Would I have a chance with this Owner Operator plan being local?

Well said, #### well said

 

First I’ve heard that before, still failed owners. Drive for a while and see what life is really like.

second the green new deal crap isn’t just targeting Otr/ltl, it is about any and all non-emission trucks, including my dodge 12 valve beater, these nutcases and global warming freaks have the ears of the politicians and going to jam it all up our ******* as fast as possible. Many of us are taking this very serious and I just don’t get you guys blowing it off as not possible when things 20 years ago were said not possible like eld and emissions.

 

Agreed, it’s going to get stupid and it’s going to happen relatively quick.

 

That's OK, you'll get to see the back of mine as I pass ya.

 

I honestly don't see the Green New Deal as proposed passing, as it would cripple one of the most important industries in our nation. Regardless I'm not here to debate if it's worth starting due to possible future politics. If it does happen and it shuts me down I'll cut my losses and come right back to where I am and still be just fine. This is more about finding a more enjoyable career option, even if it only lasts for 10 years.

Thank you, I was hoping somebody would chime in about this place.

I don't mind, I'll stare at that ###.

 

https://www.fastline.com/trucks-aut...ennessee/74009b3e-e5ac-4a60-b0ec-22d1063621d6

 

Look, JACK,,,I went through a wide range of emotions after reading your post, from anger, to remorse, to retaliation, to leaving the site altogether, but have settled on you're just a xxx. I never said I didn't "make it", and I'm not here to "piss on anyones parade", nor here to tell lies, I'm only expressing my opinion from MY experience, and I stand by my post, if you think this is a good time for someone to start out cold quarter, it's a recipe for failure. You're right, I don't know about rates today, and couldn't care less, but some things don't change. Megas and guys like you have accounts so sewn up, what do you think this poor guy is going to get? The crap you won't haul. If you posted the rest of that cut caption, I actually praised someone for even thinking about doing that today, the American spirit to try, but I'm saying, there's better gigs today than your own. You're dinosaurs, man!!

 

Sounds like a hobby kinda thing. Like a hobby farm, this could be like a hobby trucking company. I say "go go, go for it".

You have the money for a newer truck, but want to restore one it sounds like. Make it a collector then. I would stay close to the house though if possible. Get regional work. The cities really eat your clock up. Good luck.

Why not just do 4 wheelers in your shop. Oil changes, tires, shocks, engines, trannys if you like, and train the youth in your area to do that work.... Just asking.

Your shop will run with the employees's and you can work on your restoration truck.

 

There's not enough around me unless I buy a plot roughly an hour away from home. I also have bad luck with training younger guys, as they never seem to stay long enough to learn the trade. I know of one kid who actually did and they're still at the shop that I left, now as an electrical specialist. I highly doubt he will ever leave and I don't think I have the mind to turn over 25 people until I find the one younger guy willing to learn the trade and stick with the shop.

I will never work as an auto mechanic, there's a reason I went to the truck side. Trucks are (in my honest opinion) easier work, faster turn over, and usually the rate is twice that of an auto shop. The only way I'd cross into this field is with fabrication but I don't want to ruin my hobby like that. At least with running a nice rig I get to take pride in using it and I get to tell the guy at the truck stop how I found this piece of crap in a field with hardly any cab left, and now it drives 100k+ a year like it did in it's day. The only way I could see myself setting up an auto shop is to start a quick lube, which is way to costly for me to get into at the moment, without being a slave to my business for 25+ years.

I got your first reply and I appreciate it. It's not the first time I've heard that it's an awful time to get into, as well. I do expect to get crap loads when starting out but it seems like there's a lot of mistakes to learn from in the first two years or so, the loads I take being a major one.


I've currently got a line on a tanker job. It's salary and local, first hook at 3am and I get home around 4-5 every night. They're willing to work with me to get my hazmat and tanker endorsement so I get to get into a truck for almost no cost to try it out. Best part is I get to keep my current gig, which means I can buy a truck at any time and start putting work into it- if I decide to continue this path.

 

Now you're talking sense. I suppose I didn't make any friends with "Oscar", but I've been here a long time, and I wouldn't willfully pixx on your parade ,or tell you lies. To go out on your own was the dream of most, me included, but that was during a time when mistakes weren't so costly. Liability is the biggie. On your own, one slipup, can cost you your business and YEARS of problems. Let the boss worry about that, it's why they have 20 trucks to take up the slack of a screwup, on your own, that's hard to cover. I did okay, it was MY dream come true, but I landed a cushy union bread hauling job, with benefits up the ying-yang, made it a no-brainer to shed the truck. Tanker is the best, and things could change. In 10 years, an O/O could probably make a killing, it's just now, things are just way too uncertain, and the LAST thing you want is a $2,000/mo.($3,000?) payment and nothing to haul. Good luck pal, let us know how the tanker gig works out. If it's gas, you gonna be one happy person! All hail the suicide jockey today.