Determined to be an owner/operator AND wet behind the ears

[vyoufinder]

I'd like to introduce myself. I am going to get myself my own authority, insurance, truck and start off right off the bat as an owner/operator. I'm determined. No amount of "you should drive for someone for a year first" or "you'll fail within three months" is going to stop me so experienced people who I should listen to, save your fingertips, hehe. I know it's possible because I have watched two people do it with zero experience and one of them had $230 in his pocket and was living in a trailer park.. So I know that with the right preparation, determination, and common sense/research that it IS possible. I've started and ran two very successful businesses already when everyone told me it wasn't possible and I'm self taught in everything I have done professionally. I am "unemployable" and I take that as a compliment. My motivation stems from the fact that I have wanted to do it since I was a kid. I've been mulling the idea around for about 15 years now and have decided that it's time to do it for me. I love to drive, I love to travel and see things, and can stay awake for 36 hours at a time (then sleeping for nice long stretches) regularly. I've been working as a computer programmer for the past 10 or so years, own a a software company and damnit, I need to get out there! I'm so freaking sick of sitting here at my computer, not meeting anyone or seeing anything and man, I am a freaking trucker at heart. I have actually driven a big rig on two occasions. The first time was while I was hitchiking from Alaska to Colorado one time and a trucker let me give it a try - ya, illegal we knew but he was an old-timer and seemed to trust me for some reason. Thinking about it now the guy was absolutely wrecklessly crazy. The second time I rode with a guy to Oregon and on the way back he showed me how to shift the thing and actually let me drive the thing from Oregon to Utah while he slept. Oh ya, it was scary alright. I almost nailed a doe in the road but didn't lose my cool and managed to veer it just enough but not too much so as to swerve, without losing my cool, without taking out Bambi, and without the owner of the truck waking up and deciding that letting me drive was a bad idea. Luckily the weigh station we passed was also closed, though I did wake him up and had him ready to switch seats real fast like. I'm imagining all of you cringing and shaking your heads in disgust and for good reason. It was very apparent to me that man, driving a big rig is freaking dangerous! There are so many things that could go wrong and and so much potential for accident... It's almost a ridiculous idea to even have these things on roads. Sad thing is, I loved it and have been craving it ever since. Since that time I have met a lot of truckers, my step dad's friend got started hauling cars from Canada and then my step dad bought himself a truck and is now an o/o too. He loves it and I have ridden with him on a couple of runs. He's offered to mentor me as much as I need but I want to do as much as I can myself and at the same time I want to be able to be able to exchange ideas rather than just leech off his knowledge. Now that you know who I am and all about my bad attitude...

I'm comparing insurance companies. I'm 34 with no tickets/accidents since age 17. Clean record. I plan to haul a dry van between Utah and LA, possibly branching out into Arizona, Texas and other cheap fuel states in the west. I want the full coverage I'll need for brokers - the million dollar stuff I have been reading about. I've seen some posts in here related to this but no real answers and especially not for a noob like myself. What companies should I look at for getting the best rates? Is there anything I should know here that I should tell them which might help my rates, or more importantly, anything I should not tell them while I am shopping around?

Authority - I see posts claiming you can buy your authority for anywhere from 300 bucks to thousands, what is the deal with this? Does the price vary that much? I think I could file the paperwork myself, but is there some advantage that I am missing or a reason to go with one of the advertised companies I see in truck mags who claims to help with getting it? I feel like I am missing something here.

Trucks - I was thinking Volvo and thinking of a 2003-2004 model with less than 400,000 miles if I can find it. I only want to spend about $35k on the tractor. I'm mostly concerned about fuel mileage first, maintenance costs second. Depreciation and looking cool are two things I don't care about much. I was thinking Volvo offers the best fuel mileage but not sure. How's Freightliner on fuel economy? What size and brand of engine seems to last the longest with the least amount of failure? Or.. Would I be smarter to buy a brand spanking new model and trade it in after 4 years, counting on the warranty and newness to save me maintenance costs in the long run? Recommendations anyone? Ok, buy one of Knight transportation fleet vehicles or take my chances with an owner operator who claims they maintained it? I figure the fleet vehicles have been maintained, but then again, there's got to be a reason they're selling them at their specified time frame right? What do you all think about that one?

