Profile For David D.

My dad about a year ago did the same thing. He is about that age, same amount of time at current career, and married with same priorities in mind. He loooves driving compared to the typical grind of a day job. He has found his schedule seems to be more fluid and he has more freedom. There are small things he does that makes his life seem more normal like he parks at planet fitness gyms for workouts, showers, and relax while he gets a massage. If I get a massage where I park there is a good chance I'm getting arrested for it There are things you can do to truly see the sights, relax and enjoy the career vs just sitting behind the wheel for 14 hours and having back pain. Get out of the truck every couple hours and walk around. Relax and remember to slow down (I need to take my own advice) while also sitting back and think about how your living your childhood dream of driving a big toy while getting paid a decent income. If you ask me the real problem you're going to have is finding the right work style you enjoy combined with the amount of money you expect to make.

How with AB5?

If he has his own authority and can prove he is a true contractor then AB5 can't touch him. As for his question of International I wouldn't touch that truck with a 10` pole! You mentioned the ISX which is a great motor but had a TON of problems from 2012-2015 with emissions (as did most trucks). They have since worked out a bunch of the kinks and have improved tremendously. Guys I know who have 2019-2021 ISX have had very little problems but if its a 2012-2015 or a brand new one I would stay clear of it. Engine is only part of the truck, have you seen if working on them is easy or not? Freightliner, WS, and International are a pain to work on. That said what about dealership networks in your area. Have a good amount of International dealers in your area? kind of a pain to get work done when parts are hard to come by or no one on your area can work on them well. Only good international I have had was a 9400i and it was ugly but a beast. The LT and prostar were gaaaarbage. Always had issues and the quality control of International has declined exponentially in my experience.

David I did what your planning. I was leased onto QC at the time. We had 2 trucks on and they stayed busy.

What I found was the finding and hiring a driver. I interviewed many but none were up to the task. I finally found one, and that was a bigger headache than I wanted to deal with.

Dealing with tankers and haz is much more involved and it takes the right person to do it and do it well. You put on another driver and their actions are on your plate as far as the company is concerned. Remember with employee’s comes another set of bills, IE: Payroll taxes, workers comp ins, unemployment ins, etc. Before you go further I would check with your company and state to get an idea what your going to have to do.

Thats exactly what I was wondering if it was worth it or not. The plan is to have 2 guys I have known for about 5 years now take over the 2 rigs and while I will maintain my own. It will provide a decent amount of income for me while not having to hire guys off the road. Crunching the numbers is easy but I'm wondering if that amount of work is worth the amount of income I have came up with on paper.

I have an 06 KW that was looking to convert it from from spring suspension to airbags. I see a lot of older guys who have been running tanker say its the best thing for comfort but have also heard others say it is a bad idea. Anyone have any input?

I think we are getting off topic here by saying how I should manage business, how the market is, and what the bills entail. I understand how it works, have a plan, and realize what it will take to buy MORE trucks and that not what I'm asking. The question is what is the best way to put her to work and how has anyone else done that in the past? How has using a spouse doing clerical work and logistics benefited people in the past?

In the past did you put down ALL the over the counter medications you took? Tylenol, cough syrups, etc? Its good that you are doing your due diligence to answer truthfully but let's all be realistic...its up to you and the Dr to see if your fit to drive. Dont forget your half of that equation and I believe we are relying on physicians and policy makers WAY to much in decision making for individuals. You do you and keep truckin! Good luck.

If it doesn't make you answer yes to any of the questions on the DOT questionnaire or create health issues while behind the wheel then why the heck would you even tell them?

Read the regulations and decide for yourself and know your companies policies too.

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/personal-conveyance

This is one of the biggest problems with our industry. You have more freedoms than you think.

Sorry for taking so long. Just got back home for the week. Yes the wife is on board. She wants to learn the industry more and help me do things 110% while getting a couple trucks rolling. We just have both a logistical dilemma and a personal dilemma on if she wants to stay home or just go part time. I didn't know how best guys have spouses help them run things. still debating on if its worth it to have her quit a good job or go to part time. I haul haz chem tankers and leased to a company that loves owner operators so its the best situation/place to have multiple trucks. Great paying loads with a decent support system that always points me in the right direction. We have a couple drivers that have multiple drivers under them and do well. It is understood how the market currently is but as all the guys trucking longer than I have been alive say "we don't do this to get rich, we do it because we love it" and I love this. My great grandpa had a small fleet, owned a truck stop with a diner, and a farm and thats exactly what I'm wanting to do (minus the truck stop).

Thats exactly what I'm doing. Looking to see if some more experienced guys than myself think wether it's a good idea, a bad idea, or ways that can help me make this a concrete plan despite how it goes. Different viewpoints are always a good thing even when its a conflicting or unalike viewpoint. Im not much of an internet person but isn't what this platform is for?