can anyone help me?

[kb7274]

I am 34 yrs old single with no family. I want to buy a truck and go into buisness for my self ( yes I know I'm crazy ) but I have grew up around trucks all my life and the thought of life on the road exites me. My dad did it for a living between that and farming and I have always had a love for trucks, It's in my blood. I have driven tractor trailers starting at the ripe old age of 13, ( grain to the mill from the farm ) and had my A lisence since 18. Grandfathered in before CDL went into effect in 92'. I'm not looking to drive for a big company because I don't want to be just a driver, I do have the financial backing to buy my own truck and trailer now but before I do I would like to work for someone who would show me the buisness side of driving as well as drive for them. I have a perfect MVR, never had a ticket, not even speeding. CDL class a with tanker endorsement but no Haz Mat. no felonies. no drugs. Home time is not important to me. I want to work hard and learn the buisness. I treat all equipment that I run as if I owned it myself. I have a love for all machianery it is art to me. I am looking to work and learn for about a year or so before I dive into the game for myself. Is there anyone out there that can help me? I am Located in Maryland. any advise ( other than don't do it ) would be apprciated as well.

Sorry for the bad spelling,

[BigDiesel]

Go learn the business on someone elses dime before you lose all of yours first.

[marylandkw]

Go learn the business on someone elses dime before you lose all of yours first.

X2

Not that it can't be done the way you want too. Many including myself did it just like that. Got a truck and figured it out one mistake at a time. It ain't brain surgery.

Even 6 months or a year you would get a good vibe of how the industry works in someone's truck. 2 years and a good plan and I doubt you would fail.(if you are at least halfway smart)

[Copperhead]

You got a right start in the attitude area. Just make sure that your business game face is on at all times. Run any truck like a business and be a real bean counter. I would concur that learning the in's and out's of the industry on someone else's dime and then moving up to owning would be a wise move.

There are a lot of excellent small outfits that cater to taking someone on as a company driver then helping them move up to O/O. I am with one of them. I also like being called by my first name and not an employee number or truck number. But, be it with a large outfit or small, if you don't run it like a real business and manage it, you could end up road kill in the financials.

Things are going to be a little tougher in the near term with the economic stress that is going on, but a hooking up with a good outfit that has a broad based core of good customers will make the going a little easier. It almost takes a real grasp of the industry to find those good small carriers that have a solid, well rounded customer base that will weather the tough economic times.

It is going to be a rough ride for many O/O's in the near future, even those that have been at it awhile. But there are small carriers that are doing quite well even now because they had the foresight to broaden their base and hook up with solid "ression prooof" customers. No matter how bad things get, there will still be freight that needs hauled. Some in the industry heirarchy feel that maybe we are getting ready to head into an upturn in rates and freight volume. But, only those that run even 1 truck like a major fleet and manage the profit and loss margins will succeed.

I am a firm believer that the days of "smokey and the bandit" truck driving are dead and gone. That doesn't mean that you can't still enjoy the more free environment of trucking. I have been at this game for a quarter of a century, and, even with 3 college degrees, I would not go back to working in a corporate office setting if my life depended on it.

Good luck in whatever decision you make.

[Red Clay Rambler]

Go learn the business on someone elses dime before you lose all of yours first.

from the original post:

"I do have the financial backing to buy my own truck and trailer now but before I do I would like to work for someone who would show me the buisness side of driving as well as drive for them"

[GMAN]

