Your Opinion

No offense, but After 18 years I think you can just about answer your own question. I say yea,, it's worth it. If you have a plan, prepare yourself financially, you can live a pretty cool life. But don't expect for it to be easy or just a drive and stop type of day. Running your own truck is almost a 25/8 type of life. Because you gotta stay ahead of maintence, turn some of your own wrenches, be the financial planner, stay ahead of the regs, read up on everything trucking and keep all the info that works for you and discard the rest etc etc etc...

I would suggest running leased unto a carrier first, one that's percentage pay and perferebly self dispatch... But I mean,,, if you prepare yourself good enough I guess you could skip that and go straight to your own numbers... For the record I don't run my own numbers but maybe one I will when I feel it's worth it and I'm all the way ready...

Good luck,, all the hating type people will say don't do it and etc,,, but if you are disiplined, can plan for the future and use the head on your shoulders you should do fine ,,,,, IF this is REALLY, what you want...


So pick a good truck, pay cash if you can, keep your overhead LOW as possible (this means business & personal), live frugal as possible during your build up and easy does it.


Ps: if it was easy then everyone would do it!!

 

It can be done but it isn't easy.

 

That's my goal - own authority.

But every time I run the numbers, it makes more sense for me to stay where I am as a company driver. $80K+/ year with benefits, home every night but one (by choice), no weekends, and 1200 miles or less per week. And health insurance. That's a big one.

Unless you have access to direct freight without having to rely on the spot market, it's going to be a long road in today's economic climate.

 

Making a living off of load boards exclusively is not an easy task, no matter what type of trailer you pull. It can be done though. Best thing you can do is get yourself direct customers from your home area to get you out. Then broker loads coming back. All the while keeping your eyes peeled for shippers on the other end that you could get in with to get you back. You may need to make a triangle for this to work.

 

With that said, what's at the end? A wore out truck and no money to replace it?

I just don't see having all the liability that goes with this for company driver pay, or less.

 

You can make it out here as an owner operator with or without your own authority. My first two years as an O/O I was leased, then ran under my own authority for four years, and now am back to lease again. I am enjoying being leased on again because it is much less headache, I have lower operating costs and higher profit margin.

The bottom line is you don't know unless you try. You may want to lease to a motor carrier first to see what being an O/O is all about and then transition to your own authority. That is my suggestion and has worked for me. But with 18 years behind the wheel, getting your own authority maybe just the spark you need.