I know I am asking a lot of questions in one post. I am also suspect I'll get a lot of mixed answers but that's ok, I'm looking at learning what things I should be thinking about most importantly here so if you have any answers to any questions, it will be appreciated. This looks like a good forum site and I'll likely be a regular poster here as time goes by. Nice to read lots of your posts, you seem like a friendly enough bunch.

[Uturn2001]

Buying a used truck is a crap shoot to a point no matter if you buy from a dealer, an O/O or a trucking company. You do not know how that truck was driven or how it was serviced. Your best bet is to spend some money and have the truck checked over by an independant shop and have a dyno check done.

The engine I reccomend against, are the Detroit 500 hp, the CAT C-12, and the VED-12. The first one is due to chronic turbo failure, the 2nd and 3rd is because they were designed for local and regional application and do not hold up well under the OTR environment.

Authority: The price depends on who does the filing and the package. If you file for your authority then you are looking at around $300 or so. There are companies out there that will file for your authority, IFTA, and even help you get your equipment registered if you want. The more you have them do the more it costs.

Fuel economy: Generally speaking the aero's (Volvo, Century, etc.) are more fuel efficient than the classic's like the W900 and Pete 379, but at the same time they tend to be a bit heavier. IMHO a good solid truck that combines the best of both worlds is either the KW T-600 or the International 9200 or 9400. Finally your fuel economy will depend more on how you drive the vehicle and how the engine, tranny and rear ends are spec'd out.

Now then I have to say this. While it can be done, going in whole hog as a truly independant O/O without any experience is stacking the deck against yourself. You will have a lot of extra costs, mainly insurance, for the first 2 or 3 years assuming you do not get any tickets or have any accidents during that time and if you do you may find yourself being dropped in a hurry or having premiums that become so high you simply can not afford it. Also you may find brokers and shippers who are unwilling to allow you to haul their freight due to a lack of experience. Finally, unless you have excellent credit and a lot of money in the bank, like $10,000 for the truck and $5000 for the trailer for major repairs issues, you will find it hard to find a bank to finance your equipment.

Thank you !!!! That was the funniest post that I have read in a long time !!!

[RostyC]

My best advice is to read all the threads here and in the other forums on this site and then start asking questions later. A lot of your questions have been covered extensively in past threads, trust me.

Also, take your time, no need to rush.

Best of luck to you.

[GTR SILVER]

check out stevebooth..............read his posts..................lol to ya :shock:

great avatar!!!!!!!!!!!! 8)

Everything you need to know has been written in this forum.

Get you cargo and liability if you can then come back with questions. That will be the ONLY thing holding you back. You can get liability with a 300 mile radius through Progressive but your cargo will be the hardest to get.

[marylandkw]

Also you may find brokers and shippers who are unwilling to allow you to haul their freight due to a lack of experience

With all due respect Uturn,I have heard this said before, I just don't see it. Most brokers and shippers never even ask about your experience. All they seem to care about is your insurance and if your equipment can handle the load. Now leasing on to a carrier they do care about experience.

Disclaimer: I have been out of the OTR game for a few years so it could have changed.

Having said all that vyoufinder, Don't do it. If you do, make sure you have alot of money available. Not only to cover the truck expenses for up too 2 months but also repairs and household bills.

Yup, your right. Nobody gives a crap what you look like, what condition your truck is in or trailer or your experience, I KNOW. The ONLY thing they care about is if you have cargo and liability insurance.....PERIOD

I agree with everything Marylandkw said especially about cash on hand when you start.

[Dejanh]

There is a way to get cargo with little or no expirience, i just have to check what needs to be done out of curiosity. After i left Werner six months into the game i went to work for a fleet owner out of Chicago and they did have an issue with me not having expirience but it was resolved without me knowing how..i dont know what they did but everything that truck hauled inclkuding me was covered somehow, legal or not i think you have to do what you have to do to get around obsticles untill you cross over...

