im an O/O of course, im just 21, but ive been driving since i was 18 hauling coal and gravel. but i got my own truck now. and i have 3 different trailers, a tanker, a dump, and a flatbed. and im in desperate need of finding a place to lease or getting some help with my own authority. im from kentucky, and i have to be home every week, i cant be gone weeks at a time, i have a little 8 month old girl that needs me so its just too much to stay gone way too long. so obviously i'd like to get some kind of local fuel haul, regional, dedicated, or something like that. can anyone give me any kind of info on anything like this? i wouldn't mind runnin far away if its just 3-5 days out and then home. i would really love to run 4 on and 3 off or 5 on and 2 off. but im just needing some help if anyone has any.

IDK doode, u should be talking to other drivers that live in the area, esp the old hands. U got a truck and trailer u wanna work i bet theres a gig there for u!! just go ask some old hands or go to the truckstop and see the stickers on the doors, ask people. u could also look in the phonebook under trucking if u get bored.. id love to have my own truck and go find a run, but im just a driverbot model#7493751.5

OOIDA does a pretty inexpensive job of this. If you're a new owner operator, you should already be a member. Their member services department can help you figure out the difference between your head and butt. I don't mean that in a bad way, just that we are all a bit lost and overwhelmed anytime we start something new and need a little hand holding... I know I did. If you're not a member yet, sign up and start asking them lots of questions. Just don't buy their insurance before shopping around because it's usually much more expensive than some other companies. You only problem is your young age and lack of experience. If you just turned 21, you couldn’t have any over the road experience. Perhaps you could get some intrastate gig where you wouldn’t need to leave Kentucky?

I think the first thing you need to do is decide whether you want to lease to a carrier or get your own authority. Your age will be a detriment when it comes to leasing to most carriers. Many require drivers to be at least 23 due to insurance. Your previous driving experience could help you to over come that obstacle. They will sometimes allow you to lease on if you have at Least 2-3 years driving experience, even with your young age. If you have a dump and live in Kentucky, I would think that you could keep busy hauling coal or other commodities and stay close to home. I understand your wanting to stay close with a small one at home. There is quite a bit of road construction going on and you might find something with one of those companies. If you want to get your authority you could do as Musicman suggested and get in touch with OOIDA, or go online and do it yourself. Before starting I would decide what type of freight you want to haul. I would suggest talking to local drivers and see if they might help point you in a direction. I know there is a guy near me who sometimes uses owner operators to haul coal to a power plant. He stays busy year around. He mostly has his own trucks, but will work with other owner operators from what I have been told. There could be someone such as him near you that could use an owner operator.

If you get your authority your insurance is likely going to be high. It may also be difficult to find an insurance company that will insure you due to your age. I would expect a high premium. Next, you will need to purchase base plates and permits for your truck. All of that will be out of pocket before you can earn a nickel with your truck. You do have an advantage in that you have had several years experience driving trucks. That will help with insurance premiums and might also help if you decide to lease to a carrier. The easiest way to get home is to go with an agent based carrier where you find your own loads and decide when and where you want to run. There are several around that might work for you. I don't know what part of Kentucky you live, but you could probably stay within a 500 mile radius and earn a decent living with your flat bed hauling steel. That could also likely enable you to get back home on weekends.

If you decide to lease to a carrier you could check with some of the major carriers that haul steel out of the Midwest and Southeast. CRST Malone might work with you and give you a chance. I don't know their current hiring requirement for owner operators. Landstar is another that might recruit you as an owner operator, but you will need hazmat on your CDL and they can take several weeks to do your background check. They have a very slow process to approve drivers and owner operators. One advantage you would have with CRST Malone is that they have an assigned dispatcher. Starting out it might help you to get a good start. There is a company listings on this forum where you can check basic hiring requirements for many of the major carriers. Finding the right fit might take a little time.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both avenues you are considering. OOIDA would be a good way to start. They are a good resource, especially for someone starting out.