Feasability Of Buying A Truck And Hiring Another Driver To Keep The Wheels Rolling - CDL But No Current Experience

Hello all - I have a Class A CDL but have not yet put it to use other than a couple of hundred miles OTR when I first got it in 2019. My DOT physical is current. I am interested to hear from anyone who started off with a CDL and zero experience but started their own company. This is my interest, and I am actively collecting industry data, personal accounts and advice, and business planning recommendations. I am open to any and all opinions and decent comments but ask for facts, not horror stories. While I am new to trucking, I am not new to life and have a good deal of military, manufacturing, and operational experience under my belt. In my draft business plan, I'd like to start with 1 truck and an experienced military veteran driver, working together as a team to keep the wheels rolling 24/7, then fairly quickly but a 2nd truck. I look forward to hearing from anyone who has done anything similar -- Thanks for your support.

Just Truckin on YouTube started his own authority right out of CDL School without any experience. So obviously it can be done successfully. I would recommend checking out his channel.

Never.

I always wanted to buy my own truck and then a fleet, when I did the math 4 years ago a owner opp can make what a decent company driver does with far more headaches. I do not realistically see how someone could afford to have one truck pay someone and break even let alone turn a profit.

Just out of curiosity what's a ballpark investment you where planning?

I would recommend you spend some time driving and getting first-hand experience of the industry before making that kind of capital investment. If your business plan makes sense, it will still make sense in a year or so, but you'll be better informed about how, and whether, to do this.

You don't have the experience that counts the most. You're not interested in hearing it so I won't waste my time telling you.

From what I've seen, nobody likes teaming. They only do it to make money or because they already know their teammate. That means you have to compete with other trucking companies that pay very well for teams and offer benefits.

Possible yes, feasible probably not so much. Being the owner your experience level will be a big factor in your insurance rate. Employee’s records are taken into account secondarily. Your rate will be sky high. Also unless you have your own customer you won’t make enough to cover all the expenses on an employee. I would need to know much more about your 3-5 yr business plan to offer any specific suggestions.

Have you owned and operated a business of any type?

There is also another possibility to growing a successful freight business. I don't know your level of business experience, but this is what I am doing..

Start your own Brokerage Authority and start to let that Bonded Brokerage start to "Season" while you are building your carrier business. When the time comes and you have 2 trucks and a few good customers, when the customer demands exceed your 2 truck operation capabilities, you don't have to turn down any loads, in fact you can handle all of there loads, and you can broker those loads out to reputable carriers. That is how you make real money in the freight business.

The “Shadow” knows...

There is also another possibility to growing a successful freight business. I don't know your level of business experience, but this is what I am doing..

Start your own Brokerage Authority and start to let that Bonded Brokerage start to "Season" while you are building your carrier business. When the time comes and you have 2 trucks and a few good customers, when the customer demands exceed your 2 truck operation capabilities, you don't have to turn down any loads, in fact you can handle all of there loads, and you can broker those loads out to reputable carriers. That is how you make real money in the freight business.

Is that so... how do you know this? From YouTube? Please qualify your advice.

This forum is NOT intended to recommend and mentor new drivers to become O/O’s. In fact we will kick and scream to discourage anyone from taking that path. And for good reason. This is a commodity business, very, very difficult to turn even a modest profit without careful cost control and economies of scale. If it were that easy to make a killing as you described; we’d be way ahead of you.

Please offer your direct experience Shadow... not something you heard, saw or read on the interweb or from another person. Thank you.