You want to become an owner-operator, huh? Well, there's some very good info in this article so I recommend you read it through and leave me a comment at the bottom - I want to know what you think. Have you lost your mind? Maybe you're just pondering it because you don't understand the trucking industry, or you're looking for a new challenge.

Maybe owning your own business sounds perfect to you. Maybe the romantic idea of cruisin the American highways in your own big, beautiful, shiny rig just sounds so damn cool you can't take it anymore! Well then do it! Get out your wallet.

Give me all your money. No I'm not robbing you!

You've decided that having money isn't important to you anymore so you're going to buy a truck so that you can throw it all away! Well, I need it! So if you're gonna lose it all anyhow you outta just give it to someone who needs it - like me! You say you don't understand what on Earth I'm talking about? Well then you better keep reading. There must be a lot you don't understand. I get questions quite a bit from people about becoming owner-operators, especially ironically enough since the economy has slowed and fuel prices have dropped.

I figured since this guy sounds rather intelligent, opportunistic, and ambitious, I thought I'd share this with you guys. Brett,After reading through your website I see that your primary focus is on new drivers.

However, due to your experience and exposure e. I've been trucking over-the-road this time sincehave nearly 2 million miles behind me as a company driver 3 companiesand I want to get into my own truck.

As you rightfully point out on your website, most of a trucker's world is an isolated one, and that includes even from other drivers.

I got real tired of the filth on the CB very early-on and I spend maximum time in my truck taking college classes, reading and blogging politics.

Thus, I actually know little about the entirety of the trucking industry. Right now the loads are far and few between, but I'm figuring that with the low fuel prices, as well as the relatively low truck prices, this might be a good time to buy a truck. What do you think? Secondly, how do I find a quality broker?

Should I at first stick with a large company to dispatch me? I am currently with note from Brett Aquila: What do you think about buying a truck through a trucking company? What pitfalls should I look out for? Note to readers - you did see that he explicitly asked "what do you think?

I mean, hey, if you're askin my opinion, then I'm tellin it like it is! My friend, I've gotta be honest with you - as I always am with everyone on the site - I know one thing very well about becoming an owner operator - the chances of ever making a nickel doing it are one in a million.

I've never tried it, and I never will. Trucking is a commodity business - the only thing that matters to anyone is price. So the trucking company that can offer the lowest price gets the load. Nothing in business is ever simple. I once took a small business course that was offered by the Small Business Administration and the speaker was a retired gentleman that spent 26 years in upper management at General Electric not General Motors!

He said something that he was dead serious about and wanted it to stay with us throughout our business careers, and it has always stayed with me. He said "If you're going to go into a commodity-type business, remember that there is only one winner - the one who offers the lowest price. Even that person barely wins because their profit margins are always razor-thin and on the edge of breaking even or losing money.

So if you're going to do it, you better be the low-cost provider, because the second lowest cost provider and everyone else behind him goes out of business. Listen, Bruce - you're taking college courses and reading all the time. You sound like me - I taught myself computer programming during my years on the road. Besides truck driving school, I have also graduated from Motorcycle Mechanics Institute as a Harley mechanic, I'm a certified welder, and I've owned a tree service I was the crazy climber!

I love to learn and challenge myself. That's why I've had so many careers! It sounds to me like you want to push forward in life - challenge yourself, make your life better.

There are very, very few people out there like that anymore. Life has been too easy for an entire generation of us now. I'm 37 years old - and the only suffering I have done is self-inflicted. Sports, physical training, bad decisions, and working injuries. To this point there has been no World War in my lifetime. There has been no economic depressions.

I've never gone hungry. And believe me, I was not raised by rich parents. A bookkeeper and a factory worker. Blue-collar all the way baby! Just your ordinary, perfectly wonderful small town upbringing. A dream life for sure. So for my generation and those that have followed, toughness, ambition, and hard work is something we were either born with or taught by our parents. It wasn't burned into us by the hardships of world wars, economic depressions, and moral dilemmas - like the way Vietnam divided the country and spawned the hippie generation who tired of constant war and pain and suffering.

Why be an owner-operator? | Overdrive - Owner Operators Trucking Magazine

For people like us, hardships that test and forge our character and push us to our limits must be self-generated. Rock climbing, scuba diving, skydiving, running, and weight lifting in the physical realm.

Spiritual reading, starting a business, or going to college in the cerebral realm. There are many ways to generate hardship for those of us who are so inclined. Obligate yours for years in the trucking business and lose all of your flexibility in life when you buy that truck. Struggle and suffer through the anxiety of making a huge investment in something that will likely never make you any money over time. Try to be a one-man-band offering the lowest price by beating out the competition from the large companies who are getting volume discounts on fuel, tires, parts, and mechanical work.

