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Owner Operator 411

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26 February 2011

Blogs, Forums, and Other Resources

See my other posts:

Texting Ban
The Way it Was - A Short History of Trucking
Pro and Cons of Being an Owner Operator
FAQ for the Owner Operator
Pictures
Anti-Idling Regulations
Definitions and Industry Terms
Interactive Cost per Mile (CPM) Calculator Spreadsheet
Privacy Policy
 
1) Owner Operator 411 – Welcome
2) Income and Expenses
3) Financing and Credit
4) Operating Authority or Leasing?
5) Equipment
6) How To Do Bookkeeping and Other Necessary Paperwork
7) What You Need to Know About Loadboards
8) Companies That Lease Beginning Owner Operators
9) What You Actually Need to Get Started - Licenses, Permits, Insurance, and Taxes
10) Truck Driving Schools



 


Below is a list of some blogs, forums, and other resources. Reading what others have to say about their experiences is a good way of trying to discern if the life as an owner operator is for you.
Some of these are written by current truck drivers, so you can get another point of view besides mine.








Please report any broken links. 


Posted by Road King at 1:12 PM 16 comments
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26 January 2010

TEXTING BAN

FEDS BAN TEXT MESSAGING


The U. S. Department of Transportation has banned text messaging by drivers of commercial vehicles such as large trucks and buses.
Truck and bus drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.

This includes just holding a phone while driving.



Posted by Road King at 2:38 PM 5 comments

12 January 2010

The Way It Was: A Short History of Trucking











 
1970 Ford


The Last 50 Years



See my other posts:

Blogs, Forums and Other Resources
Texting Ban
Pro and Cons of Being an Owner Operator
FAQ for the Owner Operator
Pictures
Anti-Idling Regulations
Definitions and Industry Terms
Interactive Cost per Mile (CPM) Calculator Spreadsheet
Privacy PolicyOwner 
 
1) Owner Operator 411 – Welcome
2) Income and Expenses
3) Financing and Credit
4) Operating Authority or Leasing?
5) Equipment
6) How To Do Bookkeeping and Other Necessary Paperwork
7) What You Need to Know About Loadboards
8) Companies That Lease Beginning Owner Operators
9) What You Actually Need to Get Started - Licenses, Permits, Insurance, and Taxes
10) Truck Driving Schools




When I bought my first truck and became an owner operator in 1972, I had already been driving a truck for 5 years.  Most of my experience up to that point was local, so when I took my first load in my own truck and over-the-road at that, it was quite an adventure!

 I was so excited that when I got home at about 2:00 in the morning, I relived every mile with my wife, who was also excited and had waited up for me so she could hear all about my trip.

 Speaking of my wife, let me say that without her support, I would not have been able to be an owner operator.  So many people get a job driving over-the-road (OTR), or buy a truck and become an owner operator, and then have to give it up because they do not have the support of their families.

 The support of a spouse (husband or wife, boyfriend/girlfriend), can mean the difference between success or failure.  A person will have a very difficult time being on the road if their better half is always complaining about them not being home, not being there for all the "special days" (birthdays, anniversaries, school events), and not being available to fix things, or know what to do when the furnace goes out, the car has a flat, or the roof starts leaking.

 My wife and I discussed, in depth, the financial side of buying a truck and going on the road, but we hardly thought about the social and emotional side.  Luckily, she was able to make a decision without consulting me, could change a tire or spark plugs, replace a broken window, fix a furnace, and a hundred other things.

 She always keeps the yard mowed, and does a lot of little "fixer-uppers", so that when I come home, I can rest and enjoy my family, or do maintenance on the truck, and not have to spend doing odd jobs around the house.  Believe me -- that helped me enormously, alleviated a lot of tension, and enabled me to keep doing my job as a truck driver.

 Speaking of truck maintenance, my wife also helped me work on the truck whenever I needed her and usually even when I didn't.  This made us closer together and I could finish the repairs faster so that I could spend more quality time with her and the kids.