There are so many owner operators who fail because they jumped in without having any idea of what it is like to run a business. They go out and buy (or lease) a truck with little or no capital or experience and expect to succeed. There may be some who will defy the odds, but most will fail. This industry has a very high failure rate. There are few who can enter a business without experience or money and make it. There is nothing wrong with wanting to become an owner operator. It is the next step for many drivers. The reason many new owner operators fail is because they don't want to take the steps to learn the business and save their money first. They think that if they buy a truck they will get rich. They don't expect anything to go wrong with the truck. Murphy's law is alive and well in trucking. There is always something that will go wrong or break on a truck. It costs a lot of money to operate. It is easy to spend $2,000 or more a week just on fuel. And believe me, there is much more to consider and spend your money on than fuel. I would advise anyone who is thinking about coming into this business to save their money and lots of it. I would also suggest that they work for a carrier to gain experience and see first hand what it costs to run a truck. We don't pay much attention to expenses when someone else is paying the bill. You gain a much different perspective when you are the one writing the checks. It is always good to have a contingency or back up plan. Always plan on something going wrong. If you plan for the worst that can happen you will be prepared should that happen. I think many go into this with rose colored glasses. Take your time. Find a good job working with a carrier to see how they operate. You will probably learn more from a smaller carrier than a large one, especially if your goal is to get your own authority. Conditions will NEVER be perfect, but if you have money in the bank and experience your chances of success are greatly enhanced over starting out with little or no money and little or no experience.

[Red Clay Rambler]

kb7274,

I don't know where you live but craigslist sometimes has ads from owner-operators or small fleet owners who need a driver. Go to the JOBS section of your city's craigslist page and then scroll to the section that says "transport". You might find someone there who will give you a start.

[GMAN]

If you live near a truck stop, there are trucking magazines at most that list companies who have jobs available. This website had a company listings section, but since the change I have no idea if it is still available.

[kb7274]

Thank you guys for all your input. I did look on craigslist, hard to sort between what would help me and big company recruiters. Did speak with a guy on the phone on friday. he said he would hire me but some things kinda threw up some red flags. He wanted me to sign a paper saying that when I left I would not try to take any of his buisness with me ( wich I can understand. ) He is in the prosses of trying to lease the truck he wants me to drive on with a local company that hauls chicken, Perdue. He wants to pay me 25% of what the truck makes. maintain the truck, if the truck breaks down I do not get paid anything. but the truck he wants to put me in is a '92 International with close to 2 mill on it. I have not seen the truck but man that just sounds like a breakdown waiting to happen. He did say he would show me how to run the buisness but how good are you if you still depend on a '92 international to make you money lol.

I know this is not an easy buisness, Everyone would do it and be sucessful if it was. I also know that know that you are not going to get rich doing this buisness no matter how good you are. You gotta take a lotta steps backward to progress forward in this buisness. I learned all that from my daddy who I lost 18 yrs ago ( him on the left in the picture with his truck and me on the hood. ) I know the work is hard but it is honest and I am very proud of my Poppa for being a O/O truck driver and wanna be just like him.

[GMAN]

The truck is getting some wear on it. However, I have seen some old trucks that are in better shape than some newer trucks. I would not necessarily discount him due to the age of the truck. He is willing to show you the business. If this guy can keep older trucks going then he is doing well (depending on how well he is taking care of his trucks). When you look at his equipment you can usually tell if it is well maintained or not. If his truck looks all ragged out then I would not waste my time. You don't want to spend half your time sitting on the side of the road broken down. He knows that you plan on basically competing with him once you learn your way around the business. It is understandable that he would not want you to take his business after he has shown you how to run your business. On the other hand, if he is leasing his truck to another carrier then it is irrelevant. In any case, it might be worth looking into. Once you meet him and check out his equipment you should have a good feel if it is a good situation for you. In situations such as these I think your gut instinct is your best barometer.

[kb7274]

Gman after reading your post, I'm thinking you are correct. I shouldn't be so quick to judge just by hearing the age of the truck over the phone without meeting the man or the truck. I think I will meet him and see exactly what he has to offer. I can always say no. but to judge just by first contact over the phone is not wise on my part... I would still like to get a couple more options together as well. I'm in no rush to jump into anything here. anyone have any more suggestions I would be more than happy to hear them. I do have a good job now, I run my friends lumber buisness and would be making a lot less going into the trucking biz but us working together is taking a toll out on our friendship and I would rather make less money and keep my friendship with him intact, he is like a brother to me.

