Need Owner Op advice!

LoL. You need $50k to take a day off?

Piss on that. No one on their deathbed ever says i wish i spent more time at work.

 

Their idea of a dpf cleaning is probably taking it off and blowing it out with a air hose......

$96 an hour ain’t much of a bargain but whatever......

I assume you know the specs you need for Moore....

P.S. Freightliner in Shrewsbury will give a truck to almost anyone... especially if Moore will give you a letter of intent to hire you......

 

Yeah that would cost $1200 to $1500 on the top end, which I don't think the op has that money to chance on a truck that would fail the dyno or blowby.

Oh and I would add oil analysis for all fluids.

A blowby test is done under a full load of the engine and it measures indirectly through the crank case pressure the condition of the piston rings. Each engine model has a range and if the blowby passes that high limit, it needs rings.

 

That's a good point. Now Penske I know when they front-line recondition a rig will totally replace the DPF with a new one. Then the goal of course is to not let the truck idle a lot to clog it back up.

Good tip on that Freightliner dealer also. New would be even better. Probably not with his credit and money down but who knows, worth a shot. I just think Paccar makes a better truck overall. (Kind of like Ford vs RAM.)

Lone Mountain I know some people have had okay luck with but any used truck is a case by case basis and it pays to be patient and picky.

 

$50k in the bank you're in business for sure. Half of that will disappear at tax time though I bet. Seems like a lot of money to have sitting around to most people who live paycheck to paycheck but that doesn't work for minute when you're running your own show.

 

Save save save. I just had to replace my turbo after taking my first load out. It was a nightmare. Down for a week but thankfully I had a couple bucks stashed for rainy days....didn’t expect my first day to be the day though

 

Not on that 600 FICO.

Mine is 500 and I am strictly cash only. If I need a VISA I put cash against the card at the bank and they build it for me. (Not debit, pure credit card) when I finish with it I tear it down and hold on to the funds after a zero balance. The funds become a foundation for a bigger limit card later in the year.

Medical billing is the most dangerous this year. I am about 2000 past due with another 1600 to add on to that not including three other creditors for a total of about 1500 more. All of which is past due based on the principal that if you paid 10.00 a month, in the eyes of the Law that's good faith payment while you build up the necessary funds to them off.

If you are at 13000 and will be down to 4000 with fuel bills, tires and so on to come? Its not enough it's a bridge too far.

You say you are super impatient. That needs to be pernamently put to bed, possibly with counseling or some form of medicine to help impulse control or idealation that could sink your business. One of the first and best lessons a trucker learns in this crookied industry is to rest while waiting a very long time. When you have had enough of waiting, settle down and wait some more. You are more than halfway there.

 

Set a goal, like one year, put an action plan in place.
Work on saving money. Find ways to control your expenses. That does not say deprive yourself.
If you have a computer, great. Get a Spreadsheet going and track all your expenses. This is good practice for being an O/O. You can get some decent bookkeeping ones free from the OpenOffice or Microsoft web sites.

As to lone mountain. They really are hit and miss.
They really are not your friends, they are a remarketing company that sells/leases the trucks a company can’t trade or sell. Part of your plan is to find a good truck that will work for you, spec’d like you need. It’s out there at a reasonable price, you just have to look and be patient. Saving cash puts you in better control of the deal. If you have to do some financing, no more than 30% of your available cash should be used to get out the door. So down payment, fees and other charges are that number.

Last item. Start working like an O/O. Keep the records and all the related documents just as it was your truck. Get a file system down. Get the good habits now, so you have them in that year, when you get your truck.