Doing My Own Thing

Pat, I am glad you posted. TBH, you had an advantage most don't as you had freight lined up before you had a truck. I wish I knew were your posts were telling us if your beginning. The weeks spent fixing and setting up your truck. The time running with no income while you waited for age of invoice. Those are the kind of posts he needs to see. Reminding him it is not all rainbows and unicorn farts.

I don't remember where it is either. Only one week prepping the truck. I spent about 3-4 months with only $500 a week in income because of startup costs that had to be paid back along with fuel etc. Out of that $500 a week I had to maintain my truck, oil changes, tires and repairs. One tire can take the entire check. An oil change can take half or better.

Then when you get your own authority expect to be down for a month while paying insurance. It takes 20 days to get your authority but you need to have insurance in place first. At least two months before you see any income. This is because most brokers/shippers pay 30 days out if you are lucky.

So that is a minimum of two months with no income and one month not generating any.

I have one owner running under my authority. We started out with him giving me 15% plus another 5% if using my trailer and I take care of the trailer maintenance.

After two months and looking at the numbers with him, because there is a hired driver in the truck, I dropped the percentage down to 10%. I want him to make money too asnd it was not working out that way for him as the truck owner.

I don't want to drive the little guys out of business. He is looking at what this truck will do and would like to add more. That is good for me. I don't need to make all the money off of one truck. As a matter of fact, more opportunities open up with a larger fleet.

Talked to a guy yesterday that wants me to call him when I get to 10 trucks because they ship 6-8 loads a day and is only 60 miles from the house.

I'm happy things are working out for you Pat. It seemed like it was longer you setting up the truck, lol. I'm glad you corrected me though. Either way it was tough going in the beginning. I must admit your candor is refreshing. You tell it like it is. So many people think that the skies will open and it will rain money with that big shiny rig of their own.

Drive Safe and God Speed

So many people think that the skies will open and it will rain money with that big shiny rig of their own.

One time quite a while back a guy who had just started leasing a truck came here and said, "I'm swimming in a river of money!"

Seriously.

Maybe he's got some scratch that needs laundered.

I've been following this one from the beginning. All I can say is good luck. Let us know truthfully know how it works out for you.