Truck Driving Jobs

Twilight Flyer · Joined: 13 Nov 2002 Posts: 5477

What would possess a person to actually buy a truck today and hit the O/O side of the business. I'm not talking about guys already in it...I want to know why I field so many phone call from drivers looking to buy a truck and be an O/O.

I gotta ask and I'll do it here for the benefit of all these guys that have been calling me.

"Are you bloody nuts?!?!?" :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

BigDiesel · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 1:01 pm Post subject:

Here is an answer for you... If you have good credit, a spotless MVR, reserve capital, good business plan, have a clue in how to run a business, have a customer base to start with, you should have no qualms about jumping in.

But..... Most do not have any of the above.... They jump into fleece purchase programs with no idea in how to run a biz. With the downturn happening, the BBR's running for gas money and buck a mile runs will soon go away..... and that is good for us who are business people first and steering wheel holders second....

Twilight Flyer · Joined: 13 Nov 2002 Posts: 5477

That's just it...most guys are jumping into this with no idea what they are getting into. I get questions like "how much is too much for a truck payment?" "Can I get an advance for fuel right away?" etc. That just throws up all kinds of warning signs.

Rev.Vassago · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 5183 Location: Green Bay, WI

Twilight Flyer wrote: I get questions like "Can I get an advance for fuel right away?" etc.

Why? Are you giving them away? Can I have one? :wink:

no_worries · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 833

The big companies are smart enough to keep their FSC, insurance rates, etc. at about the same relative level. Therefore, leasing onto them isn't really any worse a proposition now than it was before. I imagine that's the deal that most first-timers are looking at.

BanditsCousin · Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Posts: 3192 Location: Chicago, IL

I think you answered a question I asked you quite a while ago in PM's, TF. We chatted about the Heartland O/o proram and i said it wasn't enough. You said the paid permits, plates ect made the rate justifiable.

I wasn't being cocky, and neither one of us get defensive and accepted each others' point of view.

But to answer your post, I have no idea why people jump into the o/o side. Maybe they see big bunks rolling down the road and it coul be them. Maybe they hear what o/o's are taking home and want that too. Then they lease on to Swft, Werner, etc and it doesn't work out quite so well.

I think its the mentality I see in dirt bikes and atv's when I'm at the trails. I bought a used Yamaha Banshee for 2500 bucks. I talked with a Dad quite a few months ago who said name brand was overrated and bought 2 NEW atv's from PepBoys for less than I paid for a used one and thought he had the better deal.

Now the 2 situations above aren't close to being the same, but the logic follows both. Mainly, look at what you're doing and look at the long term. If you are starting with a crap plan you're gonna fail. Needing a cash advance before starting...not the best leg to start off on. I've started a new gig and did $4200 in repairs and ran close to 5000 miles with my new company and haven't seen a paycheck yet (due to pay period cutoffs) and have yet to get a cash advance.

Being an o/o can be a great deal over a company driver. But, on the other hand, being a company driver can be the berries over beng o/o.

I can riddle you that, as I see what you're saying by talking to drivers. Truck drivers as a whole aren't stupid, but man I run into a lot of dumb ones who couldn't run a bake sale.

Example- I'm in Las Vegas at the Wild Wild West. My Dad and I were walking through the lot the other day and he ran into another driver for the same company he's leased to. The driver had been there 3 days waiting on the show freight and was in the parking lot. (What's your point bandit?) Well, as of recent its like 10 bucks a day to park. On top of the the driver idles for electric and heat. Looked like he and his wife hadn't showered in a few days. The kicker is he refuses to pay the "high prices" of the motel. My Dad asked if he went to the front desk to ask what the room rates were. Of course, he said "no". We said good day and kept walking. Roms are $25 plus tax, and include free parking. Any o/o would see who's getting the better deal :wink:

Mandilon · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:18 am Post subject:

Quote: What would possess a person to actually buy a truck today and hit the O/O side of the business. I'm not talking about guys already in it...I want to know why I field so many phone call from drivers looking to buy a truck and be an O/O.

I gotta ask and I'll do it here for the benefit of all these guys that have been calling me.

"Are you bloody nuts?!?!?"

It's a CONSPIRACY :twisted: !

Can't anyone around here DECIPHER it :idea: ?

...at least 'give it a try!'

God Bless all

Twilight Flyer · Joined: 13 Nov 2002 Posts: 5477

Yeah, Bandit, I guess that's my issue. Most of the guys I talk to don't have a plan. They may not be dumb, but they are clueless about what it's going to take to be an O/O. I've rained on a few parades over the past few weeks by spelling it out for them. Most of them simply haven't built a business plan or have any type of a plan for success. They just see that they'll be driving their own truck and making big bucks. Well, grossing $150K as an O/O means nothing if your fuel and other expenses are $149K and that happens far too often.

