owner/ oper want to be

I'm with ya. Thats why I haven't even entertained the thought. To be honest, I was actually pretty good friends with PP by phone. We chatted every so often and even with my minor knowledge, I tried to get him to perform BASICS. He wasn't willing to do them at the time. I'm guessing he learned to later on though, but by then it was too late. Last I talked to him was in Jan of 2010 and he said he was doing pretty good. I think his departure was partially from lack of adequate cash flow and partially from not wanting to be on the road any more tying up his revenue to feed the baby (truck).

 

Sometimes you see these OPs and I think it is someone else on the boards punking us. All this can't be real.

 

i would hope it is somebody just fooling around,cause when you take sarcasm for encourgement -things dont look to good for the future

 

I've been around here long enough to realize there is a whole bunch of mental midgets in or wanting in to this business. Unfortuanatly these guys are usually for real and they trash things for all of us when they start running free freight

 

whats up everyone. i have been a driver for about 5 yrs. i am really looking into buying my own truck. i have about $25,000 to throw down on a used truck and i figured i would keep $15,000 for my truck repairs. so in other words i have about $40,000 in my savings. does anyone have any advice for me on what they think. i am 27 yrs. and i really think it is about time i start something on my own for myself and my family. thanks everyone

 

If your good with a wrench, and your area is drying up for mechanic work, I would look somewhere else some other area, that is hiring for a mechanic, you already got that taste of that week of experince as a company driver with USA, to where it sounds like you dont want to be a company driver, and want to invest money to be an o/o.

I wouldn't with a one week experince or 1 year, but it is a free market and its enter at your own risk.

Idk if you have, why dont you call up some of your local trucking companies, along with the big mega companies and tell them what you told us, tell them you have one week experince, and your thinking of buying a 10/20 year old truck and ask them if they would consider hiring you on as a o/o.

idk the answer can't hurt to call and ask, but i think i will go with the majority on this thread and assume you be lucky if they dont hang up on you.
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What attracts all the negative posts is that these OPs are real and clearly have not read the stickies at the top of the o/o section to answer most of their own questions. If they're not willing to do that due diligence, their future as an o/o isn't real promising.

To readytoroll48: I'll share something that a few of these fine folks shared with me - you are buying a job. In my case it was for a son with a nick on his driving record, but otherwise with 2 yrs OTR experience. My point is, if being an o/o doesn't work out for you, you are now saddled with a business and it's associated costs to liquidate along with having to find another job. This might not be a route to being homeless, but actually the express lane to living in a cardboard box if your financial tolerance for the worst case scenario is limited.

Not to say it won't work for you. But seriously.. with your experience as a mechanic, I'm surprised you're asking what kind of truck to buy and about storing spare major assemblies you may never need. If you had already called on some companies to lease on with, you'd already know the answer about the age of the truck. If you're comfortable with a $30-40k gamble on yourself, go for it. Only you know the answer to that.

In the mean time, go to your o/o buddies and do more than a ride-along. Get an eyeball on their business and see if this is really something you want to get into. Look over their shoulder on the finance side and hustling loads. Even lease operators have to do all that. Then, if you decide this is something you're willing to literally bet the farm on, do it. I sincerely wish you the best of luck whatever you decide to do.

cyrus_27: It's a business venture. As I said at the beginning of this post, the answers are all here. If you have to ask about the investment, you have more due diligence to do.

 

RedForeman I have been following your posts and appreciate the info you have posted here. I have owned 2 trucks over the years and I'm looking to get back in. I'd like to talk with you if you would not care to contact me and could spare a little time.