Looking to not work as hard or as much

@Chinatown I've got a (re)quest for you...lol. As title states I'm looking to not be gone from home as much. We recently purchased 15ac in Savannah, TN and I'd like to just take it easy and do some landscaping/ fishing/etc on the property while maintaining a high enough income to finish paying off my truck and a couple bank notes. I could live comfortably on about $4k/mo clear (maybe 2wks on-2wks off). Are there any O/O companies out there for a wannabe slacker?

 

Landstar

 

Just about any self dispatch company. However ive learned over the years. As an O/O i just tell company what your willing to do and not do going in.
Its your truck note, tags, insurance, expenses are on you. So no skin off the companies back if you want to pay them and not work.

 

Why not get your own authority? When I'm out I like to run but when I want to take time off I do. Was doing 18 to 20 days out then taking 10 off. June and July ran some round turns to California and back up to Portland weekly taking 2-3 days off each week. YTD I've taken off about 12-weeks in total. Best thing I've done was go O/O.

 

Was just telling wife it might be time to buy a trailer. I just don't know how long I have to let a new number sit before I'm 'accepted' by brokers.

 

Lot of brokers will work with new authorities. Some want 90-days, some 6-months. My Authority went active 11/30/20 and everything came together for me to head out 01/06/2021. I worked with a husband/wife that ran and dispatched themselves for 8-years and now have a small dispatch company. I didn't qualify for some brokers but I never sat idle, they kept me running as much and as hard as I wanted. It helped I would go anywhere but that was more being from the NW, not as many loads out of here as there are in TN.

 

You don’t need a trailer. Power only. Set your work schedule and work with Amazon first 3 months right out of the gate. Then run DAT board.

 

As a company driver, used to haul out of Savannah. The factory made stainless steel products for restaurants and maybe other types of products.
American (something) is the name of the company. When restaurant chains are expanding, as they are now, you stay busy.

 

I totally get it! Right now you should be able to find a company to suit your needs. There’s such a shortage of both equipment and drivers that with a bit of effort I’d think you could find a company that would gladly accept you as a two on two off kind of thing.
I paid my 2014 rig off in 2018 but leased a reefer trailer. I was limited on time off because of that lease so I ended up buying the trailer for 10k cash and it saved me a bundle - I had been paying 23k per year for a full service lease. Of course I now pay all the repairs and maintenance, same goes with the truck as it’s been off warranty for awhile- BUT these days I only take gravy freight. I still contract with the same small company and run under their authority. I’ve been with them 18 years, first as a company driver, and as an oo since 2011. They pay me 90%. I have a fuel card but I only use it when I can’t get cash price with my own credit card.
My dispatcher always rolls her eyes when I tell her I’m taking the next few weeks off lol. But she calls me if she’s got a high dollar hot load.
What you want to do absolutely can be done. With the rates so high right now owner ops have way more leverage to do what we like.
Last week I did three loads in NV, OR, CA for a total of 2220 miles including deadhead, my gross for them was $7,740. Serious money at $3.48 cpm on all miles, I left on a Sunday and was back home Thursday night.
I was going to take the next week off before leaving on a camping trip this Saturday. But dispatch called me last Friday with a Reno to Boise deliver Labor Day for $2700, so I took it and deadheaded back, that turn took 24 hours. Then she calls me on the way back with a Reno to Salem, OR - deliver Thursday - for a whopping $3360, so I took it and deadheaded back. Got in late Thursday night. It took 48 hours.
I’m a totally lazy trucker and I’m loving life- so can you!

 

Get a hopper bottom.
A lot of loads go to Lebanon Tn, what 160 miles from you?
Got one delivering there tomorrow afternoon, if they’ll unload me, 1 hour passed unload time, still got 160 DH
Hopper brokers won’t make you wait, and only 50k cargo insurance needed, as most commodity don’t cost as much.

Some companies (PT Brokers) you use their trailer, but haul exclusively for them, but they charge like 300/week for trailer