Just returned to driving from an 11 year sabbatical as a first time O/O. I started driving truck back in the early 80's at the age of 20 hauling cattle for a slaughter house in Chino. In 1986 I started hauling milk for C.M.P. After hauling milk for them for 7 1/2 years, the Co-Op broke the union and fired all 130 of us drivers in 1993. I then went to work for Smiths Food and Drug. After about a year and a half I left to go full time in to Real Estate.
After a few years in the business, my wife got her license and joined me in the R.E. world and we started to thrive as a team. After teaching her everything I knew about the business, she eventually kicked me to the curb and pretty much ran the whole business on her own.
How cool is that?
After being semi retired at 38 and kicking back for 5 years, I came across an opportunity and took it. I bought my first truck and a set of bottom dumps in October. I'm hauling dirt right now in the Inland Empire. I'm planning on buying 2-5 sets of trailers in the next 4-6 months and then leasing them out to pullers. Right now the semi bottoms seem to be more abundant, so I'll probably end up with a mixture of semi's and double bottoms.
Hauling dirt is okay, but it sure is hard to keep my rig clean. I have a friend that hauls water, so I'm going to check that out and look in to finding a tanker. I think I'm a Tanker Yanker at heart. I'll keep the trailers moving dirt and material, but I think I'm going to tote some sort of liquid with my personal rig.
Anyway, this seems to be a great message board with many knowledgeable contributors. Being fairly green as an O/O, I'll be sure to ask all kinds of stupid questions? please forgive me in advance.
Thanks,
TCT