Large companies who have services to provide that you can't - like dropped trailers, flexible scheduling when loads suddenly increase or decrease from a shipperand team runs coast to coast in 48 hours. Large companies who have gigantic pools of financing behind them covered calls stock options bond issuance, private equity, public equity stock offeringsand collateral-based financing from the equipment and real estate they own that allow them to operate at a loss for years if need be.

And maybe down the line if trucking doesn't work for you anymore then you could open up your own little department store right between a Wal-Mart and a Dollar Store. Everybody has skills and abilities that make them unique.

Traits that set them apart. Strong points that help them overcome their weak points. Find your strong points and carve out a niche in life that gives you an advantage over most of the competition. Do something that you'll love to do, but make sure that not many people will be willing to work as hard at it or become as good at it as you will. Goodman wave theory forex one website I frequent states www.

Then Eat Their Lunch". I love to compete. I love to push myself to my limits. I love to learn. I love to run my own business. I'm just that type. And from what I know of the trucking industry, becoming an owner-operator is a game that most people lose in a big, big way. But what is winning?

Making a few grand a year after expenses? I don't know - I never tried it.

There are lot of "next steps" you can take in the trucking industry. You can become a trainer. You can work your way up in the offices of a larger company.

You can become a freight broker. You can become an advisor. You can learn computer programming and write software for the industry. You can make money blogging for TruckingTruth I'm serious about that! If you're interested, here's the scoop - Make america stock td trade blogging for TruckingTruth - let me know.

But becoming an owner operator has been a mission of financial suicide for the vast majority that have gone that route.

How to Become an Owner & Operater of a Dumptruck | unyyozeqy.web.fc2.com

Look at it from the shipper's standpoint - what advantages will you offer that they should use you instead of the companies they've been using for years? Will leasing on to them give me an advantage? Well, it will surely be better than staying independent and trying to find your own freight and discounts on products and services. But if owning a truck is so profitable, then why do so many companies allow owner-operators in their fleets? Anytime someone offers me an opportunity to get into business with them doing what they are doing - like becoming an owner-operator and leasing on with them, or raising Alpacas, or starting my own home-based business - I always ask myself the same question - if being in that business is so profitable, then why don't you just scale it larger yourself?

Why do you want me to do what you're already making so much money doing? It doesn't make any sense! I'll give you an example. Krispy Kreme used to be a bigshot. Their donuts are delicious for sure. I forex cent account paypal, my God!

I used to own their stock and did quite well with it for a while. Krispy Kreme was a company that offered franchise opportunities - anyone could start one. But you had to use the company's recipies and buy your equipment from them also. Well, Krispy Kreme has since collapsed. Because it turns out that owning a donut shop is not really very profitable. What was profitable was selling the licensing rights, food, and equipment to the franchisees!

The vast majority of the money that the company itself made ihforex israel not from selling donuts maaaaaaaaan those glazed donuts were insane!!! Well, owning a franchise became more and more expensive because the company had to continue to grow their profits to satisfy Wall Street. On top of that, the market became saturated forex credit card deposit a huge number of franchises were opened and they began selling donuts to every gas station, convenient store, grocery store, and restaurant that wanted them.

Eventually, the business model collapsed. If owning a truck was so profitable, companies wouldn't want other people owning their own trucks. If raising Alpacas was so profitable, people raising them wouldn't want other people raising them. They would sbi nri forex rates raise more themselves! There are a million business opportunities out there, and all of them offer fierce competition and endless challenges.

But owning a truck is nearly a financial suicide mission. Licensing, fuel, permits, breakdowns, insurance - blah!!!! You just kick back, enjoy the ride, and make a killer living viewing the sites across North America in your company's dream machine. And if you get tired of trucking - quit. A company driver can always just quit and return later at anytime - I did it a thousand times over the years. Drive for 6 months, quit that job, party for two months, run out of money, go back to truckin.

There are advantages to those of us who have never been married and have no children! But if you buy a truck - maaaaaaaaan are you in it up to your eyebrows now! But if I can't change your mind, then my best guess would be to talk to one of the larger owner-operator companies like Landstar. Actually, first talk to their drivers. Get the real scoop on life as an owner-operator.

And don't be shy how to become a owner operator and make money telling these guys to be straight up with you. You're not there to hear any fairy tales, stocks trading at a 52 week low there to get the truth about owning a rig. Forex market trading software free download indian to a bunch expert4x forex drivers, not just one or two.

See what they say. Then, when you've heard a million opinions on becoming an owner operatoryou've discussed all the strategies, and you're certain you've gathered all the information that is most critical to becoming an owner-operator, don't just walk cattle markets north wales from the whole thing - RUN! Run for your financial life! For the love of God, jquery mobile dynamically add option to select, get outta there while you can!

