new truck to the ground" as you put it they're really not saving anything environment wise. My 97 w9 has 1.7 and change on the clock, only been overhauled once and is still going strong. I overhaul it and there's no reason it shouldn't go to 2.5 with no major issues. Oh and I'd probably half about half into it as new truck costs

 

Unfortunately in trucking there is no “one size fits all”. What works for one may not work for the next, or the next 100. I’ve got friends who delivered Budweiser, as teamsters. Made a good living, and retired with something to show for all those years of putting up with an endless stream of BS. (This is not a pro or con union post!).

It does seem like it’s become harder to be an OO, and make a good living, but there are many success stories as well. I don’t think you can blame emissions or ELDs, way too simplified an answer. How about the guy who jumps right in, not nearly enough experience, and in many, if not most cases lacking adequate capital reserves.

How many posts have you read here about a guy starting out, who wants nothing but a big hood Pete, with a lot of chrome? So he gets his Pete, but it’s all used up, didn’t matter if it was pre-emissions or not, just wanted that Pete. But he couldn’t afford a good one, so he gets a piece of crap, and usually in less than a year, he’s done and gone. And then what does he do, he sits at the counter in a truck stop and blames everybody else. I’m not even gonna get into LOs, that’s for another day.

Big difference between the dream and reality.

Or someone who won’t drive an automatic, or a inner facing camera, or this or that. The list is endless. Truth is this trucking biz is a tough one, with plenty of hardships. Always was, and I believe always will be. There is no substitute for hard work, no easier softer way. You wanna go OTR, don’t leave a family behind, that needs you now more than ever. Don’t tell me you’re chasing your dreams. Situation is entirely different if you’re not leaving a family to fend for themselves.

I’ve read too many posts about somebody looking for a job, right here in this forum, but how many get up early, and go banging on doors all day, show up presentable, and are willing to put in the hours to actually find a job right down the road from where they live. And are willing take anything to get started.

But here on TTR, someone asks who’s hiring, and the next guy calls for Chinatown, to give him some names of fleets, that might possibly be hiring. I’ve never found a job that way! No Mr Potential new driver, step away from your video games, and get your butt out there.

Don’t get me wrong, I like TTR and the Mods run a pretty tight ship, but let’s stop being nannies, to too many lazy folks who only hear what they wanna hear, and tune the rest out.

Apologize in advance for this rambling post, but I just needed to vent, and possibly vent the room as well.

 

Dang it driver! I hope you washed your hands and did a courtesy flush!

I suppose given enough cases, there's some guy out there that has no skills, no plan, and still manages to make it big.

Even though common sense and statistical probability would point to another washout.