My Start at O/O

I make that much as a company OTR driver. My projections show that when I go O/O next year (leased on to a company) I'm looking at net profit closer to $90K. My company pays owner ops a base rate of $1.08 empty, $1.10 full, plus surcharge on all miles of $.305 . Other companies pay better or worse than that.

I know a few guys who have tried to go the route you're talking about. You are basically setting yourself up to fail right off the bat.

My biggest question is this: why on Earth would you do this for 17 cents a mile? That is less than half of what many OTR company drivers make.

Do yourself a favor... learn the business first, then if you still want to do this, scale back your plans.

A $108,000 truck doesn't earn any more money per mile than a $20,000 truck. The same goes for trailers.

I would strongly advise you to get your CDL first (you didn't say if you already had it, so I'm assuming you don't), and go OTR for a company for at LEAST a year. You may discover that the whole industry just makes you ill, and if you do, you aren't stuck trying to unload $300K worth of equipment.

 

Interesting choice of username....

Don't forget, that as an O/O you still must enroll in a drug testing program.

Now back to advice from more experienced drivers.

 

This thread is just amazing in so many ways.I get the feeling you are not going to heed much advice from anyone on here. Let us know how telling the bank you want 300K goes. I will definitely be following this thread.

 

Please listen to the people on here, they're trying to give you some advice to keep you from making a big mistake. You seem like you have a little ability to crunch numbers, but only a rudimentary idea of what the OTR world is like. Get a job driving for someone else first so you can learn the ropes, make your beginner's mistakes in someone else's truck. You owe that much to your family.

 

What benefits? You forgot to factor in health insurance, add another $600 to $1000 a month to your spread sheet.

 

With all due respect, after 9 years in the business and my personal experience, please do not spend the money to get a sleeper modification. They are way over priced first of all, next if you are serious about owning a truck, no matter if it is a straight truck, or a class 8 truck, you have to stay out on the road just to meet the fuel, insurance and repair bills that will indeed come along, even if you buy a new truck, there are road hazards, that cause flat tires, 150.00 to plug a tire including whatever mileage charge the road repair persons charge mine in the rockies in colo. was 3.00 a mile x 33 miles. ouch!!

Next thing to consider, if I understood correctly, you want to have family on your truck also? Showers are $8.00 to $10.00 depending on where you stop, now a lot of folks might say hey! you get a free shower for every 50 gallons of fuel you purchae, wrong!! one shower per fill up 50 or more gallons of fuel. Also, do you want to feed your famiy out of these trucks stops? you will be spending all of your money to just try to feed yourselves and keep clean, it is rough as I do to eat cheap, from cans more often than not and take a bird bath when I don't have a shower on my rewards card, but I cannot fathom, the way freight is now, or ever, having my wife and child long term on the truck and being able to make my payments, insurance, and feed them on the road.

In short, you must be willing to sacrifice time home and family if this is the path you choose, unless there is an wasome local oportunity, i personally know of tri axle dump truck drivers when construction was rocking, who were clearing 3k 4k 500 as owner operators, here in my area, depending on how many hours were worked, and how reliablw you were.

Again, I say this all, with the utmost respect, and mean no offense, I am just sharing my observations and knowlege. God Bless, and the very best to you and yours.

 

I to am going to weigh in..I have a few questions for you too
I don't think the drivers here are bothered by driving 70 hrs. in 8 days. I can tell you sometimes (quite a few) it won't happen. You have to realize we run logbooks and we have to adhere to what the DOT says...When you begin your day you are only allowed to drive up to 14 hrs. later. So, on days when you unload and load you may not get to drive 3 hours! The clock is what stops us. So, your 11 hour days are shot down.

Going OTR is where you gain experience. Somedays when your lucky it is driving down the interstate ONLY. Somedays it is backroads, in city, interstate, mountains, rain, snow and ice. We see it and deal with it all. Local companies KNOW we have been exposed to the extremes and can deal with it.

Each driver is out here for a diferent reasons. Some of us love it and some of us don't. MANY are very well educated. Many have owned their own business before or still do.

The world of truck driving can be a very negative world. I say it like that because it truly is a different world. If you have never been out here and dealt with all that goes on you really can NOT understand. We deal with FILTH in all shapes and forms. We go to some of the most dangerous places.

Ok, thats it for some of my comments. Heres my questions:

If drivers that are experienced have told you your crazy and this will fail why do you think it will work? Please do not tell us because of your other business.

Have you asked yourself: "I wonder why all the o/o don't WANT a bathroom and shower in their truck?"

Why are all of the experienced drivers suggesting you go to work at a company?

Just curious what you think.

 

Plenty of money in trucking, read these :
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/09/12/business/091309bistruck.txt

http://www.con-way.com/en/about_con_way/newsroom/press_releases/Apr_2009/2009_apr_23/

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS22434+07-May-2009+BW20090507

http://www.allbusiness.com/company-.../company-structures-ownership/11776170-1.html