You want to be an owner operator?! THE TRUTH!

Ok, you want to be an owner operator? You have these dreams of money, and a shiny truck, and a smile to please customers.

This will be real as it can possibly be.

First to be an owner operator, shifting and backing is just as if you're opening and closing a fridge for your favorite meal. You are expected to PERFORM. Your truck is expected to PERFORM due to YOUR care.

If you think you will pay fuel and a monthly truck bill and make all these riches you might as well work at Starbucks because I heard it's good pay.

First thing is first, at this point you are not JUST a driver, but you are BUSINESS person. You need to make sure that you know what your operating costs are. This includes from truck payment, to % from the line haul your company takes, to insurance, to tax, and any other expense that it takes you to OPERATE.

Second, you need to have a min of $10,000 at all times for repairs, bills, or whatever may strike you. This money is very important to be there for emergency needs that require you to OPERATE.

Third, nobody will give you what you want and think because you got a truck you're one of a kind. You need to go out there, and find the rates, or companies that will suit your wants and needs.

Forth, take some learning, little fixtures that you can do on your own can cost a lot. Learn your truck, keep spare clamps,hoses,nuts,and so on and don't be afraid to get your hands dirty.

Fifth. If you can't do any of the above stick to being a company driver and don't ##### how you're treated.

Being an owner operator is beautiful. But before you can make all the glorious money you must have something you can offer. This includes service; timely deliveries/loading/unloading/ and so on depending on agreement/ paying operating costs/ taking care of your truck before it breaks down. This all includes money investing. It takes money to make money.

There are great articles on becoming an owner operator. Please read them before you jump to what recruiters tell you and this whole lease purchase ########, shove it up your collection call agents ###.

Once you're an owner operator your are for yourself! You must make money and offer service. If you're thinking you'll make more money by just buying a truck and that's it, you are what most of the complants about being an owner operator are! Your baby can't feed itself. Neither can a truck. You can babysit, and you can be a company drive, but you can also be an owner, and that's as same as being a father or a mother, so treat it as that!

 

Ive been leased on to a carrier for 3 years now. Alot of the things people say are subjective.
Someone gave me a truck for a percent of gross. I paid him about 12k in 7 months the purchased a 94fld for 7k.

After kinpins and tires, i drove that truck for almost 2 years. Alot of luck? Sure.

But I checked the truck out and am still friends with the previous owner.
Now im in a 2013 truck.
Have i always had 10k in the bank?
No.

I think people blow this out of perportion.

Ive never needed to ask my carrier for help but know for a fact they would due what it takes to get me going in a bind.
Sure, ive woken up to $7000 dollar repair bills. It hasnt been easy. Alot of hard work and stress, but, if you want it, you can have it. Especially leased on to a larger carrier.

I always kinda laugh at these o/o post telling people whats required...

Whats required is work ethic, common sense, 'and will to make it happen. Find a way to get it done.

Was it easy?
No
Is it now?
No
Am i happy and having a good time?
Yes
Am i making money?
Yes

I had no trucking experience, just a friend that was willing to help/make money off me and i made it happen.

Dont believe all these post made to scare you. I can only think they are based in the self interest or ego of the poster

 

So you are suggesting that guys go buy an old truck,lease onto a carrier with no money in their pockets for repairs/emergency bills?

 

Yeah . . . I don't know there, @Movingismylifeilovemoving . I read the last line of your post and had to stop and think for a while.

I think you should have a plan - before doing anything. And some expectations and goals based on those plans. Access to $10,000 credit at a bare minimum, but better to have that sitting in the bank. If I had to ask my carrier, or anybody for that matter - for money, I'd consider myself a business failure.

Hard work, yes - but it shouldn't be a whole lot of stress, that ain't fun.

 

I remember when I was Younger just starting out in trucking, I wanted to be Union. (I come from a family of union workers,Father was electrician for the CTA,Uncles,cousins etc,City workers or union mill)

many idiots started telling me,," Naaa(in a casual way) You don't want to be union".. While I worked UNHAPPY for $275 per week driving regional back in 89-90... I Hated it.