 Not only could she do the simple things like checking the air in the tires, replacing light bulbs, and handing me tools, she could change the oil and filters and grease the truck, too.  She already knew some simple mechanics when we got married and that made it easier for her to learn.

 There came a time when I had to rebuild my engine, and she was right there beside me all the way.  Now that may not sound so hard, but we were broke, broke, broke, and we had to do the work ourselves or go out of business.  The problem was, we were having a near blizzard and we didn't have a garage.

 We had a cabover and we built a tent and worked under that.  There was a nearly 25 mile an hour wind which was blowing snow in the cracks of our tent, and it was COLD  - minus 15 degrees.  She worked with me the whole time until we got the truck back on the road.

 Eventually she got to the point where she could do almost everything I could do.  I am very picky about who works on any of my equipment, even a lawnmower and I don't trust very many people.  Once she learned how to do something, I trusted her work completely.  If she wasn't sure of something, she asked me, so I would know that she wasn't doing something wrong and letting me think it had been done right.

 I know that this isn't for everyone, but it works for us.
When a member of the family is hardly ever home, and leaves the other one to take care of everything, it can (and often does) tear a family apart.

 When I started driving, we did not have cell phones or other means of communication, so I would have to call on a pay phone, and that was very expensive, so I would usually call only once a week.  In the meantime, all kinds of things were happening at home which my wife had to deal with by herself:  car breakdowns, sick and injured children, appliances that quit working, everyday things such as school activities, bills, and running a house without any help.  As she was unable to reach me, she had to make decisions on her own and handle these crises on her own.

 I was fortunate that she is able to handle all of this by herself, and never blames me for not being there.  She understands that the nature of being an OTR truck driver demanded that kind of lifestyle.

 One thing that helped us was the fact that I could take my family with me.  My wife was able to see what it was like to be on the road: the hassles of traffic, the problems of not getting enough rest, the difficulty of finding a backhaul, the boredom of waiting to get loaded/unloaded, and so on.  By her being able to understand, it made it easier for her to cope.  She could already drive a standard (we even had a car once which had to be double clutched), so it was easy to teach her to drive and that helped her understanding even more.

 We were also able to occasionally take the kids with us (even as babies), so we were able to be a family together, even when on the road.  This also helped the kids to understand what Daddy did.  We did not do this very often, as it was hard for all of to sleep in a 24 inch wide bunk.

 On a couple of occasions when the kids got older, we would take a load near an amusement park or other point of interest, stop for a day after we delivered our load and have a "working vacation".

 It is much more difficult to do any of that today, mostly due to insurance regulations regarding passengers, even when you both own your own truck.  It is, however, easier to stay in touch with cell phones and email, and this can help.

 I already wrote about finding freight (see "Load Boards") way back then, now I will write a little about "truck stops".

 When people first started driving trucks in the 19 teens, there were no truck stops.  Most deliveries were local.  The roads were in very bad shape or there weren't any at all, so there were no OTR deliveries.

 Eventually roads and equipment improved and shippers started shipping farther and farther away.  When a driver got hungry, he would stop at a small Mom and Pop diner. Service stations usually did not sell diesel.  In the 1940's, some small diners who had a large area around them put in diesel fuel pumps.  These were the first "truck stops".

 Not much changed between then and the mid 1960's.  As the interstate highway system grew, so did places that catered to trucks.  Oil companies started building truck stop chains, such as Truckstops of America (TA) (now Travel Centers of America), eventually taking business away from the diners.  My biggest complaint today is that so many so-called truck stops have taken out their restaurants and let a franchise fast food place like McDonalds or Wendy's take over.

 Now most truck stops also cater to RV and four-wheelers (hence the name change from Truckstops of America to Travel Centers of America). There are still a few true truck stops today, mainly Iowa 80, the largest truck stop in the world, and some small Mom and Pops (these are usually the best).

 Where once about the only thing you get at a truck stop was food and fuel, now you can buy almost anything from safety pins to truck parts and repairs.  In addition to fuel, most have added certified scales, so you can weigh your loads.

 Amenities have also been added such as showers, truck washes, game rooms, movie theaters, gyms, doctors, and barbers, and I know of one that even has a do-it-yourself pet wash.

