I have posted about getting a truck and my own authority before. I want to explain exactly what I am planning on doing. I am either about to jump in and do this or forget it and do something else. Currently I am self employed. I am invested in the stock market. It's a great job but I am not making enough of an income to continue.

OK here it is.

I've drove as a company driver for 10 years. I have been very good with saving and planning. I want to buy a truck, trailer and get my authority. There is a reason for this plan. I feel like I'm semi-retired already. My bills are very low. I don't need a huge income to survive but I do need to pay my bills.

My plan is this. I want to be in charge of what loads I take and where I run. Also I need to be in control of my home time. I have reasons for all of these things. The one single reason I have had a problem with company driving is the home time. Also I have checked with several companies that I can lease on with and the problem is still there. I want a job where I can take off work at will so I can spend time with my family. As truck drivers know most companies don't allow for this. They just don't like giving time off. I don't know of any company I can lease on with and pick and choose my loads/home time. With the exception of Landstar and I don't want a HazMat. They do require you to have one.

I will be paying cash for a truck and trailer. I think I will have enough money left over to cover expenses while waiting to be paid for loads. I know I can go though a load factoring company as well.

Is it possible to buy a truck and trailer and run off of the load boards but still show a profit? There is a few companies here locally I think I can pull for without a broker. I know of at least one for sure.

I only need around $1700 a month for my personal bills here at home. This is just under $21,000 a year net. I've made well over that as a company driver but, I worked almost all 52 weeks of the year.

I want to run mid west, southeast, and maybe some western states. I've checked with insurance and got a quote of $4700 per year for liability on the truck and trailer.

I've figured that if I can at least average $1.20 per mile and run 80,000 a year that will give me $96,000 per year gross. I think I can average 1700 miles a week and still get the home time I want. Can I get at least $25,000 net out of that per year though?

Am I wrong about the math? I'm trying to look this as making very little and having a lot of expenses so I won't be surprised. I need some serious answers. I will be investing around $25,000 cash of my own money into this. I am not looking or thinking about getting a loan. I just don't want to invest this much then find out 3 to 6 months into this that I'm going in the hole. Thanks for all of the responses.

 

You will make very little, if anything $1.20 less about .30 surcharge is .90 with your own authority. WHY???


Most O/O flat bed companies will let you work when you want and take off all you want( you are a contractor, not a employee) and you can average way more than .90 per mile + SC with a lot less expenses

 

Why?, what is it that scares most drivers about having a hazmat endorsement?

Van hazmat loads are few and far between, but usually pay pretty good, besdies, with Landstar, its not forced why take the load if you don't want to.

I've NEVER worked for Landstar, but why would you want to own a trailer, do all the paper work, billing, chasing your money,loads etc, when Landstar does all that and you end up with just about the same money anyway, and still work however you like.

 

Get the Hazmat, lease onto Landstar. Buy your own trailer and take only the loads you want including no Hazmat. It will be hard to average close to $1.20 off the boards, but if you get hooked up with a couple of good agents in the Landstar system you can do very well and run when and where you want. Just don't expect Agents to give you their best loads if you are gonna be a part time O/O, most want someone who is willing to help them out as needed.

I was leased onto Landstar for 4 years, they want every thing done by the book and are serious about it and I hated the way they ran their company, but they are useful for the type of operation you want to run.

 

There are other companies other than Landstar that will allow you to run when you want and don't require hazmat. I have a friend who has been leased to Universal Am Can for about 2 years or so and he has never had hazmat. Universal is an agent based carrier much like Landstar. Jones Motor is another that is agent based and I don't believe they require hazmat. If you check around I am sure that you can find a number of other carriers who are agent based and don't require hazmat.

There is nothing wrong with running your own authority. There is a little more paperwork than leasing. I have known of owner operators who did better leased and others who have done better running their own authority.

 

I have called several companies about leasing on. I live in the Memphis area. Signing on with most of them you will be required to stay out a minimum of at least 14 days. When I start asking about taking time off they don't want to discuss it. They say it's no forced dispatch but I don't choose when I go to work or when I come home. That to me is NOT being your own boss at all. As a company driver I've been home everyweekend. Why would I want to stay out 14days as an O/O?????

I hear all these O/O talking about working when they want and taking time off and being their own boss, even though they are leased on to a company. I would just like to know of the companies. They are not in the Memphis area for sure.

Give me some names of companies where I can tell the dispatch when I will leave and when I will come home. Also will allow me to take off as much time as I want. Besides Landstar I don't know of it.

I don't understand your math either. Why are you saying my "average" of $1.20 a mile would be broken down by taking a "specific" .30 cent a mile for fuel surcharge. Then leaving me with .90 a mile base????????????

I was only using $1.20 a mile as a reference....a worst case situation. I don't need to run 5000 miles a week at $5.00 a mile average. I don't want to run 1 day 1 week and take 11 months off either. I'm just saying I want to be my own boss. I can't get it being an O/O in the Memphis area. At least not like I want it to be.

I was trying to do the math. Most loads I hear of on the load boards pay at least $1.00 a mile. A lot pay even more. If I'm my own boss and pick and choose the loads and home time to me that's being my own boss and what I want. If i'm totally wrong then tell me. I really want the names of companies where I can lease on to and truly be my own boss.

 

I have checked into getting a HazMat in Arkansas. I have to jump through hoops to get it in my mind. Plus it's costly. I had one before 9/11 and I used it maybe 3 times before it expired. I just don't want one. It's my preference. I don't like going to the facilities where you pick up HazMat loads, I don't like pulling them down the road and I don't like the fact that if I have my own truck....It's required.

It has nothing to do with being scared. It has to do with having a choice and being my own boss. As opposed to being told what to do.

 

Thanks for all of the responses. I guess I'm just going to have to get a truck, trailer, my authority and just do it. I know it can't be that hard I see guys around here locally with their antique FLD's pulling rocks and dirt. No company around here "leases on" a rock, dirt or asphalt hauler. All of them own their own trucks and trailers and are required to have their own authority. Also they are home everyday. Most also hire company drivers and work seasonally. If they can do that I think I can get a decent truck and van trailer and do some regional runs. All I need is $25,000 a year net for myself and all the rest can go to the company. I'm not greedy or needy. If I don't make it the worst that can happen is I go back to being a company driver or sign on as a company O/O.

 

I only want to run on days when there are rainbows. Can someone point me towards a company that can meet my needs?

 

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