Tools

Really? A small 2 truck operation is like corporate america? Please feel free to tell me how that works? If you would like to dig up the $150k to finance a shop, land building permits etc etc. for me and pay a mechanic to fix my 2 trucks BE MY GUEST you're more than welcome too. As for you comment about an O/O wannabe being leased to a company? Wow you've got a lot to learn. I'm sure you have no idea what it actually costs to have your own authority and how much paperwork is involved or what goes on. That's not being corprate america that's being a smart businessman! Every hour a truck sits is money out of my pocket. I'd rather have a driver spend 1/2 an hour getting the truck limpable to get it to a shop or a T/S so it can get fixed, or limped home so it can be fixed than sit there and wait on road service for 3 hours, pay mileage, and quite possibly a tow bill because the idiot doesn't know what he's doing, as opposed to paying a driver a decent wage for busting his butt to get his truck back on the road where he's going to make some real money. You're so far off right now it's not even funny to be honest.

 

When I had drivers, part of the duties I required was replacing lights, wipers or even a mudflap. Every truck had a small repair kit with lights, a few tools, a spare belt, etc. I reimbursed with either cash or gift cards. Everybody won but the TA or Petro.

 

Well first things first. WORKERS COMP DOES NOT HIRE AND FIRE PEOPLE, LOL. There is nothing wrong with carrying some basic tools as was mentioned. Granted there are some things your employer does not want you to mess with but......there are two dozen other things that can be taken care of with some butt connectors or this or that, you don't have to be a Mr. fix it to fix something simple that would take road service two or three hours to come out and fix. I would leave the sawsall at home.

 

Mr Rancid, are you paying attention? There's tons of owner ops that would love to have a hand like you. Wrenching skills are a plus, but willingness to do what you have to do to get the job done moves you to the front of the pack. You don't have to go the bottom feeder route to get your foot in the door. You will be a very successful owner operator one day. Why settle for 3rd string when you can be on the starting lineup.

Go to the DMV and get your CDL class A permit. Then put an ad out on craigslist. Bet you get a bite.

 

Git.... You're being owned by the wannabe!

Rancid if I had a double bunk I'd train you in a heartbeat! Get your cdl and give me a shout if you don't mind the Midwest.

 

Best part is I can insure him and know a few others in my area (long ways away from where he is) that will insure him as well and throw him in a truck for $15 an hour with no experience. You are correct there are many people out there like me that could use a good driver, that's willing to do what it takes to get the job done. If you make yourself available and you're willing to put in a few extra hours, and do a little more than what's expected that's what people like me look for in employees. Start at the bottom and work your way up that's how I was raised. Yes I run my own truck and was never a company driver, but I earned all the jobs I had and learned it on my own. I didn't get stuck with a trainer, or pay for CDL school. It was a DMV, thrown in a pete, and then thrown to the wolves.

And you learn how to drive, back, etc etc. real quick when the repairs and cost to fix what you screw up comes out of your own pocket instead of somebody else's. That's how I learned, I wouldn't expect to teach somebody that way, but I learned real quick. Now loading cattle I learned that on my own. Spent 2 hours at a sale barn my first day trying to load...course an hour and a half of that time was spent on the phone trying to find the switch for the lights. hahaha.

 

Save the sawzall for cutting dunnage. You see what a deer does to a truck a sawzall is unlikely to help.