Hey Bruce, I sure hope I've made myself clear. Sometimes I'm not real good at expressing my opinions. Well, there you have it folks. So if you're going to get into the owner-operator business, then get out your wallet. Do not skip this important step in your career! I need your money! The customer who is shipping the freight.

This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee. An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver as required by the DOT.

It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate. Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not. Our most popular blog! If you've ever wondered about a career in truck driving and whether or not it's for you, this is the place to start!

What comes after the first year of truck driving? You have a lot of new options open, including leasing a truck or becoming an owner operator. I signed the lease agreement with my company and for the first time I head out onto the highway in my leased tractor trailer. Now the adventure begins. Recruiters in the trucking industry are a valuable resource, but drivers make one big mistake when speaking with recruiters.

Here's what it is I've watched countless truck driving careers ruined before they ever got off the ground. Here's the story of how it happens and what you can do to avoid it. Learning to back up a rig is clumsy at best. Nothing about it is easy. Having fun with it helps make learning easier, but prepare to embarrass yourself! Company-sponsored CDL training versus private CDL training is one of the first big career decisions you'll make. Here's a quick rundown of the differences. At TruckingTruth we're always telling you that you control your own destiny in trucking.

Well a big part of that is getting the right people on your side. Truckers face a litany of challenges on the road every day and new drivers often learn about them the hard way. Here's a few of the big ones you'll see. We've all pondered becoming a truck driver at some point in our lives. But what is it really like? Would it suit me? Here's a great introduction to truck driving.

TruckingTruth was founded by Brett Aquila that's me! After 15 years on the road I wanted to help people understand the trucking industry and everything that came with the career and lifestyle of an over the road trucker.

We'll help you make the right choices and prepare for a great start to your trucking career. Becoming A Truck Driver is a dream we've all pondered at some point in our lives. We've all wondered if the adventure and challenges of life on the open road would suit us better than the ordinary day to day lives we've always known.

At TruckingTruth we'll help you decide if trucking is right for you and help you get your career off to a great start. Members Training Program Trucking Jobs Trucker's Forum Free School Info Photo Gallery TT Tracker Why Register? TruckingTruth is hiring a business development specialist! TruckingTruth's Blog - Over Articles Sorted By: Adrian "Old Wolf" Nunenkamp 7 Ahmalia 1 Allan Burden 1 Angelique 3 Becky Prestwich 11 BlueHillsTrucker 6 Brett Aquila 59 Brian Laine 3 Carl Smith 2 Cathy Rubens 1 Corporal Clegg 2 Dave 1 Dave Ashelman 6 Driver Solutions 3 Farmer Bob 13 Guyjax 2 JakeCat22 14 Karen 10 Low Plains Drifter 3 Lucky13 2 Murray 2 Old School 4 Pappy 14 Patrick Netzel 7 Peter Jr 7 Philosopher Paul 7 Ranting Warrior 3 Rhonda 56 Rhonda Johnsen 32 Rick Huffman 12 Scott.

P 5 SharBear 2 Steve Rubens 1 Tanya Bons 8 TaoTrucker 2 TawnyScrawnyLion 1 TruckerMike 81 TruckersWife09 6 Tumbleweed 10 Wagonwheel 1. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners. Drive-A-Check Report A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver as required by the DOT.

Hours Of Service HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations. So You're Thinking About Becoming A Truck Driver? Made It Through Your First Year As A Driver?

My First Time Leasing A Truck - The Adventure Begins by Corporal Clegg I signed the lease agreement with my company and for the first time I head out onto the highway in my leased tractor trailer.

The Biggest Mistake New Drivers Make When Speaking With Recruiters by Brett Aquila Recruiters in the trucking industry are a valuable resource, but drivers make one big mistake when speaking with recruiters. The Story Of Why So Many Rookie Drivers Fail And How To Avoid It by Brett Aquila I've watched countless truck driving careers ruined before they ever got off the ground.

The Backing Range At Trucking Driving School - It's Like Clown Soup For The Soul by Brett Aquila Learning to back up a rig is clumsy at best. Private Schooling Versus Company-Sponsored: The Basic Differences by Brett Aquila Company-sponsored CDL training versus private CDL training is one of the first big career decisions you'll make.

You Won't Get Anywhere In Trucking If You Can't Get Along With Your Support Personnel by Brett Aquila At TruckingTruth we're always telling you that you control your own destiny in trucking.

Over The Road Challenges by Becky Prestwich Truckers face a litany of challenges on the road every day and new drivers often learn about them the hard way. How Do I Know If Truck Driving Is For Me? We have an awesome set of tools that will help you understand the trucking industry and prepare for a great start to your trucking career. Sign up now and get instant access to our member's section:.

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