Profile For Adam P.

Thanks so much. I have been trying my hat on the management side of things with small, non cdl fleets working with a localized market. I have been kind of “out of the loop”.

Hi Adam,

Im an o/o operating under my own authority.

I don't know how you haven't heard from everyone in the trucking industry for the past year, but the market has been soft and has been since 2018.

This is not the time to come out here. You can save money right now and plan when the market rebounds, but I doubt it will be anytime soon.

Call insurance companies for quotes on insurance. Insurance rules this industry. I recommend ooida if you have that many years of experience.

Your three major expenses are fuel, insurance, and repairs.

Position yourself to come out when the climate is good for business. And it's definitely not now.

Not at all my friend. Looking for the reality of it all. While the thought of creating and running something that is my own is highly appealing, reality says I have a family, responsibilities at home and to that family to do what’s best for them.

Keep the punches coming!!

Some of the things you give up by becoming an O/O are health insurance. Many O/Os just can't afford it. 401K with company match, and paid time off.

I have a friend who has been driving for over 40 years and has driven everything. He has owned trucks and almost bought a heavy tow company once. He is planning to retire in a couple of years and won't buy a truck. Now he has saved and invested all this time and set himself up for a comfortable retirement. That's much harder to do as an owner operator.

Now if you wanted people to tell you how great it is to own your own truck, you came to the wrong place. We don't pull punches here.

I genuinely appreciate all the feedback. I am interested in all sides of the conversation, not just the one that feeds my want. I don’t necessarily want to start my own trucking business. I was a company man for a long time. Just weighing options. Again ,thank you so much for the feedback! Be safe out there.

Adam, I seriously doubt you want to hear the truth about what you are thinking about...

My advice; think twice. Understand first why the biggest and the best trucking company’s make a 3% profit. In the simplest of terms, if you are a top performing company driver earning 75k annually, with zero business experience; it’s unlikely you’ll be able to pay yourself that and remain solvent. Notice how that was worded; you are no longer an employee, but an employer with only yourself on the payroll.

This topic has been debated to infinity and back. In the end; it’s likely you’ll do what you want and only heed advice from those telling you what you want to hear. No offense, but that’s usually what happens.

Suffice it to say, if your initial bought process were true, most of the experienced drivers in this forum would be Owner Ops,...we’re not. Click on the menu bar in the upper left and look at the blog section. Numerous articles written offering truthful assessments of the path you are considering.

I’m hoping Robert, “The Dragon” will chime-in; he has experience and will shoot straight with you.

Good Luck, Safe Travels.

Hi there!

I have been going back and forth for a few years pondering if it was worth me investing my own time and money as an owner operator. Now I know that the competition is tough out there with all the common carriers (Swift, JB Hunt, Schneider etc...) but I cant help feel as though I could be profitable. I have been driving for 20 years with an impeccable driving record of 0 accidents, 0 tickets. My professional license is as clean as the day I first got my drivers license. That said I do know that there is a huge decline in this industry for skilled drivers. Any advice from O/O’s would be appreciated. I’m not looking to do cross country loads but semi local/ regional work. I’ve hauled everything from flat bed loads to gasoline so I’m versatile and equipped to handle most loads. The start up and initial costs to remain profitable are my concerns obviously. After doing the math I estimate it would cost me around 140,000.00/yr to run and operate. I’ve accounted for maintenance, tires, tolls, insurance and registration fees. Again, looking for any feedback that may be out there.

Many thanks

Adam