 I remember the first time I saw a shower in a truck stop.  It was in Pennsylvania in the late 70's at a truck stop (diner, fuel) that I stopped at often.  The public (four wheelers) would enter the diner directly, but as trucks parked behind the diner, drivers would enter through a large room behind the kitchen used for storage. As I entered this large room one day, I saw a shower curtain suspended from pipes hanging from the ceiling and forming a square.  On the floor, cinder blocks one row high formed a square under the shower curtain.  There was no cubicle, or any privacy other than the shower curtain.  This was the first truck stop shower I had ever seen.  I was so excited about it, that I managed to get a load up that way a couple of weeks later and took my wife so I could show it to her!

 Trucks were also much different than those of today.  Most of them had small engines (about 350 horsepower).  Of course the standard trailer was only 35 feet long, gradually increasing to 45' (70's), 48' (80's) and today's 53' trailers, and width from 8' to 8.5', so the need for larger hp was not so great in the early days.  Still, I remember hauling full loads up a mountain on a two lane road and only being able to go about 20 miles per hour.  One could almost walk faster than the truck could pull those heavy loads up those winding hills.

 Traffic would be backed up for a long ways behind you.  Drivers of cars knew that if a truck pulled as far to the right as possible and turned on their left turn signal, you were telling them it was clear for them to pass.  You gave this signal because the driver of the car could not see around you and had to rely on you and pass on faith, otherwise they could be struck behind you for 20 minutes going up a mountain.

 Cars and trucks alike would flash their headlights to signal that they were going to pass.

 Some light signals are carried over today, such as flashing your headlights after a truck has passed to let him know it is safe (he has enough room) to pull back into your lane, and to flash your tail or maker lights to say, "Thank you" after someone has given you the "all clear" signal.  Unfortunately, this consideration for the other driver is dying out even with truck drivers.

 Trucks started out with hoods, but in the 70's, cabovers (COE - cab over engine) became the standard.  These were very square shaped and flat on the front.  They most certainly were not aerodynamic but they shortened the tractor wheelbase.  This was necessitated by length laws.  A shorter truck meant you could pull a longer trailer.  After the laws were changed allowing longer combinations, the "long nose", or "large car" started becoming popular again.  Today these trucks are becoming more rounded and streamlined to help with fuel economy.  One of the first aerodynamic trucks was built by Kenworth.  As it hood was rounded and sloped downward, it was nicknamed the "Anteater".

 Speaking of fuel economy, within months after I bought my first truck, the first "great oil embargo" hit.  It was almost impossible to buy gas or fuel.  When one did find fuel, he was usually restricted to 50 gallons in a truck that got about 4 miles to the gallon.  Hundreds of trucks were stranded all over the U.S. and unable to deliver their loads or to get back home.

 To make matters worse, unlike today, you could not look on the internet to find the next fuel stop or to check to see if a truck stop had fuel.  All you could do was to drive and hope that when (or if) you got to a truck stop you could get some fuel.

 It was about this time that roads and equipment improved enough that shippers realized they could ship more payload without paying more in freight rates.  With a "perfect storm" of higher fuel prices, the need to cut costs, deregulation, and increased weight limits, the next decade saw changes that affected the trucking industry -- and especially the owner operator -- forever.

 Shippers and others keep lobbying to allow longer and heavier trucks.  If you get paid by the mile, and the shipper can move 100,000 pounds for the same cost to them as 80,000 pounds, they gain, but the poor owner operator loses.  It is his equipment that is suffering the wear and tear and using more fuel, but hey! they are just dumb owner operators, so let them bear the burden of cost as long as the shipper can increase their profit.

 As mentioned earlier, trailers became larger and then double and triple trailers were allowed on certain roads, while at the same time deregulation allowed rates to be cut.  Now owner operators could haul about 10,000 pounds more of freight for less pay than ever before.  It has been down hill ever since then.

 Sorry, I kind of got off track.  I was talking about trucks, not trucking; so back to the subject.

 Many cabovers did not have a sleeper and those that did just had a small bed, usually about 24" wide; no shelves, cabinets or any other storage space. Many drivers had a board that they laid between the cab seats and that became their bed.

 Cabovers had the engine under the cab, so that the engine actually came up into the cab between the seats.  This was of course covered and insulated, but there was no room between the seats.  This space was called a dog house.  When my wife would go with me, that is where she would usually sleep, so that I could enjoy the full comfort of the bunk.

 Few trucks of this time had air conditioning, and heaters were not very effective.  I used to carry a small portable propane heater to heat the cab and sometimes it would get so cold inside (while driving), I would have to scrape ice off of the inside of the windshield so I could see.

 As I said before, early truck stops catered to truck drivers.  Everyone used to say if you wanted good food, stop where the truckers stopped, because they knew all of the good places to eat.  This wasn't necessarily true - truck drivers stopped where there was food, fuel and room to park, just as we do today.  Most of these places had true home cooked meals, just like Mom, but we all know all Moms are not good cooks -- ha, ha.  Most of them had good food though.

 In the 60's truck stops started adding "driver's only sections".  The general public wasn't allowed to eat in these sections.  Supposedly if you were in the driver section, you were served quicker than if you were in the general restaurant, and most of the time, that was true.

 Almost every table in the driver section had a telephone installed in the booth, so that drivers could call their dispatchers or home while eating (remember, there weren't any cell phones yet).

 Once my wife and I got a baby sitter and she went with me to help.  At that time I was pulling a flatbed, and she would help me tarp, un-tarp and put on and take off the side kit.  She could do all of this by herself, but it was always easier when two people were doing it.

 Anyway, we stopped to eat and went in the driver's section and sat down.  The waitress came over and told us that we weren't allowed to be in that section, as it was for driver's only.  My wife had to show her chauffeur's license (pre-CDL days), before we were allowed to stay.  That shows you how few women drove back in those days.

 In the 60's and early 70's CB radios became popular with the general public, mainly due to movies and TV shows about trucks and trucking.  I don't know why all of sudden this became a popular subject (maybe people were getting tired of all the westerns being made at the time).

 There were numerous movies, such as "White Line Fever", "Convoy", "Black Dog", "Breaker, Breaker", "High Ballin", and of course the most famous, "Smokey and the Bandit".  On TV the popular shows were "B.J. and the Bear" and "Movin' On".  Most of these had very little to do with the reality of actually driving a truck, but they did make for some good entertainment.  Probably the most realistic movie was "F.I.S.T." about Jimmy Hoffa starting the Teamsters.

 There was a movie called "They Drive by Night" from 1940.  The storyline was lame, but it is interesting to watch just to see the old trucks and the way truck drivers dressed.  Of course, there were no owner operators back then - they were all company drivers, and most wore uniforms and "trucker hats", more of a chauffeurs hat than a ball cap.

Truck drivers used to be called "Knights of the Road".  If a car had a breakdown, they could almost always depend on a truck driver stopping to render aid. I'm not saying that there weren't any bad truck drivers, but for the most part, they were trusted and for a good reason.  They were helpful, polite, and dependable.

 I'm not sure why that has changed, but I think deregulation had a lot to do with it.  Way back when, truck drivers usually started driving in their teens or early twenties.  It was usually a family tradition, and it was something to be proud of.  After deregulation, so many people started driving, without the history of being a good Samaritan.

 Schedules became tighter, and so many drivers were just out to make a buck, without any consideration for others, even their fellow drivers.  It became more dangerous to stop and help someone.  Hijacking were frequent and one never knew if they stopped to help someone in distress if they were going to be robbed themselves or have their truck stolen.

