Looking At Starting My Own Small Business.
Topic 3067 | Page 1
Welcome aboard Bill!
Well, starting any sort of trucking business is always a daunting prospect. Starting one where you can't do any of the driving is even worse.
Unfortunately we always recommend staying away from buying or leasing trucks because of the lousy economics of the business itself. With profit margins averaging 3%, high capital expenditures, and no way to differentiate yourself from the competition you wind up working for pennies. The ones who "get ahead" if you can call it than in the trucking industry are the ones who can build up enough equipment and contracts to eek out enough pennies to keep fuel in em. It's a commodity-type business where only the lowest price matters and there's no worthwhile profits to be made when it's a constant battle to the bottom on pricing.
I think you'd be much better off going to Owner Operators Independent Drivers Association to look for help and advice on starting a trucking business. We're the guys and gals you come to when you need someone to talk you out of the idea.
Owner Operator:
An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A self-employed driver.
OOIDA:
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
Who They Are
OOIDA is an international trade association representing the interests of independent owner-operators and professional drivers on all issues that affect truckers. The over 150,000 members of OOIDA are men and women in all 50 states and Canada who collectively own and/or operate more than 240,000 individual heavy-duty trucks and small truck fleets.
Their Mission
The mission of OOIDA is to serve owner-operators, small fleets and professional truckers; to work for a business climate where truckers are treated equally and fairly; to promote highway safety and responsibility among all highway users; and to promote a better business climate and efficiency for all truck operators.
Going by your post I assume you can't pass a physical to get a DOT medical card? If that's the case then you can start your own small trucking business but you just will not be able to drive. Even hot shots loads since they will be regulated by dot still require you to have a medical card. You would be labeled as For Hire since you would be hauling freight of some type that belongs to someone else.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
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I have been a driver for many years now and due to medical issues, I might not be able to drive for anyone again. So I am looking into possibly starting my own little business with a smaller truck and trailer or picking up trailers and transport from point A to point B. But I never got into how to get started. Can someone help me by pointing me in the right direction.