Profile For Michael R.

Michael, what the others have said is sound wisdom.

People like yourself need to understand the similarity of being a company driver to being a small business owner. We are out here running our own show, making serious decisions and making long and short term plans. My thinking is that it’s very similar to owning a franchise.

BK, thanks for this insight, and to all others for the previous comments.

I see this excellent forum as almost like a classroom, where even a stupid idea or question might be considered, on the premise that asking questions is simply a good way to learn and grow. BK I like the insight that it may be possible to hire on with a large carrier that does not force dispatch, and might allow a person in semi-retirement to run lanes and hours that are both acceptable to the carrier and to the driver. Perhaps I could structure this as a 1099 position, and operate (as you so well put it) as a franchisee of sorts. This would shift the risks of dispatch, maintenance, insurance and so many of the liabilities that being as small carrier might present. At the same time, this plan might give me a few years behind the wheel to learn the ropes well, and to develop a strategy going forward in the event that being an owner and doing self-dispatch makes sense. Maybe in this industry it will never make sense to do this, and that might be OK.

As a semi-retirement strategy, what someone like myself might bring to a carrier is good prior business sense, a strong work ethic and willingness to learn both the business side and mechanical side of the business, selflessness, an ego that can take some hard coaching well, and a willingness to focus on customer (shipper/broker) satisfaction, communication etc. In other words, a capacity to learn to be as skilled and capable as so many on this forum.

I just want to add something to what Brett said...

That's not a good plan in my opinion. Your idea of only running a truck about 1,500 miles per week sounds completely unrealistic. I suggest you study this hard and come up with a different approach to retirement.

Thank to all so far with the constructive comments. I want to mention respectfully, that what I am studying is not a "hobby" but a vocation, albeit not running 12,000 miles a month. It may be true that owning and driving my own semi and reefer for half of those miles a month may not pencil out as profitable. I am only trying to do some exploration and due diligence, to see if such a business plan is workable. Most importantly, I mean no disrespect to the many owners and drivers that are running hard to just stay afloat. This industry may be particularly difficult, and I hold no illusions as to how difficult and volatile a business this is. To the extent that any of my comments seem unreasonable, one hope is that others that entertain ideas of being a one truck carrier or O/O might "go to school" on these discussions and not get themselves into debt and trouble. There are a number of second careers that people might consider in retirement, but perhaps being an O/O or small carrier is not one of them. Perhaps the industry is tilting toward blessing the larger carriers and megacarriers with a monopoly on the industry; perhaps that is the industry purge that is going on now...washing out the smaller guys. But, I am still a believer that with the right plan, the right effort, and the right foundations that most business ideas are profitable, and so I'll continue to explore this idea, but very mindful of the sage advice I am getting here.

To understand the current circumstances, you must appreciate the once-in-a-generation events that somehow just keep happening.

• I am loving this forum. There are folks with a masters in Economics that could not have written what Brett wrote.

There is alot to say, but the most important thing right now in my opinion.

Brokers are going broke at a high rate. Those are the ones that have taken hugh risks for the most part.

The good and/or large brokers have been combating very high fraud/theft and are being pickey who they trust. Last I heard they have adopted a widespread standard not to do business with any authority that is less than 18 months.

This is an excellent point, and might foreclose even a new small carrier with a good business plan to struggle, if brokers won't negotiate a BOL with a new carrier with a newer MC. A few business owner small carriers I am familiar with lease on to small or mid-sized carriers in their area, and operate for 70-80 percent of the load and utilize that business' MC number, insurance, etc. That might be the best way forward for someone looking to start out without access to a variety of loads from the loadboards.

I appreciate that what I am proposing is fraught with potential problems. However, with the right plan, I still have the sense that it might be doable, given certain fundamentals in place. Clearly, to get this balloon off the ground, we might need to see rates stabilize in 2024-25 at some point, and hope to see diesel at a reasonable price with a good fuel card in use. There's still going to be a need for the spot market to move freight, and the megacarriers can't move all of it.

I have followed this excellent Forum for a while and have a new question.

I have wanted to start a small carrier as a semi-retirement plan of sorts. I need to earn a supplemental income, but not a massive one as I have raised my kids, no dependents now etc. My thought is to buy into the depressed equipment market, get a decent $35K truck (pre-emission or post-2016 fuel efficient truck) and a used reefer trailer. I plan to run 1500 miles per week reefer/dry van regional. I recognize that insurance will be high, and that fuel is a variable cost that can get expensive at these lower rates these days. I also appreciate that I'll need to have a decent maintenance fund set up as I am using an older truck with 500-700K miles.

Even with lower load board rates, can one make a decent monthly income out here, or will I simply be running a truck for less than I'd make working the deli counter at the Piggly Wiggly?

I've spent over 35 years at a desk job, and have the crazy idea that I'd like to be running a truck in the sunshine (and rain and snow) for my retirement years.

