Small Business Mentor

That's great! You can do anything if you're willing to put in the work.

But you could spend the rest of your life worrying if one crash you'll be sued for everything you own, or taking calls at 3 and 4 in the morning, or going to get abandoned trucks that are 30 states away, or finding that you have a few customers that give you most of your work and all of the sudden their pay is very slow and you're wondering if you will ever get paid as your expenses continue to rise, or having five six seven eight trucks without drivers that you're paying Insurance on and banging your head up against the wall...

It isn't that you can't do it. But it isn't always what it's cracked up to be.

Some owner operators are home every night. Some work 3 days a week. Some work hard through the summer and then take it easy through the winter and go on vacation and whatnot.

Owner operators can shut down basically whenever they want to and that can be a very difficult proposition when you have people working for you.

There are trade-offs for everything, it is not always what it appears to be.

 

Are you thinking van/reefer type stuff or flatbed or something specialized? I’m not sure what part of SD you’re in, but you will need to focus on securing outbound loads and figure out what you can haul to get your truck(s) back home. If you can’t go to and from close to home then you’ll be stuck being loaded and stopping through home on your way to somewhere. That’s sort of the spot I found myself in back in ‘15-‘16, and part of the reason why I relocated. And if you want in state work or local work then you’re going to need doubles and a lot of axles to compete.

 

Google Kevin Rutherford at Let's Truck. He has a whole show in how to make money in trucking on satellite radio on every day 11am-2pm. Trucking is very hard to run a fleet and make profit. You probably don't know what your up against. You have mega trucking companies that save big money on insurance because they are self insured for like the first 1 million dollars. So any accident or claim under 1 million they pay themselves. They basically hire new drivers so they have a fleet of new drivers working for beginner wages. They told us one time it only cost them $.03 cpm to cover the accidents. So my guess is it's cheaper more profit for the trucking companies to hire new drives at low pay plus 3 cpm to cover all the accidents. Vs paying more for experienced drivers

 

No.
When I flip the switch for chicken lights, it also engages the turbo booster, the truck sits you back in the seat..but the fuel gauge then falls faster than...well a lady tripping with a bucket of popcorn.

(Yes, I’ve shown this before, but it proves a point.)

 

Double Post, delete

 

I haven’t been at this but a few years, but my uncles been in it since 76 when he bought his first brockway, he’s had a few over the years but is now down to 2, so I guess I in a way had a mentor, but hyou have a few options, you can make money with 10 trucks, the problem is you need 9 other whiney cu*ts to beat the every living hell errrr “drive” them

single truck can turn a decent living, noticed I said turn not make money, if your doing it for the money you will never be happy, you do it because your slightly screwed up in the head and take pride in what you do, you can laugh at all the lights and the chrome all
You want but it is all a tax write off and I much rather put the money back into my business then hand it off to Uncle Sam.

I have zero interest in dealing with drivers, maintaining several trucks, and all the paperwork. I still put a little away for retirement and work Monday through Friday and am usually home once during the week, Saturday morning is my time for greasing/washing/paper work etc but that’s it, but only you can decide what you want to do, trucking is not like any other business

that guy is the perfect example of a whiney c*nt

 

that guy is the perfect example of a whiney c*nt[/QUOTE]
Just because something is a tax write off does not make it a good deal. You would better off paying the taxes and keeping the rest of the money for yourself. Kevin Rutherford could tell you that ! You have $100 and pay $22 tax on it you end up with $78. In your pocket. If you have $100 and spend $100 in business expenses. You don't pay the $22 in taxes. You also dont have the $78 in you pocket to go spend. So you spend $100 to save $22 in taxes. That's not good business plan. As Kevin would say. If you ever need a tax write off let us know because we do consultant work. Kevin or anyone can send you a bill for any amount you need as taxe write off. Do you need a $5,000 tax write off or maybe $10,000 write off

 

here are some good business mentors, billionaires living off the government, the secret of success lol

 

I had the same idea. Before you put to much serious thought into your plan. Hit the road. Be out here two years.
While saving up. Talk to lawyers talk to cpa's. And more o/o. While learning what we go thru as drivers.
My boss drove for 12 years. So when I talk to him. He knows exactly what I'm talking about and going thru.
While your out here. Find a niche. For exapmple. Let say you do reffer produce loads. Are you willing to pay a driver. 20-40.00 and hour for 18 hours while they wait on one pallet. You most likely will say no. There just sitting there. And your right. Un Till your the one just sitting there eating off a taco truck. With nothing to drink and no place to crap.
In 117 degree heat. While your boss is swimming in his or her pool.
Lets say you wanna run tanker. And the only load your boss can get is running thru Wyoming up bear or black mountain ( I forget what its called) dot shuts the road down. You call the boss and they say no problem. Take this here other route and you know you only got 4 hours left on the clock.
Or you wanna run flat bed. You can't get loaded till one am. So your a bit tired. It takes a extra two hours to strap and chain because you in 25 degree weather. You finally make it to bed Just in time to grab a 40 min nap. Now you gotta run 500 plus miles on a poorly strapped load. In bad weather. And your tired as all get out. Falling a sleep sitting in the fuel line. The truck finally pulls off. And the driver lays into his horn cause your blocking his pump. Cause his boss won't let him stop for the day before fueling.
I know these are three Negitive examples. But I've been in all three of them. Including Haveing the wind pick my trailer up off the ground. I support what you wanna do. But not if you have never been otr.
All my experiences have been in a 53 foot dry van. and reffer I using other trailer types. As a example for you to find your niche.
I hope you make it. But with out otr experience. I wouldn't drive for you. Unless you had atleast 4 or 5 yrs dispatching experience.
Good luck and be well

 

Just because something is a tax write off does not make it a good deal. You would better off paying the taxes and keeping the rest of the money for yourself. Kevin Rutherford could tell you that ! You have $100 and pay $22 tax on it you end up with $78. In your pocket. If you have $100 and spend $100 in business expenses. You don't pay the $22 in taxes. You also dont have the $78 in you pocket to go spend. So you spend $100 to save $22 in taxes. That's not good business plan. As Kevin would say. If you ever need a tax write off let us know because we do consultant work. Kevin or anyone can send you a bill for any amount you need as taxe write off. Do you need a $5,000 tax write off or maybe $10,000 write off[/QUOTE]


If it’s stuff you’re going to need (truck,trailer, tires, etc) anyway then purchasing it in December if you need to for this could make a decent difference in your taxes instead of waiting until after first of the year. Doing paperwork on a new truck or trailer on Dec 31 would allow you to start the depreciation for the year that’s ending. Saved me about $18k in taxes for 2019.

edit: tried to quote @Brandt but for some reason it’s all screwed up