I think you should go for it!! I learned so many lessons with those trucks, I could write a set of books. However, I'm still trucking and am always trying not to fall into the same pits that I fell into before. Always remember that you have to make a profit. It may not be anywhere close to the numbers your buddy is leading you to believe, but I know you can be successful, have a good plan even if the plan is simply make money everyday. Stick to the plan and dont prostitute your trucks just to keep the wheels turning.

 

Good advice coming in now from experience, keep it coming.

I find the notion that it is next to impossible to find quality drivers hard to digest. I mean if the theory held true that the only trustworthy person to hire is yourself in any business the potential is limited of that business.

If Bill Gates thought the same..........

Talked with my slip seat mentor last night for 3 hours and he has slip seated an 18 hour day flawlessly for 18 months without an issue. The guy has NEVER taken a day off (his driver for 9 hours of the day) in a year and a half. That I find a little odd and maybe this guy truly lucked out on his driver choice, heck even I like a day off a year or so.

Regardless with 1 truck grossing 325,000 in a year there is certainly some left over at the end of the year!

 

[quote=" but its simple, miles = revenue - expenses = profit. [/quote]

It's even simpler than that!

Revenue-expenses=profit(or loss). It's not that simple tho, with the miles, cause miles, not just = revenue, miles also= expenses!

 

I?m mainly here to research and learn the trucking business, but I?d like to give an opinion here if nobody minds. Right now I?m in the construction business, but let me tell you, the hardest part about running and trying to grow a business, any business, is finding and keeping GOOD employees or even pieceworkers (1099 workers). I think this transcends to most businesses. You?re in for a rude awakening concerning finding, hiring, and keeping, employees. Not that it?s not worth it but it?s not easy. I?m friends with an architect, known him since school, it took him 2 years to find the right person to hire and keep.

I ran an ad in the Baltimore paper once, when I grew to the point of needing help. Anybody that?s tried this approach knows where I?m going with this. I was na?ve; I thought it would be easy. Wrong! You will get everyone else?s trash coming to see you.
I had two guys show up drunk and whining that they haven?t worked in weeks. I had one guy (with rotten teeth from crack) tell me that ?I?ll work all week but no weekend?s because I spend my weekends in the Bar.? There were other winners but those two stick out in my mind.
My best help has come from word of mouth, friends of friends so to speak. I get them green and train them, and just when I feel comfortable to leave them alone on a project they?ll leave to get a ?gravy? job. The process starts all over. ARRRGGG! I realize you probably won?t be able to hire newbies for insurance reasons, but hopefully you can take something from my experiences.

Bottom line is a lot employees don?t care about your business the way you do and this will aggravate you. You?ll probably go through a few before you find the right one. Just getting a ?warm body? approach doesn?t work.


I?m not trying to discourage you at all, I love running my own business and wouldn?t trade it for anything (well almost), but it?s not easy, none of it is, and it?s not for everyone. 8)

 

Rosty, it's not just an opinion, it's a statement of facts! :sad:
Keep in mind, it's even more complicated in trucking, due to the nature, of this business!

 

Driverboy,

IMO, RostyC's last post is why your slipseat idea wont work. You are not going to find the drivers who want to share a truck. Also your comparison to Bill Gates doesnt fly in trucking. Bill would be broke and posting on this site with us if he were a trucker. If you want to make a million dollars in trucking, start out with 2 million. :wink: :wink: :wink:

 

Driverboy,

I have thought about doing what you are thinking. I am in a complete different industry, but have a background in business. I think I would be able to operate a truck without being in it, but not sure if I want to make that big of a risk. A lot of money can be lost if you put it in the hands of others. Currently I am trying to staff my small company and it is hard to find someone that wants to work, and work sober. I am still kicking around buying a truck and hiring a driver, but what scares me is getting the call at 3AM from the police 7 states over asking me to come pick up my truck from the impound lot.