Where Do Owners Get Loads?

Topic 33891 | Page 1

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Sean N.'s Comment
member avatar

I am in baby step number one of starting my own trucking company. I am gathering information. I would like to start on my own authority in about three years. I have been driving five years and have a clean record.

My big question is, how do you get loads? I know about Brokers, and load boards, but it seems to me those have to be your fall back options. So how do you get those relationships with shippers where you don’t use brokers or boards.

Every company I have worked for has freight that didn’t come from a broker.

Shipper:

The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
PJ's Comment
member avatar

You have to get out and meet folks and talk to them. Convince them why you are the best choice for them to work with.

I have picked up a couple new clients through word of mouth. Best advertising thete is, is a happy customer.

Dan H.'s Comment
member avatar

If you're on baby step 1, I'm still just a gleam in my daddy's eye!😂

From what I've gathered on my small amount of research is talking directly to a shipper and contracting with them. I enjoyed this YouTube video on the subject.

https://youtu.be/xjgUhS5cffU?si=u8h7VSS8xsNd3W9_

Shipper:

The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.

BK's Comment
member avatar

Sean, I don’t know much about being an O/O and finding loads because I’m a company driver and happy with that.

However, there is another way to do it from what I understand. There are O/O drivers who work exclusively or almost exclusively for an established company and that company gives them their loads. For instance, my company has over 300 company drivers and maybe a dozen independent contractors but the independents only do company loads. I’m not exactly sure what the arrangement is, but these drivers own their trucks and have the company name on them. And they have their own authority. They get loads much like us company drivers get but have much more control over their schedules as to when they work and when they don’t.

I assume this is a common arrangement in the industry, however I don’t know many details of how these arrangements work. Seems like an advantage for an independent owner in that they don’t have to search for loads.

Ryan B.'s Comment
member avatar

Sean, I don’t know much about being an O/O and finding loads because I’m a company driver and happy with that.

However, there is another way to do it from what I understand. There are O/O drivers who work exclusively or almost exclusively for an established company and that company gives them their loads. For instance, my company has over 300 company drivers and maybe a dozen independent contractors but the independents only do company loads. I’m not exactly sure what the arrangement is, but these drivers own their trucks and have the company name on them. And they have their own authority. They get loads much like us company drivers get but have much more control over their schedules as to when they work and when they don’t.

I assume this is a common arrangement in the industry, however I don’t know many details of how these arrangements work. Seems like an advantage for an independent owner in that they don’t have to search for loads.

Known as leasing on with a company. They get access to the company repair shop, but the money comes out of what is like an escrow account. They get access to fuel discounts. Might work differently depending on the individual company, but those are a couple of the basic benefits of leasing on with a company as an O/O.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
PJ's Comment
member avatar

Some of the mega carriers have started letting select owner operators run power only loads for them. The O/O is not leased onto the company. The company pays percentage of the linehaul and what ever else the contract states. Generally from what I know of a couple of them it is no better than leasing onto them or using a broker. They have apps for loads and tracking.

Owner Operator:

An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A self-employed driver.

Linehaul:

Linehaul drivers will normally run loads from terminal to terminal for LTL (Less than Truckload) companies.

LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning them to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
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