So, I watched a YouTube Trucker video

I started my career@ CF in 1987 in freight and loved it. Infact several of the drivers I knew went to work for OD in 2002 when CF went out of business and said they were as good or better than CF. I did 10 years at UPS after CF and finally got the nerve to leave because I had since a young age wanted to haul cars. Being an owner op carhauler was icing on the cake. It was definitely a challenge and can still be, but I wouldn’t change anything if I could. I am retiring this Spring and who knows what I will do. I may eventually buy a restored 359 and ride around occasionally in it, but nothing is certain in life.

 

We have quite a few ex CF guys at my terminal

 

Where are you based out of?

 

Well whattaya' know! I'm delivering in Fayetteville at 0800 Monday morning. Picking up in Odessa tomorrow. So I can just slow roll it up there over the weekend. Maybe I'll stay at one of the casinos in Okie.

 

I'm too old to be partying with college kids. Besides, it took me 7 years to get my degree. That's what partying got me! I'll look up that casino though.

 

Keeping your own equipment on the road is a different game that not everybody who has a CDL and can drive a truck will be cut out for. Either on the mechanical side or the money management side you’ll get your butt handed to you if you do it wrong. However, while being a little mechanically inclined and tech savvy about how trucks work is certainly helpful, being a diesel mechanic and knowing how to fix everything on your truck yourself is not necessary. Most of the time if there’s trouble out on the road or even just needing a PM, duck into a Kenworth, Freightliner, etc shop and pay the professionals to fix it. They’ve got access to the parts and the tools to fix it right and right-now. Even if it’s a big bill the downtime is the biggest enemy. $5-6k revenue a week is about $1000-1200 per day the truck is down.