Rookie starting out as Owner Operator. Good Idea???

If you already have a good truck and trailer paid for and have pride and know how to turn a wrench go for it.

 

I bought a truck in 1980 and learned how to drive it on the way home .

I don't know if it was the smartest way to learn , but I gaurentee you one thing I have never forgotten one thing that I learned by paying cash to fix my mistakes !!!!

I am the kind of person that feels it is better to try and fail than to have never tried at all ! If you make it you have that and if you fail you still have the knowledge that you gave it your best shot !

I know one thing for sure I might be in a nursing home with the rest of the oatmeal eaters but I won't be saying I wish I had.... I will be saying one time I tried and failed but have I got a story for you!! LMAO

So I say go for it hell it is just money and but man the stories you will be able to tell at the old folks home !

 

Naw, not stupid. There might be a good deal out there, and everybody has to start somewhere. Keep looking youll find something that works for ya.

 

Setting yourself up for failure out the gate!

Drive company for a year and then make your decision. You may just decide you don't like driving at all!

There are so many factors involved. Take your time man, do things the right way.

Good luck!

 

Nah you don't wanna do that with no experience. Drive for a year in a company truck and make all your rookie mistakes in that. Being an owner is a pretty big commitment and not to mention financially risky.

 

You Defintely would be better off going to a dealership & buying your own truck...

You'll also save a lot of $$ doing that also.

 

There are so many drivers that decide it's not for them after 6 months, it's not a wise idea, even going outside finance. It's actually a real good way to screw up your credit. The big guys lease purchase programs are designed with them in mind, not you and they pay accordingly so you can "own" a truck that chances are, you'll never get to the part where you get the title. If you're used to rules and the order of the military, trucking is the complete opposite. Drive for 6 months, figure out if it is for you or not. If it is, and you want to be an o/o, start looking for a good contract to lease on with. Once you find a good percentage contract with a company you like, have done all the research to know what you are getting into, go buy a good used truck, separate from the company you're contracting your truck on with. Good luck.

 

Sure. If you have the start up costs and also have some put back until you get your first pay check then go for it! Just buy one from an individual or dealership,stay away from any company lease purchase plane!!!! Make sure you have as much cash on hand as you can for any unexpected problems in the first few months. I will tell you,you wont make any money at a $1.00 per mile so try and lease on with a specialty company (or get your own authority and haul what you want) such as Fed Ex Custom Critical. Most of their loads pay over $2.00+ per mile using their trailers...or you can buy your own trailer and see $4.00+ per mile,just depends what you haul. There are other company that pay very well but this is the only company i have personal exsperence with.

In a nut shell...Truck comes first. What ever you make you pay your operating expenses first and also put some back in a just in case fund/maintenance fund. Then what ever is left over is what you use to pay your personal expenses such as house and or car payments and such. What ever is left out after all of this is profit. If you use your head then you should be fine.....but.

There is much more to owning a truck other than just finding a load and heading down the road. There is much to learn as far as rules and regulations goes so if your not completely sure about yourself then you would be better off to run as a company driver for a few years and then get your own truck. I have been a trucker for 16 years and i still dont know everything and what you dont know could cost you everything!

 

Made a lot of mistakes when I was new. Few of them were pretty expensive. Wouldn't have wanted to do that on my own dime.

 

Everybody thinks being an Owner Operator is the cream of the crop. Most people don't have the self discipline to succeed as an O/O. You have to be willing to work yourself in the dirt.... things get slow sometimes and when the good times are rolling you have to make up for the bad! Truth be told most O/O make less than company drivers that work for decent companies. You pay your own insurance, workmans comp and you don't have any retirement unless you pay for it yourself. There are exceptions, but the main benefit to O/O is being able to call your own shots. I would recommend someone driving for a while and maybe driving for a smaller co. for a driver that owns several trucks, so you get an idea what its like to make decisions. Most of your O/O that are successful are working for small mom and pop trucking co. These guys pulling for the mega carriers aren't making squat!