Why should I become an O/O ???

posted in wrong place sorry

 

Actually, that is what I do, too. Minor stuff in the front yard, anything serious or time consuming goes to my favorite shop. Some stuff I like doing, other stuff I hate. I HATE, HATE, HATE changing oil and filters. It's easy, and I could save a few bucks doing it myself. But after seeing the difference in cost of doing it myself and having the local speedy quick trucker's lube 'em up shop do it, I gladly let them!!

Same on the accounting. Exactly the same. I HATE that part and have no problem paying someone else for their expertise in that area.

I thought I was one of very few O/O's who didn't love to turn wrenches and that's why I posted the way I did, and it was somewhat in jest.

 

What Krooser said. Short and to the point!

 

Do most O/O have their own authority or Lease to a company. If You lease do You get a brake on repairs?

 

The first thing you should be doing is running your Company truck EXACTLY like you would if you owned it. Do the math to the penny for a few months and see how it looks.

 

I am leased to a carrier.

What do you mean by repairs? I get massive discounts on fuel & oil changes. But nothing real major like overhauls.

 

Repairs that You can't do Yourself...

 

Do you have $10,000 in your bank account that's not burning a hole in your pocket to where you have to hurry up and get rid of it? If so then you might have the mentality to become an O/O.

You have to be a saver to become an O/O. You have to be ok with a 10 year old Uniden CB over a new chrome plated top of the line model with all the bells and whistles. You have to be able to put your truck first. While driving you have to be thinking about getting a good deal on a part at the next truckstop instead of worrying about should I eat steak or chicken when I get there.

It used to get on my nerves when I saw my dad counting money over and over to get the same result and then call 3 or 4 places getting estimates on repairs or parts. Now I would say I'm worse than him when it comes to that stuff.

If you can't balance a checkbook or save 20% at least out of every paycheck then do yourself a favor and don't buy a truck. Most sucessful O/O's will go with a 10 year old truck with a new engine, tranny, rear end, and clutch over a brand new truck with a $1500 a month payment. Why? Because they know that brand new truck will be in the shop within a month. If nothing more than a oil change, lube and filter...still it's on it's way to the shop sooner or later. Plus the payment is going to be due at the first or last of the month on top of that repair bill.

Still being an O/O is a good feeling. It gives you a sense of pride that being a company driver can't do for you. Just be ready for the next shoe...or valve to drop and you will be fine.

Any O/O that has been in business over a year is a very smart man/woman. It's not luck that got them there. They did their homework...saved...and made the compromises to get where they are. The dumb one's lost their truck..and shirt...went back to company driving or had to get out of the trucking industry all together.

 

thanks to the o/p for posting this....
i do have a question or 2 to ask you o.os and im looking for clean cut to the point answeres as iv seen so far...
im looking to get a truck, prob around march of 11 or somewhere around that time..
first, im 24 years old... live at home...well, had an apt w friends and left that cause i drive and i was paying for something i never was there for...so i broke my part of the lease... moved back in with mom n dad, and i only have a cell phone bill to pay n thats all...
im not married, i dont have any kids and i dont have a big house/car payment to make at all....
i have been driving since the begining of 08 and my plan was to buy a truck by the start of my third year,
driving is what iv always wanted to do, and to become the man in the truck with his name on the door has been my goal, well, before i even started driving a regular car,
soo, i my plan was to get started with a company, " tear up their truck " and just have plain ol' fun the first year,
the second year would have been serious, " drive the truck like i own it " take notes on EVERYTHING, maint costs, fuel etc... and i did that, HOWEVER, the maint part messed me up cause whenever my trucks went in the shop i didnt know how much it was costing my company, for labor or parts, i only had an idea of things whenever i had to take the truck to the dealership and even at that it was warrenty work so i never did see a price on paper work, anyway, iv talked to o.o over the course of the years and the mechs at different shops and i was able to get a "general" idea of those costs....so i get that...
by the start of my 3rd year, or half way through was when i wanted to have my own truck, of my choice, even down to the color of the floor mats, iv learned a lot of things over the years, and yes, i am that driver that "turns my radio ", yes, in my company truck, whenever i notice the smallst "odd noise/smell/fee/ " n was always on the phone with a shop describing it to them...
the truck i was is a volvo, i know many have their opinions on them, but thats what i want... not a pete, kw or shaker, a volvo, a 780 or even the 880..... im well aware of the "electrical" problems that volvo is known for... but this is where ill be living 98% of the year as i do now as a company driver....
id love to have a brand new truck, but realisticly, for me i think thats a bad way to start off, brand new.... so im looking for a truck around 06-08 id prefer an isx cummins with a merritor trans.... in my company, most of our fleet is outfitted with volvos with the isx and merr trans and out weigh the shakers in fuel miliege, i read on here and other site and i listen to road dog and it seems like id be making the right choice on that
couple questions,
the Rears, im not sure what that means, cld someone explain that to me?
also, what would be a good year/model volvo
what kind of miles shld i be looking at.... how shld i compare miles to price
for example...and just as example
a volvo 780 with 525,500 miles shld sell for what? whats a fair price to pay for a volvo in decent shape with 525,500 miles
also,
when lookin at trucks i see MILES 525,xxx ECM 522,xxx why is it different?
is a merritor(sp?) trans a good one?

also, what are some of your inputs on that 880 series volvo, thats the one id really like to have
i have done my homework, and my research and i KNOW this is what i want to do, i love this job and i want to take it up to the next level...
any and all advise is more then welcome and i wld love to hear the thoughts and opinions from you o/o

thanks in advance
--s2b

 

The rears is probably the rear drive gears. In cars its the differental. On big trucks its the rears or the rear axle. There should be two unless you drive for UPS or haul furniture. Then you will only have one. There's a lot of debate over rear axle ratio's. My KW has a 475 Cat with a meritor and 343 rears and it gets crap fuel mileage and has little to no power. But that's probably because something is wrong with the engine. Anyway.

A ISX cummins in a Volvo with around 520,000 should put you in the $25k to $45k range. I know that's a huge range but it depends on what state you buy it in. Different areas of the country has different prices on trucks. It also depends on if it's O/O spec'd or an ex company truck, has steel or alcoa's, has an APU or if it has been overhauled or not. Has a new clutch or not...etc.

Just a few words of advice. When buying a truck EVERY truck has been overhauled if you listen to the two tounged salesman. Do yourself a big favor here. Tell yourself; "If it doesn't come with papers then it's not been rebuilt, overhauled, replaced or changed out." This will save you a lot of confusion when buying a truck. Believe it or not SALESMEN LIE!!!!!! They will tell you that everything including the air in the air ride seat has been overhauled. Without papers proving it...then it's a fairy tail. Make sure the papers go with the truck as well. Just because it's a reciept for a overhaul then it might be an overhaul for a pete and you trying to buy a volvo. Once again SALESMEN LIE!!!!!!!!!!! Remember that.