Owner Operators, who’s in and who’s out? (poll)

Working as a Company Driver. The thought of reactivating my Authority doesn’t excite me at all. I think this is more than a long downturn. The Industry has turned a corner, and changed for the worse. I guess I was so busy staying afloat, I missed the trends that were happening. All the foreign Companies and drivers makes me think I’ve stayed in this Industry too long.

 

Completely revamp of my company. Was OTR flatbed. Mostly direct customers the last 4 years. The customers stated getting squirmy last year so now I’m a 1 truck dirt operation dispatched mostly by another local dirt trucking company. It’s ok but now I just feel like I’m going to work… pretty hard to differentiate yourself in this world with just one truck. Best I can hope for is to somehow be better than the other 30 trucks dispatched by this guy. Not sure what the future holds but I’m going to do my best to keep my authority.

Although someone posted about $500 ea. tie rod ends yesterday…. And my local dealer is selling new day cabs for $218k each. Makes it hard to justify a profit and loss statement… but people are out here still gettin er done….

 

Sold my equipment and retired January of last year. It was always the plan. But should have done it year earlier. 3 major break downs, high fuel and low rates '23 was the first year I lost money and got diddly for my equipment.

 

American independent owner operator.

Freight haulin' spot market (only) carrier and I even drive in flip flops on occasion, but no foot on the dashboard.

Job isn't much different than it ever has been except costs for EVERYTHING are up.

I still make 2.25 to 2.50 as I always have and have a nice middle class life.

No debt, no responsibilities, don't haul it if I don't want to haul it.

No plans to change, I just work a little less when I'm not encouraged by the rates or the work.

Red's quote from Shawshank still applies to life and trucking. "Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'."

 

Got into trucking in 2016 on my 21st birthday . Decided to go into a lease purchase deal in 2018 , paid off my truck in 2020 and leased on as an owner op with the same company until 2021 . Did pretty good the entire time . Thought i had enough knowledge and finances to go get my own authority and have taken ### kicking after ### kicking ever since then. Authority is still active, but just spinning my wheels out here as a company driver running 150k+ miles a year and feel like im going nowhere. The company jobs available are all mostly bad and the pay has been reduced multiple times at the company im working with.. i have thought about just paying off the rest of what i owe on my equipment and closing my authority rather than spending every last dollar i make trying to keep it open and getting out if the industry entirely. as this crap has effected me mentally so much im hardly having much fun anymore... seems no longer there is any money out here, even in the short time ive been out here it has changed so much ,but maybe i am just jaded.

 

Guess I should add to my other post that I was looking for an option to be home more. My 3 customers getting hinkey all at the same time told me it was the right time to make the move. I got a buddy still doing some of the work and it fits there operation fine still. I was OTR : home on weekends for the last 10 years. It was time for a change. I’m not sure if it was a good move or not yet. But my OTR equipment is up for sale…

 

I got 1,000 reasons I’d like to close up shop..mostly due to the big ripoff going on everywhere. Unfortunately I enjoy what I do as long as I can keep doing it on my terms.

Been thinking the last 6 months or so of just switching it up a bit. Getting rid of the long wheelbase/large sleeper OTR tractor. Getting a 389 short wheelbase/coffin sleeper geared for speed. Staying in the South East and only staying out 2-3 days max.

At an age now where my health is deteriorating quickly and I surely miss being around the family.

Rates are what they are and I don’t remember them being any better than when I jumped in.

For now just holding my own..

 

I know it’s probably funny coming from me with a hood/wheelbase, but I actually love nicely done up short hoods with small flat tops on them, takes true taste to pull it off while you can pretty much make a long hood look good no matter what

 

59 years old, 38 years trucking, 12 as an owner op with 10 years this stint leased to the same carrier. My segment of trucking is great right now but just like the stock market and life in general things go up and things go down. It is going to rain but you just don’t know when. You have to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon and will never drive someone else’s rig again.