Orangetxguy · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 1471

Twilight Flyer wrote: Yeah, Bandit, I guess that's my issue. Most of the guys I talk to don't have a plan. They may not be dumb, but they are clueless about what it's going to take to be an O/O. I've rained on a few parades over the past few weeks by spelling it out for them. Most of them simply haven't built a business plan or have any type of a plan for success. They just see that they'll be driving their own truck and making big bucks. :shock: :shock: Well, grossing $150K as an O/O means nothing if your fuel and other expenses are $149K and that happens far too often. :shock: :shock:

I hope some shmuck doesn't actually run like that !! Anybody who does run like that...is a shmuck!

Bandit said it right. A guy getting into this pretty much better have a plan, and damn sure better have some self-motivation. The idea of a family and living life free and easy is awesome...but if your gonna want all weekends off...and be headed there by 4 pm on a thursday each week...doing the O/O thing is not for those ....shmucks. Just about all that I have seen fail, did so because they wanted to be home on specific days each week, didn't want to haul specific loads because they went -----> over there.....<----- instead of over there.

Make the money to relax...then relax.

Last month I spent $7900 on repairs, and still have enough in the bank to do another ....Gawd forbid $7900.(plus paid all the bills)

SoCal79 · Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 120

I figured out along time ago that you can teach a business man how to drive a truck pretty easily, but teaching a truck driver how to run a business is alot harder. Most of the guys I talk to are in it for the truck, they are so worried about chrome and looks, I spoke to one guy recently who spent $56k out of his savings and severance from his old company buying an EXHD Pete 550 Cat, pulled the sleeper off (day cabing it) shortening the 270" down to 240" and just now found out how much a dump body is going to cost him, $29k "for the one he really wants". He already had T-shirts made with a picture of the truck on it so he said it will suck if the truck wont match the shirts. All this and his ONLY contact for work is me and I got ZIP for him. And to top it all off he only has till 2013 to be in compliance with the smog/particulate stuff, if he even makes it that far.

BanditsCousin · Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Posts: 3192 Location: Chicago, IL

I think a lot of prospective owner operators don't do enough research, checking out companies' websites and comparing. Plus, I laugh when I see people that haven't been company drivers (or drivers at all) and want to be an o/o from the git-go. Booth, as successful as he was or precieved he was, was an exception. I was an exception as well starting with a rental truck pulling high dollar hhg (at the time) where I could walk away with nothing to lose.

Wanting a great truck is normal. Doing whatever it takes to get your dream truck iitially usually means failuire. I lease-purchased my T600 off my dad fora number of months at 2500/mo paying down the price before saving for a down payment.

2 · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 79

There are non-trucking sites where people from outside the industry are asking questions.

What they are told, is that there is a huge shortage of drivers, and they get all kinds of encouragement, to jump into the business.

www.indeed.com is one of those sites.

In fact, one of their so called experts was selling a training package on how to become a broker.

I'm not sure if it was the same guy, but one broker admitted to taking 60% of the gross, before paying the trucker.

If someone had the motivation,
it would be a good idea to search out these general job boards and forums, to identify those that are being less than honest, with their advice and encouragement.

Then, let everybody here know about them.

heavyhaulerss · Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 545 Location: north alabama

Quote: making it in the trucking buss is a tough question. ive made it well. can you ? sure you can. but will you ? every one wants to know how the other guy did it? but most will not want to follow the exact same steps as the other guy who made it. also even if you do, some other drivers way of trucking may not apply to you. i bought a 95' intl cabover with 400,000 mi for $15,000 cash in 99' & was told by all except one of my trucking buddies that i should of bought a k.w. pete. e.t.c. yes i was laughed at a lot. going on 9 years & over a mil miles... i need not say who is having the last laugh. but still to this day all the other drivers would rather drive a new chromed out pete & work for a co, then to be seen driving an ole dependable inexpensive truck. champagne taste on a beer budjet is what drives so many o/o's into bankruptcy. do you want to make money & have peace of mind ,or look good ? if your embarrased at the thought of going down the road in anything less than a shiny pete or k.w. or feel the need to spend a lot of money on a truck, then stick to a co job . i.m.o.

BanditsCousin · Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Posts: 3192 Location: Chicago, IL

Nothing wrong with having a shiny chromed out truck. It's when you have to live in it because you can't afford a home (or to go home) tht you ru into a problem.

DD60 · Joined: 04 Jun 2006 Posts: 468 Location: Rockwall,Tx

A part of Stevebooth's success was that he had over 100k to start with. The question is did he get a return on his investment or did he shell out more money to stay in business? Good credit and a clean mvr are not an absolute neccessity to being an O/O,although it does help and keeps insurance rates lower. There are many who succeeded on a shoestring budget because they had a plan. They new who and what they were going to haul for and knew what lanes they prefferred to run and what rates they needed to make a profit. Some just got lucky and worked their way up without either of those. There are also many more that failed and continue to fail. Not everyone fails because they lack business sense or don't know what they are doing. A stream of bad luck can put the shrewdest business owner on the edge of bankruptcy. Either way you look at it trucking is a very risky venture. Some make it and many sell out before they lose which is why I wouldn't recommend anyone to invest 100k in a truck and trailer when that investment could be used for something much more profitable and with less risk.

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