I attended Seminary and obtained my MDIV in 2013. I had a great chaplain when I was a law enforcement officer in Virginia and it sure helped with some of the difficult situations that I always dreaded (sudden death notifications, etc.) Two of my boys are sheriff's deputies here in Virginia. My son Taylor has a quasi-chaplaincy ministry he does in conjunction with his job. His website is www.weaponsofrighteousness.org.

Excellent! Very interesting that you achieved the MDiv...myself, I did more than a few years of grad school when I was younger, and by the time I hit 50, the thought of more academics just did not resonate with me. I have done some grad level education with a Chaplaincy program, but don't plan of being BCC or to achieve the MDiv. I enjoy the academics, and appreciate how chaplaincy brings all of the world religions (and the humanist/secular practices) under one large professional and clinical umbrella.

How all of this interest and avocation relates to trucking might be part of the psych eval you mentioned, Steve For myself, I feel that being behind the wheel as a vocation has an almost meditative side to it. I like the idea of being out on the road, versus being tethered to a phone and a desk where I spent much of my earlier life. I like the idea of some level of social interaction with others, albeit I'm more of an introvert than extrovert, but I enjoy experiencing other people and their life stories. I also like the idea that with trucking, especially in a role with some autonomy, that there is a level of control there, a level of autonomy that is lacking in other aspects of career and life. And, the idea that if I study this business, and set up a model that works for me as a vocation, I can earn reasonable additional income doing something that I will find rewarding, as well.

I am guessing that here are other men and women who might share some of the motivations I've expressed as well, and this is part of why I am grateful to TruckingTruth for this Forum. Thanks as well to Anne A and Tom for the "starter pack!" Very kind of you. I wish all on this Forum a great July 4th weekend.

Grandpa Clark, and BK, thanks for your wonderful comments. I am not sure why my "doe snot" always seems to appear in many posts that I write. I was curious and actually found that it is a common error: https://www.amazon.com/doe-snot-Erich-von-Abele-ebook/dp/B00IQ30R10 . From a trucking standpoint, there is likely many a truck that encountered a road kill that left a bit of doe snot on the radiator grille. BK, from the great city of Madison, WI, I say hello!

Grandpa Clark, I a glad that some of my post resonated with you. I have enjoyed and absorbed all of your comments on this post, and appreciate your years of service in law enforcement. Thank you for that service. I have had a professional career for over 35 years, but a few years ago I have trained as a chaplain and focused on First Responder (Police) Chaplaincy as a volunteer avocation. This avocation seemed a good way to both connect with my new hometown, and to try to give back to the First Responders that give so much to our communities.

In terms of the CDL, once my schedule clears a bit, I'll likely start a registered CDL program in the early, Fall. My goal is to have the CDL and possibly authority by 2023 to either augment my semi-retirement as an O/O, or if that doesn't pencil out, as a .65-75 c a mile driver for a reputable local carrier. Going to work within the transportation industry is such a radical shift from how I have spent the last 35 years, but it's that radical shift that I think I am looking for.

Such an interesting and timely post, Gpa Clark! Perhaps out here in the ether there are more than a few of us over 60 types, with many hours and miles logged behind desks and computer monitors, looking for ways to enhance our retirement years and enhance our cash flow, as well. Like most of us, I have worked most all of my life since I was delivering newspapers on a bicycle as a kid. Retirement, to me, doe snot mean stopping work, but finding a kind of work that is less tedious, less sterile, and more interactive. As an aside, I have always found long driving trips a kind of refuge to long weeks tethered to a desk. And so, naturally, I am researching CDL schools in my area (Madison, WI) and studying the most reasonable ways to enter this business of either regional or OTR truck operations.

I've talked to some peers that have retired, and some a literally doing nothing but being restless and irritating their wives at home. One fellow I know took a job part time working as a guide at a fitness center. Another, after 30 years in academia, works in a coffee shop to make some extra funds over his Social Security and pension from the UW. It seems that post retirement from corporate or professional life suggests part time work in a fairly undemanding position, but this kind of day to day is not for me. The idea of being around transportation and logistics, managing a truck, and interacting with both road and other humans from state to state seems compelling.

My own idea is to start to hire on as a company driver on an ad hoc or part time basis, to see if such a role is obtainable, I'd like to be able to work on a seasonal basis, or ad hoc basis, so as to travel from time to time out of country and to visit family for blocks of time. Perhaps even in the midst of high fuel prices, insanely overpriced used trucks, and low per mile rates on load boards there's a chance to make a reasonable income working as a skilled and wise (age has its advantages : ) ) driver for an Upper Midwest company.

Thanks Trucking Truth, and to Grandpa Clark, for the inspiring forum and OP. It'll be great to see the responses from others here, and I wish all of us the best of luck.