any advice for a newbie? Success stories, horror stories, any stories and opinions welcome and appreciated.

I now work for a company in California, but I am based in Texas. I would like to get my own authority and some people say I should wait till the end of the year. Does it matter when I apply for my own authority? I know a couple of brokers and have checked out getloaded.com and a few other websites, so I'm confident I will be able to find work. Should I apply on my own or use a service like glauthority.com or evilsizor.com? I am really struggling over this decision because I have a large family to support and don't want to find that getting my authority was a bad idea. Thanks.

A few of us have posted our stories on here....just sit back and read, read, read!! Alot depends on YOU. You have to have a good business mind as well as know how to drive a truck. You should have good organizational skills or at least know someone who does!!

Good luck in whatever you decide to do!! 8)

tootie

Yeah just got set-up myself. Cant give you any horror or success cuz its way too early to tell. Other then it was very confussing so I went to agencies to file the papper work for me, but being from Texas has to be easier then California cuz the state you file from does factor in.
As far as wait till the end of the year.....well you only missed the crudy months anyway.....so really shouldnt be a factor......I mean freight was probably slow for you Jan-April so you didnt miss much?
I used OOIDA...but would have done it all thru a local agency if had I thought about it for efficency.....Kinda glad I went thru OOIDA tho cuz I am going to use them for other things.

hope you like paperwork.

You can save quite a bit of money by doing it yourself. It isn't that difficult to get your authority. If you don't want to do it yourself, there are services who can do it for you for a fee. OOIDA is about as reasonable as anyone in walking through the paperwork.

I was kinda referring to all the paperwork that comes with every day life as opposed to the paperwork to get setup.

True G-man, chaeaper to do it yourself. and once I went thru it I was suprised just how easy it is, but at the time and looking at the task at hand, it just looked overwhelming. So I spent appx $750 extra to the agencies to fill it out for me.

Hmmm Rank yeah the papperwork, but I am actually more confused rigt now with the verbal aspects....negotiating rates with customers. I quess after my first year it will be easier, but right now its a struggle just how to present things to them.

Well first of all it does not matter when you get your authority. But it does matter when you file for your 2290. That expore june 30th no matter when you first get it. of course they will prorate it. Your mc number never expires as long as you insurance does not run out. States differ when it come to your irp plate. What I do for my customers that are in your situation is we take care of all the neccessary paperwork but we also help them get their files ready for an audit. We also help them prepare for the end of the quarter fuel tax time. We basically hold their hand through the process and after it. If you decide to file yourself and have some questions just give me a call 678-425-9571 and we can help.

Once you get your authority you will need to keep records to file your IFTA. Some states require you to file a separate return with them, such as New Mexico and Kentucky. Some states will allow you to file electronically on line. Mine just started that not long ago. The forms are fairly simple, but it takes time away from driving. If you keep up the miles and fuel, you can do your IFTA in about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Your base plates are based upon the amount of miles run in each state. The first year it is estimated. After that, you need to file actual miles for each state. It isn't overly complicated, but can take some time if you get behind. There is software you can buy to help you with the fuel taxes. Some people use a spreadsheet while others continue to do it manually.

My hat goes off to truckers that run their own small fleet, manage paperwork, dispatch, and drive. That's beyond a full-time job, and you better be technology savy. :lol: