Company Driver Or Own Truck

My husband and I want to team drive , I want to drive for a company but his friend keeps saying he will buy a truck and we drive for him. What would be more profitable.

If I am reading your post right, your friend will buy a truck for the two of you to drive. Is that correct? If so then you are a company driver, just for a smaller company.

If I am reading your post right, your friend will buy a truck for the two of you to drive. Is that correct? If so then you are a company driver, just for a smaller company.

but i don't see how he could provide health insurance and benefits it just seems a lot riskier to me

It really depends upon a few things. Does your husband's friend have contracts lined up to keep the two of you busy enough to earn a living? What is the business plan and does he realize the amount of working capital needed? How will equipment maintenance and breakdowns be handled? The more I look at owner/operation, especially on a scale as small as this, the more I think the risk outweighs the rewards by a considerable margin. Brett Aquilla, the site owner, notes that the profit margins are razor thin at around 3%.

I would never consider being an owner/operator as the risk is just scary. I'm content to eventually become a company driver. You and your husband might do well to attend a company-sponsored training together and then team up after the mentorship period. Chances seem to look good that the two of you will get, if not brand new, then late model, well equipped tractors. One of the forums members, Trucktographer recently tested out at Swift and they Swift got him a brand new 2015 Kenworth T680. Swift is even flying him to the dealership to pick up the tractor.

Everything Matt said. Don't go there with the friend's idea. No offense, but no way.

-mountain girl

Unless the friend already has a large profitable business in trucking i would avoid that situation like a low bridge.

You definitely do not want to take the opportunity your friend is offering right now. Get at least a year or two in with one of the major companies and learn more about the industry before going with something like that. You mentioned healthcare - that's only one small issue you may face. Getting paid is another. If his funds run dry, so do yours. That's not going to happen with the major companies.

When you're new to the industry it's best to get some time under your belt with the larger carriers first. During that first year or so you should talk around, learn the industry, explore other avenues of opportunity, and most importantly learn your job and how to handle life on the road. Once you understand the industry better and get some experience out there you'll know what type of opportunities suit you well and you'll know how to evaluate them.

Also, go through our truck driver's career guide if you haven't already and follow all of the links you come across. That will help you a ton.

Thanks I really want to drive with a established company anyway