every truck job.com

[BILLC1060]

im trying to get started as an owner operator i know a big part of what i need to do to get started i have a few questions and thought maybe someone here could help so....first question self explanatory do i need an accountant?? or will quicken do a good enough job to help me with the books??? are there companies out there i can run with as an o/o that will let me run as a team operation??
im not real knowledgeable about authority base plates or much of the other legal crap i figured id sign on with a company that included these things or will i be better off to establish my own authority get my own base plates and IFTA sticker and go commando without a company is there anything i forgot?? hmmm... insurance can anyone recommend a good insurance company?? ok so if you can think of something thatll help me or something i might have left out please let me know

[troyjrjackson]

Well, it use to be profitable to be an owner operator even as a team operator. Companies that you hire on to you say they will give you all the miles you want but, truthfully you will find that these companies will give you crap loads that they do not give to their company drivers. How do I know I use to be an Owner Operator. I can name you the majority of companies that are big that treat their drivers like crap and their owner operator division is worse. They make you pay for all the fuel and give you loads which make you wait for loads to be loaded into your trailer or unloaded. They say they want you to succeed but, in reality they do not. They just want you to take on the loss that most owner operators do. After you pay for fuel and truck payments you will barely make enough and usually less than a company driver. If I were you stay away from being an owner operator.

[carl1967]

you must not have been good as a o/o coz i know lots of drivers that do good at it one of them is me

[troyjrjackson]

Yes I was a good O/O and you are maybe one of the lucky ones who is making it. Majority of them are not. I can name off companies that O/O is not making money or just barely getting by. What company are you working for because you know very well that a lot of O/O is not making money on the road. That is why a lot of them is out of business. Even your top companies that were in business with a lot of trucks is now out of business. So either you do not have any truck payments or bills, won the lottery, or happened to win the truck for free, you cannot tell me your making any money. You probably have your own authority and have some broker that is a close friend that gives you good loads.

[BILLC1060]

CMON GUYS I ASK FOR HELP NOT AN ARGUMENT OVER WHOSE A SUPER TRUCKER AND WHOS NOT

[dezdawg]

get a good accountant, if ya try doin the books yerself ya run the risk of missing something and they'll know all the stuff you qualify for.
there's alot of good companies that'll run you under there authority and take care of base plates and ifta for ya. any contract you sign have a lawyer look over just in case tho.
i also recommend a manual and simple set of tools for your rig so you can do simple stuff to your truck, i have nothing against repair shops just some stuff ya can save the 50$ an hr and up shop fees and do it yourself.
save all your reciepts and claim everything.
your first priorities should be the stuff ya need to run first and then always set aside an emergency fund and only use it for emegencies don't fall into the i'll pay into it later trap.
last but not least , wheels rolling means money. truckstops charge not pay and every once in awhile taking a load that'll cover just that run to get to a better paying load is better then deadheading or bobtailing.
good luck to ya driver.

[carl1967]

i got bills but yes both my trucks and trls are payed for my 2 houses are payed for and i do know some really good brokers that i use no we are not good friends but lets just help bill out and not be so down on trucking ok
1st i wud look around at where you want to hual and like dezdawg said find a good accountant and for the tools good ideal are you going to pay cash for a truck and trl if so then i wud get my own authority but you do got to watch out for the companys for one thing or the other but no 2 companys are alike and no they will not do for you as they wud do for a friend or someone who has been there for a little bit one thing for sure set up your own loads

[troyjrjackson]

when you are an owner operator try for your own authority. At first it may be difficult but, what you want to do is try to secure loads with shipper, receivers. Sometimes getting good with them will open loads for you. Do not however get loads from a broker and try to get shippers and receivers to use you exclusively because it wont work. If you have someone or you are good in sales try to secure loads from the shippers and receivers who have a good loads like in reefer (some produce suppliers in California or Yuma) some good loads for dry van are your P&G (proctor and gamble loads which you may try to get one or two loads from them. If you run flatbed some gypsum plants in Las Vegas has drywall for you to pull out. Big Lots in California may have loads if you leave a trailer for them to fill. It all is where you are and what freight you want to pull. Fast Load boards don't always work because by the time you call them most of the loads are already booked. Try to book ahead of time it may work it may not. And do not wait 30 to 90 days for them to pay you. Money is needed for the unexpected and them holding on to pay you in 30 to 90 days may stretch you thin. Also companies will pay for your plates and ifta but, if you leave them expect to have it all deducted from your final settlement. Sometimes they pay fuel surcharge but, it is usually for the amount of miles you run and some companies do not pay for empty miles, make sure you find a company who pays for empty miles and for scales and for more than two hours at loading dock. Teaming is okay you run miles but, what you negotiate with a company is all you will get paid. If .89 / mile that is all you will make per load even for two drivers. The advantage you will have is your truck will not stop. But, let me go over some figures for you. If you ran at 60 miles per hour your average pay will be 53.40 per hour. You need to maintain that for your truck consistently. Fuel surcharge is usually per mile for example if a run is 1400 miles according to rand mcnally and your odometer you will only get 1260 paid miles and fuel surcharge will be .28 (highest to .20 minimal) per mile which will add to .89 / mile. The only problem though your fuel cost is close to 2.799 per gallon. I have calculated that for 1400 miles you will use about 255 gallons of fuel but, you will be paid for fuel surcharge 353.00 plus 1121.00 for a total of 1474.00. Now fuel cost would be about 714.00 which will leave you for that run about 760.00 for that run. 147.00 should go for maintenance and tires which you will be responsible for on your truck leaving you with 613.00 which you need to take out a percentage for truck payment. I figured an average team runs 5500 miles a week so if you take this figure at 5.5 miles per gallon you will use 1000 gallons of fuel which at 2.799 average fuel price it will cost you about 2799.00 per week for fuel. 5500 miles will not be your exact mileage because companies take 10 % of it. which would be 4950. At 4950 times .28 fuel surcharge will be an income of 1386.00 plus 4405.5 for a grand total of 5791.00. 5791.00 minus 2799.00 equals 2992.00 minus maintenance and tires would be 579.00 equals 2413.00 which you subtract truck payment which would be on average about 400 - 600 per week and insurance 130.00 per month. Leaves you between 1683.00 to 1883.00 for the week to split with 2 drivers which would be 741.50 - 941.50 per driver. This is how it should work but, it does not and there is so many variations and problems that arises that it become difficult to continue this for weeks at a time. Expect not to be able to make it home for more than a couple of days because your pay will stop but, your bills will keep piling up.

[MarkWahlbergTwo]

Hi There!

I would like to drop by and say hi. I was trolling this place for a while now, but haven't made a post.

I am from Algiers and like to play video games like half life and xbox. I hope to get a lot out of this place .

Thank you for having me

Marcus

[The Wizard]

Marcus:

We don't take kindly to trolls unless they are cab jockies. Not sure how playing videos will help or enlighten our group. To get started as an O/O you first need to put the toys away. You will have time to play bumper cars later. Follow the advise below.

[ckwilson]

Good post Wizard..lol It's good to see your back.