[heavyhaulerss]

You need to decide what you want to haul. dont know ? then educate yourself on the different types of hauling. want to pull flat & haul lumber, pipe, steel? then get some info & practice in that field, want tanker, van, reefer, e.t.c. then go into that field & learn. learn pay, how the pay is calculated, how long out. you say hometime is not important. that is good, but... dont think that just because you stay out for long periods at at a time that your pay will always be better than shoter runs.


running a truck while living in it cost lot's of fuel & other cost , like food ,e.t.c. flat is harder physical work, but can pay better. when I first started, I started with a local run. home every night. 10-12 hours a day. after geting used to driving, turning, backin, braking, loading/unloading & the whole 9 yards. I went a lil farther, regional, well not really. but I did go farther. about 200 miles farther. after getting used to spending 1 or maybe 2 nights out a week, then I would take farther out loads,



for me it was never the money. I would rather go to a place that I know well, that receives 24/7 & the route is interstate all the way then to make 100-200 more by going to places I dont like, as in atlanta. too much traffic, lot of stress getting thru, more chance of getting tied up with someone. just my opinion.

[kb7274]

Most of my experience is with a flat bed or drop deck, was however leaning toward a reefer, My friend has one and stays pretty busy with it using it as a reefer or a dry van. he runs regional and is claiming to make no less that $ 2.00 a mile between a couple of load brokers and uses getloaded.com as filler or for back haul sometimes, He claims he usually ( not always ) can negotiate a decent load off of there. he says he will help me buy hooking me up with his couple of brokers, judging from what I'm reading in this forum and others I am learning that just because it pays more per mile doesn't mean you make the most money. like you stated how long it takes you to unload and when you unload. I have read nothing but horror stories with getting unloaded with reefers along with having to put fuel in them to run it and hoping the thing does not breakdown and also servicing it. and also reading about grocery warehouses. same way with flat, ( Chains, Binders, Tarping and Untarping ). I want to stay away from tanks, I can purchase both reefer and flat when I go to get started and that may be the route I go, It would give me more options as far as working. What do you guys think?

[Doghouse]

Kb,
I have been in this for almost a year now, and here's my advice to you. Don't listen to Steve O', Rev, or guys like Gman who think they know it all,......just kidding. These are the same guys I got info from and I have done well so far during my first year as an OO.
If I were to start over I would have done everything the same,(except for the APU fiasco). I bought a million mile international, and a used aluminum flat. They have been good to me, so don't let older equipment scare you off, but be sure to have more mechanical skills than the average truck driver because you will need the ability to to do 80% of your own repairs, or al least know when a shop is screwing you over.Or the cure all which is deep pockets, then who cares, get the thing fixed and get back on the road ASAP. I personally like flatbed, (I pulled a refer before,....hated it!!!)
When you finally meet this guy with the truck,..all you need to do is look at the truck and that usually tells the story. If its a clean truck with minor issues, he probably is a good businessman, if the fairings are dangling, its leaking fluids, and the interior is trashed,......just walk away and find yourself a better situation.
Biggest thing I have noticed:
1.Have at least $10,000 in a repair fund, and another $10,000 for operating expenses minimum. (This takes a lot of stress off you and alows you to make better decisions).
2.Listen to the truck/trailer and fix things whenever you have the time. (I make a list and then priroitize every week)
3.Don't be afraid to sit for a couple days to wait on a better load (use this time to fix you broken stuff when it breaks,.....and it WILL break)
4.Keep up with your paperwork,..all of it IFTA,billing,everything.
5.Get out of the truck and get some excersize, and find a way to eat right.

[boneebone]

Good Luck to you.

[GMAN]

Gman after reading your post, I'm thinking you are correct. I shouldn't be so quick to judge just by hearing the age of the truck over the phone without meeting the man or the truck. I think I will meet him and see exactly what he has to offer. I can always say no. but to judge just by first contact over the phone is not wise on my part... I would still like to get a couple more options together as well. I'm in no rush to jump into anything here. anyone have any more suggestions I would be more than happy to hear them. I do have a good job now, I run my friends lumber buisness and would be making a lot less going into the trucking biz but us working together is taking a toll out on our friendship and I would rather make less money and keep my friendship with him intact, he is like a brother to me.

