Owner Operator, no experiance.

The time off it affords me and the paycheck. But it took years to get here, and still not happy, equipment is very expensive to properly maintain and quickly drains the bank account. Being debt free is nice, but being broke is another matter. It is all siting out there in the driveway in parts and tools. I wish I were younger, without any responsibilities, as I would go do something else.

 

The insurance alone, will kill you the first year.

 

If one thinks trucking can be a sucky proposition, they ought to try installing asphalt shingles on an 8/12 roof pitch in the middle of summer in Fresno, CA like I did for a few years! LOL

 

Glad I said something that helped. Even though I got into this with driving / trucking experience, the process has been eye-opening!! I think a lot of prospective O/O's don't have a "big picture" view of what it really takes, how self-motivated and driven you actually have to be. Most people (it seems) are used to being EITHER the brains or the brawn - not both. If these, or my previous, comments dissuade you or create even the smallest amount of doubt, I would hold off on making the financial cliff dive into owner/operatorship until you have done more research. Most importantly, I would take a job as a company driver for a year - really get your feet wet and your eyes opened to how drivers are treated and what life on the road is REALLY about (without the "Hollywood" spin).

Again, just my two cents for what they're worth....

 

In many ways trucking does suck.

Especially for OTR drivers who are gone from home for weeks on end...

My heart sinks sometimes when I see trucks packed liked sardines in a truck stop, or parked along the side of the freeway in the middle of the night.

I always wonder how long has that guy/gal been out away from their home, their spouse, their children, their surroundings?

It can brutal at times and what really exacerbates that reality is the pay (for the most part) and benefits in this industry don't really line up with the sacrifice, scrutiny and risks associated with the vocation.

 

Speaking of insurance, what if you are sick or injured? How are you going to make money to pay your expenses? They don't stop, even if you do. You refurbish a truck and wreck it. Do you get book value or replacement value, assuming you can even get insurance with no experience. Do you know what it costs per mile to operate a semi? It's 58 cents for a car. Not trying to bum you out, but you better know and be ready to deal with everything that can happen, and lawyers just love to sue truckers. You sign personal guarantees and you can lose everything, even if you incorporate. Sober yet?

 

I'm not trying to brag or make myself look important. However I have 3 million+ logged miles. I have been around truckers and this industry most all my life. I know many brokers and people that operate and manage logistics company's all across the country. I know people at many of the top 25 carriers in America today who I believe would lease me on quickly. I also have a good understanding of the legals needed to operate even under my own DOT Authority and I would also be insurable at a competitive rate. In short if I could drive again I think I have all the needed experience required to be an OO. I will state this again. I am not trying to blow my horn just to be ####y. I'm saying this to make it clear even I would have at best a 50 50 chance of surviving 5 years as an OO. Because of one missing factor, that would be luck. I would say for every OO that has succeeded in this business maybe 100 failed. Before I even thought about signing those papers to buy a truck I would want to know why these failures happened. One example of this is the age of your truck. Some carriers will NOT lease you on with a truck that they consider too old, even if you have a ton of experience. I have always admired the spirit behind people that want to do this. It is part of what makes this country great. Please though, take a long time to study this first. It is not all skittles and beer.

 

You do realize that sounds like an oxymoron?

 

The being away can be a blessing.
Don’t have to tolerate...
I love it.
Keep up all the sacrifice talk. I’ll take the money.
It’s a tough job. But somebody’s gotta do it.