 Sad to say that today truck drivers are often vilified, sometimes with good reason -- they no longer have any courtesy on the road.  Their lack of professional driving habits makes people hate "big trucks which are trying to kill me."
Before debit cards, fuel cards and other electronic innovations, a driver had to carry all of the money he would need while on a trip.  Companies gave "advances", a portion of the pay to use to buy fuel, food and other things.  If a person would be going from coast-to-coast, it wouldn't be unusual for him to be carrying $3,000 or $4,000 cash.  Sometimes this led to robberies, and even murders, but it was rare.
Log books have been around forever, but if a person was creative, they could get work as much as they wanted.  I knew guys who would drive so many miles, they would run three sets of logs at a time.  The carriers knew that no one could possibly move as much freight as these drivers did legally, but as long as the logs they turned in looked good, the carriers just looked the other way.  The more goods that were delivered, the more money everyone made.

 Today, that is becoming impossible.  Logs are checked against receipts for fuel and tolls.  ELDs (Electronic Logging Device) and satellite tracking is making it harder to cheat on logs.  New hours-of-service rules which will curtailed how much a person can drive didn't help the owner operator.  But are rates going up to compensate for this???  NO WAY!!

 Truck driving used to enjoyable.  Although some things, such as better and more comfortable equipment, is beneficial, the extra costs, and the added regulations, and low pay, more traffic, and lousy drivers (both trucks and four wheelers) hardly makes it worthwhile.



 I will be adding to this post later, so check back, or better yet, subscribe.
Posted by Road King at 5:10 PM 12 comments
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23 June 2009

Pros and Cons of Being an Owner Operator



The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Pros:
You are not tied down to a 9-5 job.
You can make a lot of your own decisions.
You can make a decent living.
You get to "be your own boss".


You get to see a lot of this beautiful ol' USA (and maybe Canada and Mexico).


Cons:
You are not working a 9-5 job.  You may put in 20 hours days.  You will go without sleep, food, and showers.  You will do a lot of sitting and waiting.  Waiting to get a load, waiting to get loaded, and waiting to get unloaded.
You will be gone from home - a lot.
You must make a lot of your own decisions:  Do I buy tires, or have the engine rebuilt?  Do I take this cheap a** load so I can get home, or do I sit out here in the boonies for 3 days waiting on a decent paying load?  If I wait on a decent paying load, how much am I going to lose by not working for 3 days?
You can make a decent living, if you work your butt off, but it is getting harder and harder to do.  Every day freight rates are cut and you are forced to haul for less money.  Rates are no higher than they were 20 years ago, and in many instances, they are lower.  Most of the money you make will go back into the truck.
You get to "be your own boss", with all the decisions, troubles, and headaches that come with being a business owner.
I would like for any current truck drivers who may be reading this to add to this list by making a comment.


Posted by Road King at 1:03 AM 53 comments
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15 May 2009

10) Truck Driving Schools

Truck Driving Schools


A reader posted a comment about truck driving schools on "Pros and Cons of Being an Owner Operator", so I decided to write a little something about them.
I hadn't written anything before because I really don't know a lot about them.
When I started driving a truck, all you had to do was go to the DMV and tell them you wanted a chauffeurs license.  If you already had a regular (car) license, that was all there was to it - no written test, no road test, no nothing - just pay your money and you were now a "professional driver"!
Most people learned to drive a truck by going with a friend or relative who drove a truck.  It was a lot like your parents or someone teaching you to drive a car.
Then along came CDL's and everything changed.  Now you have to have a physical before you can even apply.  You have to take a written test.  You have to pay for and take extra written tests if you want to be licensed to pull tankers, or doubles/triples.  If you want to haul hazardous materials, you have to jump through a dozen hoops - and pay even more.  And of course, there is the "skills" (road/driving) test.
When CDL's were first introduced, the "truck driving school" became real popular.  I am sure there are good ones as well as bad ones, but they all cost you a pretty penny.
Do you have to go to a truck driving school to get a CDL?  No.  If by some method you learned to drive a truck and can pass the written tests and skills test, then you don't need to pay someone to get your license.
  
