The cost of becomming and Owner Operator.

Its one of those grey area things, as i have been told usually self dispatch means going load to load, job to job, broker to broker and hopeing they have a load or 2 worth taking. Finding yourself work means finding a company(s) that you get onto a steady relaiable gig or finding cargo thats not on some broker page. For example instead of just taking whatever the best paying load is that pops up on the load board or that a broker will throw your way, you knock on doors, find steady work, make connections and so on. Or alternitivly making sure you pick up loads that lead to other good loads on down the road. I.E i take a decent load from ohio to utah instead of the great load from ohio to colorado because the load in utah puts me beside a second decent load that leads me to new mexico where a great load to crapcago waits. The ohio to denver load pays good but then there is jack all for reloads.

Your a business, businesses dont keep the doors open by hanging onto other peoples coat-tails and being handheld they instead keep their eyes open for opertunitys to make their own way.

For example im leased to my current company with a truck and trailer i brought in externally (i.e no lease purchase) because they can offer me steady reliable and dependable work. Instead of playing whack a mole with a broker. i instead know that tomorrow ill wake up, have a load and can run and that i will average right around X amount consistantly. Sure i could make a bit more elsewhere or a lot more individually elsewhere but there is no security in the loads or assurance i wont get jipped. With this company they have a proven track record and good loads.

With a broker tomorrow is never assured.

 

Sounds like it to me but what I know lol

 

I started with 30k cash and 35k in available credit cards. Financed a used truck with 14k down and leased a trailer from landstar. And with 65k to start with I felt it was a shoestring budget.

 

I’ll throw this guy out there.
He does a lot of good info, though he gets long on videos.

 

Here’s a simple break down of my worst truck and trailer and fuel + insurance for last year.