I reckon I have a chip on my shoulder when people assume I'm ignorant and doomed to fail for it. I don't know everything but i do know enough to surround myself with people who have the experience I lack. I have people I can turn to for trucking wisdom as I need it. And I'm not completely ignorant to trucking.
I've found three carriers who sign on oo and let them self dispatch. USA Truck, Schneider AIR, and Landstar. I'm wondering if there are other options that I'm missing. I know I can get my own authority, and probably will eventually, but large companies enjoy economies of scale and by affiliating with one I might as well.
If I can't find terms that make sense, I won't do it. It's just not helpful to hear only how hard it is and how much I don't know without ever seeing what exactly that is. I'm NOT relying on youtube for my information. What is it that I don't know? I don't know the names of companies who do what I want beyond what I've listed. If there aren't any, I don't know that either. I was hoping to find some insight here.
What's out there for a new guy?
Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by ohandy1, May 29, 2021.
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As I stated in my op, my household budget is managed. I work for play money and retirement. I'll have a startup budget and if f I break even I won't die. I don't have the stress of needing 80k to live on plus supporting a business, though i do hope in time to replace my wife's income so we can travel together some.
Trucks are expensive.. got it.
Trailers are too... got it.
Trucks break down... got it.
Don't haul at a loss... got it.
Learn to drive... got it. (doin pretty good so far, I can squeeze in at love's)
Plan for parking... got it.
Build relationships with shippers... got it.
Don't believe everything Garmin tells you... got it.
Insurance is expensive.... I got kids, tell me about it.
Can I have what I want without driving a year first? don't know yet, but I will found out.
Life is stressful, if you allow it.86scotty Thanks this. -
PiscesLuv, 401-Alex and Savor the Flavor Thank this.
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Doesn't seem like you're making any friends over here.
And I'm sure that you'll insult me after I get through but what they're trying to tell you is that right now trucks are so overpriced that whatever you would buy now if you did within most likely a short period of time it's probably going to be worth less than 50% of what you paid for it.
I wanted to buy a second trailer. It ain't happening now. Not because I don't have the money for it but I'm not spending $15,000 on a 2002 trailer. I'm not spending $10,000 on a 2002 trailer. I'm not spending $25,000 for a 2010 trailer. There is a dealer near me that if you just will happily plop down your deposit and make your payments every month for 4 years you too can have a 2013 trailer that you paid $48,000 for. AIN'T HAPPENING.
What's happening right now is not real. This is a bubble that is not going to last. The supply chain was backed up because of covid-19 now we're open and it's going to find its level. When it does every idiot that went out and bought a 2002 trailer for $15,000 is going to have a 2002 trailer that's going to be worth $3,000. Every idiot that went out and spent $90,000 on a truck is going to have a truck that's worth maybe $30,000.
All of the idiots that looked at this and said wow now is the time I can get rich let me just jump in are jumping in at a time that the cost of equipment is at its highest ever in history and when this bubble breaks it's like having a a house that's worth $100,000 that you paid $500,000 for.
The rates are going to come down. It's not going to stay like this. This is a house of cards a Ponzi scheme the airplane game whatever you want to call it that's what this is right now. The people on the bottom are trying to get to where the people on the top are but by the time you get there the bottom is going to fall out. And you're going to be holding equipment that you paid insane amounts of money for and you're not going to nearly be making the money.
And as far as experience goes here's the bottom line. People think they know everything. But the truth of it is the little bit of time that you spend working for someone else that little bit of time gives you a certain experience that you need. And the fact is you don't know what you don't know and you don't know what you will learn that will help you. Because when the truck is yours when the authority is yours when the insurance is yours whatever repair is yours every mistake you make cost you money. So if you have millions and millions of dollars okay you can make millions and millions of mistakes. The rest of the mere mortals need to have a little bit of experience and minimize their mistakes and maximize their money.
But hey the guy that never has been on one date in his life should marry the first woman that stands next to him. What could go wrong? Not like experience would have helped him or anything...
I don't understand why you're here. You have everything figured out you don't need anyone's advice. @rollin coal is exactly correct... you need to just go to the dealer buy yourself the truck you want buy yourself the trailer you want and come back on here and tell us all how successful you are and how much money you're making.
