Self Dispatching

If you are going to self dispatch why not get own authority?
Biggest excuse I hear is that insurance is too expensive. $20,000 insurance is still less than 15-20% of gross plus $10,000 “cheap” insurance. Yes you still pay insurance when you lease. If you have experience, clean record and good credit finding insurance for less than $20,000 first year shouldn’t be a problem.
Other excuse “I don’t want to deal with IFTA filings”. You don’t have to. Plenty of companies out there that will do it for you. It is not expensive.
What other excuses people have?

 

1. I am lazy
2. I do not want to learn new things
3. I want to do as little as possible
4. I like having others to blame for my problems
5. I do not work well under pressure

 

as a company driver it takes awhile to save the money to go on your own, you may lose 20 percent or more leasing on somewhere but you lose more than that staying a company driver, so some drivers are caught in the middle of not having enough to go on their own and being a company driver. in the middle seems to be getting a truck, leasing on with someone and giving up the 20 percent instead of giving up 75percent as a company driver while you try an save to go on your own.. everyone says just go on your own, you have to save the money from somewhere (unless you want to go in it with a ton of debt) and if a company is taking most of the money that makes it harder. in my opinion being a company driver is kinda like going to a buy here pay here car place, you need a car, but you need cash for a car, and when the dealer is taking all your money its hard to save to pay cash for a car.

many people cant pay cash for a car because they pay too much to a buy here pay here dealer, just as many drivers cant save to buy a truck and trailer because their company is taking a large percentage of what the load pays.
the only way then to make things happen is to go without and do what you gotta do or start your operation in alot of debt.

just my 2 cents, any comments on if im looking at it wrong are appreciated.

 

I lease on for %10 of gross and $190.00 week for insurance.

I use his heated shop and tools and park there for free. I buy parts from the local dealer for %37 under retail and smoking prices on tires using his accounts.

He has used his truck and trailer 2 times in the last 3 years to get me out of a jam, no questions asked and 0 charges for it.

My wife is his office /dispatch girl.

I can book my own freight or have them dispatch me off of 3 loadboards. My choice.

Last year I did well over $200k in gross. I was off work for 8 weeks and home most weekends.

I guarantee you, I can’t have my own 1 truck authority for what he charges me over the course of a year. I check insurance rates once a year so I can be informed. I also have nowhere to park or work on my own equipment at the moment.

Also my wife would have a hard time getting a similar job at a similar salary in this little town I live in.

So I guess those are all the excuses I have at the moment?

 

There's always an exception to every rule

 

Company drivers do not have this luxury.

Companies generally have people that takes care of the dispatching part. And more people to deal with the yelling part when necessary.

The issue is not so much as dispatching because if you have 100 drivers to allow a Dispatcher to do what he or she will all day every day, there is about 12 or so who require special. Handholding, grief counseling for having been given a NYC Load, bribery in the form of favorite lollipops or candy easily paid via comcheck at the drivers expense and so on to keep talk back to a minimum when there is a royal screwup within that load you know about already, but driver has yet to discover in the fullness of time.

 

I guess I make my own luck?

This was the only place I have worked for as a truck driver or O/O. (4years total). I meet people Regularly that work off similar deals. I know of 2 other places close by that offer similar deals for O/O’s that would put me on tomarow.

Is it perfect? Nope!

But close enough for me.

I’m ready and prepared to get my own Authority within 30 to 60 days at any point if need be.

 

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.

 

I dont know much. But I've read if you cant gross $300k as an independent than your better off as a company driver.
Your lucky to net $70-$90 a year on your own.
The right company will pay you $100k per year.

So where is the advantage. I like parking the truck and relaxing. Not needing to worry about any little issue being paid by my pocket.