I wanted a family,(which I do now) and a union driving position ,But I listened to middle-aged 40-50ish guys I worked for saying "naaa" In a slobbering voice, Its no good kid"..

I became outraged...I never did apply @ those jobs, What I did do was buy my first truck...And the rest is History, Yes,I became successful, Hard Work,Much Gray Hair, And such But I prospered.

If I could do it all over again, Now that i'm much Wiser....I'd Be with the Union in a heartbeat.........I certainly would have enjoyed my family better, Enjoyed a Better retirement than I have Now..And certainly would not have aged as bad..(Not that im bad looking,lol)


Point im making...Any of you Younger guys out there want pure success,And a Good life to live better, Go work for 705 or 710 (YRC- ABF- TNT Holland or a few others) You'll thank me later in life.

Being an owner-operator is Harder than Hard......If your young,Married,Wife wants you around to 'establish' a life together with her and Build a solid family foundation....Owner-operator is a tough job, EVEN if you work local, Your time off will be doing office work and maintenance...........

Honestly, The way competition is today, The Money is NOT worth the hours you'll put in. And that's the cold hard truth...

Like I say, If I could go back 26 years...Id Be in the Union, enjoying life a little more.

 

@Flipflops ... i respect your placards; I do that also..
Checked out your oldchigcagodrive.com blog, and got an error 404 every which way trying to view... maybe you can contact the webmaster?
Kudos for all ya do, man.
Thanks.

 

Im not saying i didnt have goals or a plan. I had the backing or shared interest of the guy who gave me the truck. Worked hard saved all my money and bought older equipment. I guarantee that s60 is more reliable that my 2013 scr truck.

It just seems the post telling people "your not ready" far outweigh the "this is how i did it" post.

This is not rocket science. I had a little luck, sure. I think everyone needs a little from time to time.
My point, if you really think this is for you and believe you can do it, jump in.
Common sense and hard work can overcome many of the things that would stop one from being successful. This is not rocket science

 

Like the guy in the 70's vintage video, "everybody told me not to get married, but I did anyway". I was a company driver for many years (15) and always wanted my own truck, but never had the "grapes" to do it. In the late 80's, I had a great local job, making good money, home every night, but had several friends with their own trucks, and listened to me "P&M" about my company job, and persuaded me to buy a truck and haul RR cans out of Chicago. The company I worked for thought I lost my mind, but I did a good job for them, and gave me support. I was totally unprepared for what lie ahead. I bought a 1982 Western Star, with a new motor, off I went. The thing that saved me was, I did all my own work on the truck, and watched several of my friends lose their trucks, because of the repairs. ( among other things) I didn't have near the resources to run a truck, and took out several loans on my house to cover that ( mostly taxes). I did ok, but went ahead and bought my 2nd truck, the '72 Pete in my avatar, and THAT was the kiss of death. It was a cool truck, but had no business in the Chicago rail yards, and sold it 8 months later, and went back to a company job. Would I do it again? Probably not, but I have the satisfaction of knowing, I did it, and was the zenith of my career.

 

People on here should stop assuming that any and every person who wants to become an owner operator has tons of Family commitments back home.

I understand, it was very hard for most of you to start out and get your business running whilst raising a family and being a Father to your Kids.... and you have all my respect for succeeding.

However almost every thread I read relating to this someone has to bring up how hard owner operating is and immediately after start talking about Wife, Family, Kids, as if it applies to everyone who wants to go this route.
Some of us are antisocial... and have no desire to live past 40.. and certainly don't want to bring kids into the world who are predisposed for Cancer and autoimmune disease... much less put them through Liberal public schools where having a differing opinion is "racist" and no homework is the norm.

We just want the facts... we know its hard being away from family for long stretches.. but that has little to do with the hard numbers and wits of becoming an O/O.

 

While certainly there is such a thing as a truck that is a lemon. I bought a used one once, but the problems were all caused by the previous owner driving the crap out of the truck, with next to zero maintenance. Three trucks later I haven't had any surprises other then your standard small stuff that always occurs or purhaps a warranty issue. If you drive it like you own it, and keep up with the maintenance, it will make you money.
Money management is a big issue. Don't complain that you don't have the money for tires. You've had two years to save up for it.