My goal is to be a fleet owner maybe 8 or so trucks. I'm currently a heavy duty diesel tech. Although I'm looking into becoming a driver. I was wondering what any current fleet owners or owner operators as far as advice as to what I should do to set up for the future to be a fleet owner.
What would be the best way to do this? Books? And business class is unfortunately out of the options for me.
If this is really what you want to do, you just kind of got to saturate yourself with as much trucking and economic information as you can. Even one good college textbook on management can do a lot. Never know what you might find at goodwill. I bought a college textbook on Management for $3.99 and have been skimming through it, re teaching myself the way I look at management; terms and corporate structure. Then you got taxes and learning how to interface with federal and local government. Break it down into categories and find who's the best in each category and learn from them. There's really no one stop shop, and a hundred different ways to do it.
Go to the Letstruck website. Kevin Rutherford has a week long seminar designed for people just like you. Its called the CMC. Its in September and costs $1800 to attend. Kevin will be at Mats doing some seminars so try and attend them and get a feel for what he is all about. A word of warning, there are people on this website that hate his guts, thats why you don't here much about him on here. Thy seem to think he is some kind of snake oil salesmen but to each his own opinion. I have been to the CMC and it's well worth it, I don't think I will get back this year but maybe someday. Good Luck
What HopeOverMope said. ^^^^ Learn how to run a company. Being successful in this industry really has nothing to do with the day to day duties of a trucker. Learn accounting, tax structure, business law, government rules and regs. Have a strong understanding of assets, expence, profit & loss, balance sheets. With what I see coming in the next 5 -10 years, I would stay in your current line of business and open your own shop and stay out of trucking and fleets.
