[BanditsCousin]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[Doghouse]

You can start out with as much as you want,..you're not a sucess untill it all gets put back.

[Orangetxguy]

Originally Posted by Doghouse

You can start out with as much as you want,..you're not a sucess untill it all gets put back.

Put back..and then some.

[solo379]

Originally Posted by DD60

Some just got lucky and worked their way up without either of those.

I guess, that's me! :lol:
But instead of just "lucky", i prefer "learn as i go"! And if you want to stay
"lucky", you better be quick about it! :wink:
As of to "good" and "bad" times to start....you can't time market... :roll:

[Bigmon]

Pepe said he put all his back in only 2 months.

[hoohaa]

A part of Stevebooth's success was that he had over 100k to start with.

If someone has a hundred grand cash in their pocket, they should stick with whatever made them that hundred grand in the firstplace.

Investing a hundred grand in LS stock would yield you a better return, then buying a stupid truck.