[pepe4158]

All ideas in this communication are sole property of the voices in my head. (C) 2006, "The Voices" (TM). All rights reserved.

OMG Marlyland...what a funny tag.....mind if I copy it?...If so am I quilty of infrigment? Seems I stand to break a lot of laws trying to get my own authority, so whats 1 more, just a # at this point I quess!

[marylandkw]

All ideas in this communication are sole property of the voices in my head. (C) 2006, "The Voices" (TM). All rights reserved.

OMG Marlyland...what a funny tag.....mind if I copy it?...If so am I quilty of infrigment? Seems I stand to break a lot of laws trying to get my own authority, so whats 1 more, just a # at this point I quess!

Feel Free pepe. I stole it from another forum on the Ole' net.

I will count it as my contrubution to your new venture

[Sonny Pruitt]

you'll shoot your eye out........

With what? Your Red Ryder 200 shot BB gun with a compass in the stock? Is that what your talking about Mr. Bumpas?

Signed,
Scott Farcus

[vyoufinder]

Especially uturn. What you mentioned about different engines is something I had not seen elsewhere. It seems I've got a lot to learn about different configurations. I plan on taking my time with this and I am not in any hurry. That's why I am starting here, doing research and I plan on doing months of research before I even make the first move. I want to have my plan all set before I even get the CDL and then will drive for a friend, continue to talk to drivers, etc. and adjust plans. As for the people who tell me not to do it, shoot myself in the eye, stack the deck against myself - good advice I am sure but I still feel I can do this. I have the money and also have a regular income which will still be coming in. I also have almost no bills. If I don't make a dime in a year's time, I really don't care. I'm in it for the challenge and the fun just as much as I am for the money. This is my laboratory at this point with the goal being to turn the most profit possible - eventually. From the sounds of things, I'll get all the challenges I can handle.

[yellowcabbill]

vyoufinder, when you get going remember if you get caught with an unlicensed driver operating your rig (as you were with your traveling buddies) they might impound your equipment, yank you authority and put you out of business. Also it isn't a good idea to stay awake for 36 hours straight, even if you're just banging on a keyboard at 34 years old. Good Luck.

[Rev.Vassago]

Yup, your right. Nobody gives a crap what you look like, what condition your truck is in or trailer or your experience, I KNOW. The ONLY thing they care about is if you have cargo and liability insurance.....PERIOD

And look at the rates you get for it.


Seriously - companies that are shipping expensive freight, that pay excellent rates (and don't post their loads on freight boards) care a lot more about who is hauling their freight. That's why they don't post their loads on freight boards.

Freight boards are like $0.80 per mile carriers - they serve a purpose, but you aren't going to get rich off of them. In many cases, you won't even turn a profit.

[person]

Freight boards are like $0.80 per mile carriers - they serve a purpose, but you aren't going to get rich off of them. In many cases, you won't even turn a profit.

You run off load boards for 80 cents a mile??!! Wow. I never heard of anyone doing it that cheap.

I've never ran for 80 cents a mile and getting on the average $1.65. Most of my calls do come from loads not posted and a few from shippers themselves and I don't think they cared about my equipment unless they made the judgment on the spot when I showed up.

[Rev.Vassago]

Freight boards are like $0.80 per mile carriers - they serve a purpose, but you aren't going to get rich off of them. In many cases, you won't even turn a profit.

You run off load boards for 80 cents a mile??!! Wow. I never heard of anyone doing it that cheap.

Re-read what I said. I knew someone would say something like this. I'll even highlight it.

I've never ran for 80 cents a mile and getting on the average $1.65.

Since we've already established a long time ago that you don't include OOR or deadhead miles in your calculations, no-you don't average $1.65 per mile.

Most of my calls do come from loads not posted and a few from shippers themselves and I don't think they cared about my equipment unless they made the judgment on the spot when I showed up.

And where exactly are they finding out about you and your truck? At a place where people who pay real money don't look.

[btinc]

The engine I reccomend against, are the Detroit 500 hp, due to chronic turbo failure

Not a Detroit issue but a Garrett turbo problem, switch to a Schwitzer, and it's good to go, but i do agree the garretts are blowing left and right.