Hi guys, I don't post much but I have some questions for any of you experienced CA owner/operators. I'm 26 now and three months away from getting my two years experience doing flatbed hauling steel. I lucked out and scored a local job right off the bat and it's a lax company being family-owned and all but the pay is just not doing it for me. They only pay us $13.50 an hour and the benefits aren't that great. They explained to me and I understood that they don't pay much but they'd get me my experience without having to drive out-of-state. Anyway, it's almost time to move on and start making some better money...

Considering all of the new regulations do you guys feel that it's worth buying my own truck? If so, what's the best way to go about it? It seems as if these newer trucks have tons of problems.

Would it be better to buy a truck and work in a less regulated state? I'd imagine the other states will eventually follow suit, right?

I understand that owning your own truck is a big responsibility and very expensive but if it's actually worth it I'm willing to brave it out. My gut tells me to just find a better company to work for but I do like the idea of being my own boss.

What do you guys think?

 

If you want to become an owner operator you need to have some money put aside for a good down payment and for an emergency fund. I would not recommend buying a truck without money in the bank. I don't know if I would buy a truck right now. The economy is a little sluggish and most economists are projecting a major slowdown in the next few months. If you do decide to buy a truck, you may want to consider something that you could pay cash for or have a low monthly payment. Since you have only driven locally, you might want to find an otr carrier and see how you like life on the road before committing to buying a truck. It is difficult for most owner operators to earn a good living locally. Have you given any consideration as to where you would lease on your truck?

 

Thanks for the reply, GMAN. I haven't considered anywhere yet because I want to get professional opinions before I even bother looking. I'd definitely have to save up for a serious down payment and the emergency repair fund, too. I'm currently looking around for other companies to drive for. Do you know anything about driving up in North Dakota for the oil boom going on? I've heard that a lot of those guys are making really good money.

 

Drivers have been making good money in North Dakota, but it is hard work. It is my understanding that the fracking industry has been cutting back lately due to lower oil prices. I have a friend who has been driving for an oil company in west Texas. The last time I spoke with him he was doing well for himself, but paying out a lot for a place to live. The cost of living in those areas is very high. I would do more checking around if that is something in which you are interested in doing. If you want to stay in California or run in the state, you will need to buy a truck that is CARB compliant. As I recall, that would be a truck that is 2007 or newer unless it has been retrofitted to be compliant. If you relocate or want to run any state but California, it won't be a problem.

 

Right, we're forced to retrofit or buy a newer truck with the particulate filter which could cost 15k to do the work. They're also notorious for problems and failure costing thousands more in repairs and downtime. I would certainly move elsewhere if I were to buy a truck. Perhaps AZ or NV.

 

I have a good friend who bought a newer truck a couple of years ago. It has cost him a fortune and gets worse fuel mileage than his older truck. He just bought a glider kit and should get much better fuel mileage with it. He has been running California, but told me a couple of days ago that he is no longer going to service that state. With all the CARB requirements and cheap freight, he is just tired of fighting it. I used to run California, but stopped several years ago. I make more money with less hassle and wear and tear on my equipment by staying further east. If you want to stay in California, you will need to run a compliant truck. That means something newer that will spend as much time in the shop than on the road. If you move to a different state, you can run something older that doesn't have to meet CARB. If enough owners stopped going to California they might consider changing their policies.

 

I agree with Gman, I've never owned my own truck but I have had my own business. It's not all it's cracked up to be. I used to see a lot of money coming in the door the problem was it went right back out just as fast, sometimes even faster!
If you really want your own truck then by all means go for it. Coming on here shows that your willing to learn, next step should be to go OTR and run the truck as if it was yours. Keep track of miles,MPG, get some insurance estimates figure in a truck payment and maintenance it won't take long for you to see if your" broke or making money".
I say this because many guy's don't research enough and you see them in the truck stop selling their CB or TV or other stuff. don't be like them.