I dont think I'm gonna buy a truck right now. Beacon just called so I'll probably jusy go back as a company driver for now and save up some money, then just pay cash for a truck.

 

It takes a lot of pressure off when you start out without any debt.

 

I'd like to start out with as little an overhead as possible. BTW, when you sign on with a carrier, are you required to stay with them for a certain length of time? Since they are paying for the plates and permits and such, I though maybe you'd be required to sign a one year contract or something. I was going to ask Jacobson but it never got to that point.


Also I got a reply from the guy with this...

http://www.golsn.com/listings/automo...ks/450860.html

... 98 Freightliner for $11,500. Its got his number if anyone is interested in it...

"I bought this truck back in Feb. with the intention of putting a driver in it and running it. That deal fell through and i have not run the truck on the road. However, the truck runs and drives good, i try to start it once a week and i'll drive around the community just to keep the fluids stirred up and to keep the seals from drying out. The truck seems to be a solid truck and i think that i would make a great first truck. If you have any more questions or would like to see and drive the truck feel free to call me @931-510-5586. I really need to sell the truck so i am willing to make a deal on it if you are interested. Thanks. Mark Davis"

 

Most carriers don't have a time requirement for staying with them on their contract. It is pretty much like an "At will" agreement. In other words, either party to the contract may cancel at any time without notice. As far as paying for base plates is concerned, it depends on the contract. Some carriers require the owner operator to pay for their own base plate. The carrier will often pay for the plate, but take a fixed amount out of the owner operator's weekly settlement. In that case, there could be some obligation to the next quarter. If the carrier pays for the base plates without charging anything back to the owner operator there may not be any obligation to the owner operator. It just depends on the wording in their contract. I have always paid for my own base plates, so it has never been an issue for me. I would call them and ask.

 

Unless you have daddy buying trucks for you (coughbanditscousincough), you have debt even if you purchased your truck for cash. That truck won't last forever, so until you have saved enough to pay to replace it, you are in debt to the piece of equipment.

 

I gave 2 weeks notice today to the boss-man (and I use that term lightly) ... his reaction was a text-book "You found another job? Oh... well... okay... I wish you luck in your future endeavors" as he quickly returned to his ever-important computer monitor... I feel so important. :roll:

I'm going to Beacon the 22nd... https://www.beacontransport.net/

 

Agree 100%. I paid cash for my truck but, and a big but, I HAVE to be repaid for the money I put out. I've set up an amortization schedule that has to be met. You either borrow from a bank or borrow from yourself but the money has to be repaid. Look at what you sacrifice for this purchase, vacations, RV's, new furniture for the wife :wink: , and belive me she wants it. :lol:

Business is business no matter where the money comes from.

 

What kind of lust for money do you have to have that you "HAVE to be repaid for the money I borrow from myself." Good Lord! do you people care about money THAT much that you'd be a loan shark to yourself???

"If I dont pay myself back I'll cut my legs off!" :roll:

Lets say I'm your best friend and I need to borrow $20. Do you HAVE to have that $20 back no matter what?

I have at one time given a CAR to a friend... simply because he needed one at the time and I had an extra. I never wanted payment for it and never did. I GAVE it to him I didnt LOAN it to him.
We have since parted ways, yet I still do not regret giving him that car.

There are so many people on here that need to realize there is much more to life that the "Almighty Dollar." :wink:

 

Wow. Tell us how you really feel.


It has nothing to do with a lust for money, and everything to do with the fact that equipment wears out and needs to be replaced. If you don't recoup your initial investment, then you are in debt, even if you paid cash for the equipment. The "debt" to yourself is the money it would cost to replace the equipment when that time comes.

 

Wow, where to start? Lust for money, no not at all, a head for business maybe. Don't even start on me about giving, I've given a hell of a lot of my money and time that came from hanging a hell of a lot of drywall, framing a hell of a lot of metal walls, and a lot of other construction related projects that cost me sweat, blood and tears.

I gave a truck to my wife's family member so he could sell it to by his medicine that he needed, I didn't want to insult him by giving him money. I gave free room, board and food to a friend of my daughters for a year to help him get back on his feet, oh yeah, he was also an alcoholic, and with that comes a whole lot of other things that needed to be done, and cost me money, that I never asked to be paid back. I also give to charities and give to the poor when I see they need help, be it money or maybe just a sandwich, or whatever. So Please Don't Start On Me About Giving, There's To Much To List.

Having said that, when it comes to business I don't give my time away for nothing. If you're not willing to track every dollar spent in business then don't get into business. You're only hurting the rest of us, no matter the trade.
If you had to borrow money from the bank to finance your operation start up, would they not want to be repaid????? Ok then, if you finance the operation yourself then you should repay yourself with Interest!

It's not greed or selfishness it's BUSINESS!

Wow, so many correlations between trucking and construction it's unreal. You're like the guy in an old p/up truck I see in Home Depot, working cheap doing half ass work............. but it's cheap, and it is so because he doesn't know his cost.

Geezuz man, this $hit ain't hard, it's numbers.

EDIT: I had to change a "than" to a "then" so Rev wouldn't bust my chops. Dammit!