Working with friends can put pressure on the relationship. I would rather maintain the relationship than have the money. I have found that it is good to be open and flexible when I look at equipment. In the case of this owner and his truck, it could be a piece of junk, but could also be a well maintained truck. Some of the most successful owners I have known over the years have kept older trucks. One friend of mine has an old Marmon and International. Both are in the 1980's. He drives one for a while then switches. He did buy another trailer so that he could leave both connected to a trailer all the time. At one time I believe he owned 16 trucks. He got tired of dealing with drivers who abused his equipment and all the other things an owner needs to deal with. He ran his own authority back then. He has been leased to another carrier for a number of years now and has told me that he will never sell either of his trucks. He has rebuilt about everything on both over the years and will continue to do so as long as he drives. He doesn't feel the need to put on a show for anyone. Nor does he want any equipment payments. He keeps his equipment up. He is happy making about $80,000/year with just him driving. If he makes much more than that he just pays more taxes. He works when he wants and takes off as he sees fit. It works for him. I would say he probably has 2-3 million miles on his International. I know he has to have at least 2 million miles on his Marmon, perhaps more.

[kb7274]

Well I went down to speak with that gentleman last night. took a look at the truck he wanted me to drive for him. It turned out to be a 96' pete 379. Truck looked pretty good. He told me he had local work for the truck hauling human waist out of downtown Philly to the lower eastern shore of md. he said the job would last 6 weeks and then he would try to find work otr for the truck. He said he would let me run the truck as if it was mine including trying to find my own work for the truck in order to establish connections for when I'm ready to jump into the game myself. The thing that really threw up the red flag for me is that in order to get the truck in shape enough for OTR we would have to do this local hauling to pay for everything to be right on it. He also said that he couldn't pay me until the money from the company I was hauling for started coming in. Very Nice Guy! but not what I was hoping to hear.

[tweety bird]

It has been my experience that drivers who drive trucks for truck owners who have the truck leased to a company make less than the company drivers for that company.

Make sure the money is right.

Would you rather be an o/o and/or drive a big ride than make decent money? That's what you're deciding here.

Not being able to pay you until the company you're hauling for pays him isn't a safe bet. Sometimes independent contractors don't get paid for a month or more- regardless of what the contract says. If you're in the role of a company driver, you should be paid like a company driver. You do the work, you get paid for it, regardless of whether the company gets paid (it's their job to go after the folks who owe them money).

There are all kinds of ways to get screwed in trucking and, if you're just getting into it (regardless that you've known how to drive for years), you are a ripe target. Tread carefully.

[tweety bird]

There are so many owner operators who fail because they jumped in without having any idea of what it is like to run a business. They go out and buy (or lease) a truck with little or no capital or experience and expect to succeed. There may be some who will defy the odds, but most will fail. This industry has a very high failure rate. There are few who can enter a business without experience or money and make it. There is nothing wrong with wanting to become an owner operator. It is the next step for many drivers. The reason many new owner operators fail is because they don't want to take the steps to learn the business and save their money first. They think that if they buy a truck they will get rich. They don't expect anything to go wrong with the truck. Murphy's law is alive and well in trucking. There is always something that will go wrong or break on a truck. It costs a lot of money to operate. It is easy to spend $2,000 or more a week just on fuel. And believe me, there is much more to consider and spend your money on than fuel. I would advise anyone who is thinking about coming into this business to save their money and lots of it. I would also suggest that they work for a carrier to gain experience and see first hand what it costs to run a truck. We don't pay much attention to expenses when someone else is paying the bill. You gain a much different perspective when you are the one writing the checks. It is always good to have a contingency or back up plan. Always plan on something going wrong. If you plan for the worst that can happen you will be prepared should that happen. I think many go into this with rose colored glasses. Take your time. Find a good job working with a carrier to see how they operate. You will probably learn more from a smaller carrier than a large one, especially if your goal is to get your own authority. Conditions will NEVER be perfect, but if you have money in the bank and experience your chances of success are greatly enhanced over starting out with little or no money and little or no experience.

Fantastic advice.

[allan5oh]

Remember, if you buy a truck, you're a business owner not a truck driver.