In fact you know what I think you should start a fleet. Why are you wasting your time buying one truck? No need to waste your time with one truck. You got it all figured out. Go buy 10 just get started man. It's easy. In fact I'll even give you the formula. Go buy yourself 10 trucks go buy yourself 15 trailers go hire yourself 10 drivers and you're rich. Come back here tell us all how much money you're making Inspire everybody tell us how you got rich because you have this all figured out.
We'll all be waiting for you to report back.
And by the way it's not a great idea to come on a forum anywhere and insult the members that have been there for years and years and years and give excellent intelligent advice that should be heeded and is given with the best intent and experience. Not cool.
Questions are great. Attitude not so much.rollin coal, 401-Alex, SteveScott and 1 other person Thank this. -
Well, now.
This is turning into quite the lively discussion thread...
gekko1323, Cattleman84, PiscesLuv and 3 others Thank this. -
If it takes groveling and being thankful for insults I'm not interested in that kind of "friend". I asked a simple question so I can do more research, I got declarations of how stupid I am for even contemplating becoming an owner. That's not advice, that's someone beating their chest.
I'm doing due diligence on getting a truck, I'm told I don't know how to drive. Why? It has nothing to do with my question and was as insulting, for no good reason.
You may be right, there may be no good entry into the owner op market right now, but I already said I wouldn't if it didn't make sense. Thing is, the reasons given for not getting a truck are things I already know must be overcome if possible, the one thing I asked was never discussed. Seems to me no one was interested in even giving critical advice, rather, simply being critical.
What I claim to know is the obvious stuff. What I've been given as reason for my impending financial doom is the obvious stuff. How does that help?
My uncle was a trucker for 3M miles, my cousin was a trucker, my neighbor is a trucker and I've got more trucker friends. I'm allowed to know some things without having driven for 10 yrs myself. Who here can know whether I know something or not? Calling someone ignorant and too stupid to know it before taking a moment to see if its true is not cool. Telling me I can't drive good 'nuff is a direct insult. Not cool.
I'm not here to insult anyone, neither am I here to be insulted for no good reason. Good intent? Didn't find that here. I've done some fool things in life, never thought asking a simple question on a forum of "professionals" would be one.
Attitude is reciprocal. -
OP,
There's some threads here that when/if you can find the time (and you should) that are worth reading regarding taking the step to become an O/O.
Since you mention Landstar, have a gander at:
The journey begins - purchased a truck.
Long read, worth the time.
Another long thread, again worth the read from someone who went independent after being a company driver.
Double Yellow's Company Driver to Independent Thread
Do what you want with the information contained in both of those multi-chapter novels.
There's members here who also contract to companies like Schneider and USA Truck, do a forum search and you might find them. Post questions in the Schneider or USA Truck sub forums and see if you get any hits on what its like to run for those companies. Or browse to find information already posted. Lot of material to read here if you put in the time to look for it.
Getting into pissing contests with some of the less than helpful members here isn't going to get you anywhere other than frustrated.Speed_Drums Thanks this. -
I learned a long time ago not just on internet forums but the written word like text messages and that type of thing is hard to determine someone's intent. Sometimes it requires very carefully crafting questions and answers and sometimes the questions and answers in responses are not interpreted by their true meaning.
No one knows who you are, they're just trying to figure out where you are in this situation.
But believe me there are plenty of people coming on here asking something similar to you that have never even sat in a truck.
If you have that many people around you in trucking I would think that you'd have all the resources that you need right there.
Good luck in your Pursuits.Savor the Flavor, Czar_Zero and rollin coal Thank this. -
Yeah there's a LOT more companies out here other than just USA Truck, Schneider and Landstar where you can do exactly what you want to do. Some good, some bad. Not sure if SFI terms will allow you to go ANYwhere though. If they do great, if not, best get a truck financed on your own thru your local bank, you'll probably get a LOT better rate there than SFI anyways...
i'm leased to a company self dispatching and been doing it that way since 2011. It's awesome and I wouldn't truck any other way. Only thing better would be independence. I certainly would never go back to driving anyone else's truck. Not with ELD's and driver facing cameras - F! that!
Yes you can do what you are asking. It's not hard to do. Go for it!! -
Last edited: Jun 1, 2021
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