Picking my own freight baby! My journey to & of being on Schneider choice, the Adventure & Numbers!

Congratulations on having a plan laid out, most guys just wing it hoping for the best.

 

What, you can easily do that in an ungoverened truck...with time for a reset. He said he had regular customers which is the real trick

 

And if you can financially make it on that awesome for you - that's really cool! Most need more though.

 

I plan my year working and profit goals working 40-42 weeks. I take a lot of time off in the winter a few weeks here and there during the spring and summer. I'm not here to be a slave as @CJndaTruck said. I have my 12 month, 2 year, 5 year, 10 year and 20 year goals and plans in trying to achieve. When you learn to look out like that instead of paycheck to paycheck, you can see the path to get there and the work required to get it done.

To be successful in life and even in business, you have to have goals. Even as a company driver I had goals and they helped me become a top earner as a company driver where I worked because my goals pushed me to always ask questions and then shut up and listen to the answers. I ask myself everyday am what I'm doing helping me achieve my goals or sending me away from them?

 

It's about money. Not miles. His 1200 miles pays more than 3000 miles for the majority of trucks.

 

Which is cool, and I still with my statement, not everyone has the ability to accomplish what he has.

I agree with the sentiment that if you don't develop a business plan you really shouldn't expect to be successful as a leasee or owner operator, I also believe some (many) are better off being honest with themselves and just working as company drivers and being the best that they can there.

His ability to work to get customers and manage his profit are skills not everyone has. I met a new lease driver for a flatbed company some time back and he was going on about how much he was earning, never even considered taxes or what he needed for breakdown, both physical repair and bill coverage. That's a mentality that will lead to failure.

 

You really did it right man I liked the answer where you said you're gonna bomb it for the first year with the goal of getting your authority to its first birthday where the real opportunities start to open up. You're set up super nice to get that done. I'm just curious about who is gonna haul your customers loads the 10-12 weeks you plan to be off...or did you only commit to 40-42 loads for the year?

Thanks for the info and best of luck to ya!

 

My mistake. When you said "most need more" I took that to mean miles. Probably cause so many posters here and drivers in general can't fathom more miles does not equal more money.

 

Thank you @scottlav46!

My time off schedule has been set for months and I was willing to make adjustments to it if need be, but most of my time off does fit around when these customers have there slow down anyways and they have others with higher seniority than me that must be taken care of first. All goes back to homework and understanding how cycles of this market. You don't take significant time off during the 100 days of summer where freight picks back up and you don't take time off during the fall.

I might be my own boss by my customers' production schedules control when I take time off because without customers you can't make money, lol I mean the ritural sacrifices of virgins and kids does help as well

As things are looking right now, I think I'll be buying a second trailer and bringing on another owner operator to lease onto me who wants to run this lane as well.

Here I'll blow all your minds even more because I gotten so much shtzz from other drivers and companies offering me there services. I don't use a factoring company at all. Don't plan on ever using one. If I don't have the money in the bank to support my bills for the 30 days it takes to get paid, I don't deserve to be in this business!

I can't tell you the number of factoring companies that called me to offer me there sevices and when I said I am well capitalized they got pizzy with me and told me I had to use a factoring company. i told them I don't have to do anything. I have had drivers tell me I am stupid for not using a factoring company and how I'll be out of business because of it. They think because they use a factoring company they are garunteed to get paid. Only thing garuenteed in life is death and taxes!