should i switch from company to o/o

I understand... it's pure physics. The faster you move an object, the more fuel it takes to move that object.

Lots of people will try to debunk this by saying they get better fuel economy by driving faster... it's just not possible , barring Georgia overdrive and an inconsistent route giving you downhill and a tailwind 60%of the time.

Depending upon his tranny (9,10,13,15,18) and his rear end ratio all this is flexible. His best fuel economy may be at 62 in 16th. You have to experiment.

My point was to not be "balls to the wall" 4.5 mpg wasting fuel insuring a business failure inside of 2 years.

 

Understood but It's a rare sight..

 

These questions are always funny.. mainly because of the wild differences in opinions.

Personally I think if you have to ask... you prob not ready.

I've run pre-egr, egr, egr + dpf, and the newer def motors. Ya know what I found out... they all have their thing. If you learn the weaknesses and keep on top of them your chances of breakdowns go way down. If you aint willing to research and get dirty you can go broke real fast paying a shop for every little thing. Don't care if you're running an 8v92 detroit or a cm 2350 cummins isx, that last sentence is true.

 

Allright. you have 12 k saved. That's almost enough for your emergency business fund.

Not near enough for a down payment, first two month's operating costs, insurance down payments, etc, etc, etc.

Not to be a party pooper, but it really takes about $30K to be reasonably assured of success, and that's assuming you understand the business side of the business. From the questions you are asking, you're don't understand the business yet.

 

30k isn't even a decent down payment on a new truck. If you can't put a minimum 20 percent down of final purchase cost AFTER all taxes and dealer fee's, then you can't afford that piece of equipment.

 

I wonder how many of you actually had the amount of money you're quoting to start off on??? I know in all honesty I didn't.

 

When I bought new, I put more than that down. But it wasn't my first truck. it wasn't my second or third either. I worked up to it, using other trucks as stepping stones. My very first truck was paid in cash, an old pos cab over with a 238 Detroit held together with baling wire and prayer. I see similar deals all the time out on the road. Lots of mid 90s era ten thousand dollar trucks for sale. Those are, in my opinion, much better for a first time owner. A truck paid in full, that you can run the wheels off of while accumulating money for the next. Will it need a couple hundred bucks thrown at it here and there? Sure will. An air bag here, a wheel seal there. you fix the small stuff while accumulating a stack of Benjamin's for your next. Even in today's economy there is no reason a guy can't be making two grand a week after fuel. doesn't take long to replace that initial investment if you don't spend every penny you make.

 

I agree with much of what you're saying, but not everyone is mechanically savvy. While I do understand mechanics, I have no desire to do the heavy lifting on my truck. I love driving, but I don't like working on them. I'm slow, I don't have all the tools necessary to do the big jobs, and have no intention of making the investment to purchase them cause I don't have a shop to store them in. Only place I have ever had to do my own work is out in the wide open on gravel and that is not ideal in many situations.

My first truck only had 225,000 on it when I purchased it, bought it from someone I knew. 1999 Pete with a 12.7 Detroit. Put over 600,000 miles on that truck with very little maintenance invested, was a good truck. Next two were higher mileage trucks and maintenance cost were much higher. All maintenance done by a home town shop that I had began to use when I did need work done on first truck, excellent quality workmanship with labor rates about 30% lower than name brand shops. In my time as an O/O I have been able to get 98% of my work done at home shop town shop because I stay on top of maintenance and usually know when I can push to get home and when I can't. I have developed a history with my home town shops and have no hesitation in calling them for advice.

After my second truck costing me so much more in maintenance I decided it was time to go back to much lower mileage truck with the goal of working up to new, which I have been in now since January. Even with my last truck, 2011 Mack, and my new truck being on current emissions I still have been able to get all maintenance work done at home, when needed... Which despite current beliefs, there has been very little to be done but I used previous experience and developed a history with a very reputable dealer near my home and can call people that I know for advice.

In conclusion, I know you claim a savings on labor, but are you really? Is your time worth nothing? I'm gone from home a lot, I'm a truck driver so this is a sacrifice I make in order to earn a living. But when I'm home, I walk away from the job and do what I and my family and friends need and want to do. Don't get me wrong, I do minor things that I can like grease, wash, alternator, belts, batteries... When those things need done, no problem and something I myself can do without reading a book to become a mechanic or investing days of my home time to do it.

There is a certain belief that there is only one way to be a successful O/O and that is not true cause I have gone against the grain of many on here... And I'm still here, making money, and happy with my life. Bought my first truck in 2000, had been a driver for 10 yrs at that time.

Been a long post.
Thanks for reading my book!!!

 

Larry, if that was addressed to me specifically. Yes I save a ton of money doing my own maintenance and repairs. An air bag takes thirty minutes max, typical shop will change a full hour labor, plus shop fees, plus tax, plus a jacked up price for the part. No special tools required, just a typical craftsman set for two to three hundred bucks. And it's done, start to finish faster than most shops even get the truck in. Unless your local mechanic will pick up and drop the truck off for free, you would actually save time doing most repairs yourself.

For the bigger things, a rebuild for example. Doing it by yourself can take a full weekend, and saves over five grand. No special tools required except for a torque wrench. Do you clear five grand in a weekend? Most of us have, but it certainly isn't very frequent.

As for no place to work on it, while I have a pretty nice shop/barn for working on my truck, but it's so full of projects, toys, and junk, I end up doing it outside in the yard. One of these days I'm gonna get around to finishing some of those projects so I can actual work with out getting sunburnt and rained on. Here in Florida it's usually both at the same time.

Not trying to say my way is better, and you're way is wrong. I just prefer it my way. It works for me.