My journey so far as a new O/O

So, I'm back. I still have my old ### International 9400. It's still running like a champ. Had a compression test done a couple of days ago, it's still good. I'm not really thinking of selling it, no point after I put a lot of time and money in to it. But I definitely am looking to get a long hood. Preferably an ELD-exempt truck, I don't wanna deal with an electronic nanny telling me when I am tired! Looking to get a Pete 379 or W900 with a proper sleeper. I'm starting to feel claustrophobic in this 9400i with a short mid-roof sleeper. Not to mention the lack of storage. My friend is annoying me to buy my truck because he wants to learn stick shift but he's being a cheap ####### and offered me $12k for it. Which is not happening. For $20k, I'll consider it.

I'm still pulling Amazon loads and they actually pay very well for the type of work ($2.30-$2.50 / mile). I know it's popular to #### on Amazon loads but the pay seems to depend on their internal "performance score". So our company seems to have a good score so we get a good price. I just got done with a 2-week dedicated contract out of St Louis. That paid very well - base pay $2500 per block, plus fuel and tolls. 1 block can be either a 1-day or 2-day round trip. Some of those trips essentially paid $4+ / mile. And I had time to do a couple of local runs in between the contracted blocks.

I was forced to find a permanent place to park my truck when I'm home. I used to park it in the street, a few blocks away from where I live in Brooklyn NY, but then someone started messing with my truck. I had my front tires slashed, twice. Someone spray painted my truck. And then I got 2 parking tickets in one week - overnight tractor trailer storage, $265. One of them I paid, the other one I hired a lawyer and she got it dismissed because I was actually parked legally. I park the truck in Jersey now. But that's NYC, you'll get a parking ticket just because "#### you, welcome to NYC!"

Speaking of NYC, I am now set on moving to Cincinnati. The whole "convenience" of living in NYC is gone due to half the places being closed because of Covid. Despite the closures, the cost of living sure as hell did not go down. I am looking to mortgage a house, though I'm not sure if I'll get approved. Either way, I'm moving. Whether I get approved for a mortgage or I lease an apartment, I'm done with NYC!

 

I think this is a good a place as any to ask for advice. Currently I'm at a bit of a crossroads on my next phase. I am split between buying another truck or moving from NYC to Cincinnati.

The trucks I'm looking at are pre-ELD longhoods. Either an actual old truck, 1999 or older, or a glider. Would probably have to finance the truck but that should not be a problem. Cat 3406, Cummins N14, or 12.7 Series 60. Leaning more towards a Cat because of experience with my current truck, but I've heard mostly good things about the Series 60.

When it comes to moving out of NYC, I have many reasons. Cost of living is a major one. Everything is expensive in NYC, rent, insurance, tolls everywhere. Traffic is a another big one. I hate sitting in traffic. You'd think after 20 years of living in NYC I'd get used to it but nope, still hate it. I want to get a house around Cinci. Despite buying a house being a major expanse, my reasoning for that expanse is I can park my truck at the house and put together a small workshop where I can work on the truck and do a lot of maintenance my self, saving some money. Not to mention do some more custom work. But another major reason, I will stick with Amazon for now, and right across the river in northern Kentucky there are 5 Amazon terminals with another massive one being built. So if I move to Cinci I can be pretty much local and make roughly the same money as I do now OTR. And last reason, I think it might be easier to find a local / regional driver out of Cinci area than finding an OTR driver.

But here's the problem with buying a house for me, I was off for about 5 months this year. Partly due to Covid shutting everything down and I couldn't get my own registration or renew my current plates. And partly because I had a brilliant idea of doing some custom interior work on my truck myself. I got in way over my head - sanding and painting parts in my bathtub was not the best idea. So after speaking with a couple of lenders, there's next to no chance I'd get approved for a mortgage currently. Have to wait and work another half a year at a minimum to show consistent income.

Option 3, rent an apartment and rent a space to park the truck. It might still be a pain in the ### to do maintenance on the truck myself. Plus I'm not sure I want to sign a 1-year lease.

Last option - don't! Just stay put in NYC and keep saving money...and then spending half of it on insurance, tolls, and expensive fuel.

I'd appreciate any advice

 

Single no kids. Not even thinking of that. I'm actually more inclined to rent a house. That way I'm not tied to the property but still have the benefits of having my own house and property.