Then why go to a truck driving school?  Well, how are you going to learn how to drive a truck.  Maybe in the military.  You can get a learner's permit and go with a CDL holder and learn to drive sort of like the old fashioned way.  As for the written tests, all you need to do is get the study book from your DMV, study it well and you should be able to pass your written test without a problem.
The problem is mainly insurance.  If your friend is willing to teach you to drive, you probably won't be covered by their insurance, so they may not want you driving in case an accident should happen.  If your friend has his truck leased to a company, then it becomes even more difficult.  Most companies won't even allow passengers, and if they do, they almost certainly won't allow that passenger to be learning to drive.
From what I have heard and read, in addition to providing you with a truck to practice with, and helping you study, they also teach you things like how to fill out a log book.
Remember when you learned to drive a car and got your first driver's license?  Have your driving skills improved since then?  (I hope so!)  Well, it will be the same when you go to a truck driving school.  You may get your CDL, but there is still a lot to learn.
The main advantage of going to a truck driving school is having a truck to practice with and take your skills test with.
Even if you already know how to drive, it may be difficult to obtain a truck for your skills test.  As I wrote in another post, in some states you can rent a truck (so I've been told), to use to take your skills test, but that may not possible in all states.
Also, if you are not listed on the truck insurance policy, then you may not even be allowed to use a borrowed truck.  I tried to let a friend take his test with my truck and even though I drove him to the test site, he wasn't allowed to use my truck because he wasn't on my insurance.
So beware, if you are thinking of going to a truck driving school.  Find out exactly what they will teach you, and how much time you will get in the truck, actually driving.  Make sure that when you finish you will actually have a CDL.  Try to find someone who has gone to the one you are thinking of going to and see what they think about it.
Like most things, truck driving schools can be beneficial, if you choose the right one.


Posted by Road King at 2:50 AM 4 comments
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05 May 2009

9) What You Actually Need to Get Started


 
1973 White Road Commander

 Becoming An Owner Operator

9) What You Actually Need to Get Started


OK. You have done all of your research, and decided you really do want to become an owner operator.
Hopefully, you have:
  • Read this entire blog
  • Talked with other owner operators, especially at the company you want to lease on to.
  • Run a "What If" with the Interactive Cost Per Mile Calculator and found you really could make a profit.  Not just a profit, but enough income to pay all of your expenses and to have enough to live on, too.  (Don't forget, you also need to save enough to cover repairs or a major breakdown and enough to live on while you are getting the work done.)
  • Made a business plan.
  • Gotten your family to support you.  You would be surprised how many people quit driving a truck because their family doesn't like for them to be away from home.
  • Decided what kind of entity you want to have.
  • Decided what you will be hauling so you can spec your equipment properly?
    Have you found a truck?  Do you need a trailer too?  If you are leasing to a company, many of them have requirements as to how old of truck they will lease.  Be sure to check it out before you buy.
  • Made sure your equipment will pass a DOT, state and company inspection.
  • Talked with a loan officer at the bank, credit union, or loan company that will financing your equipment to see what information they require, and to see if you can even get financing for your equipment?
  • Figured out how you are going to get your Commercial Driver's License (CDL).  Will you be going to a truck driving school?  If not, do you know how you are going to take a road test?
  • Found an accountant or tax professional and got a list of what you need to keep track of before you start buying equipment.
  • Check out Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) for vast amounts of information.  As before, I recommend that if you do become an owner operator, that you join OOIDA (non owner operators can join, too).
I would advise you to get your CDL first.  If you can't pass your tests, it would be a shame if you had already bought a truck and/or trailer.  Then you would be stuck with having to try to sell them.
You do not have to go to a school to get a CDL.
You do have to take both a written test and a (skills) road test. If you can pass both, then you will be issued a license.
You may be able to rent a truck (tractor only) in which to take your road test.

Also, we tried to loan our truck to a friend to take his test in, and examiner giving the test wouldn't let him use our truck because he wasn't listed on our insurance. Don't forget, you have to take your road test in the "type of vehicle" you will be operating. In other words, you have to have a "Class A" type vehicle to get a Class A license.
In my state you must 'supply your own vehicle" and pay the road test examiner $75.00.
Also (any state) before you can even apply for a permit, you must have a long form DOT physical.  Cost depends on the doctor.
Don't forget, if you are applying for your own authority, you have to have a drug and alcohol program in place.  You will be required to have pre-employment  drug testing before you begin to operate your truck.  If you are leasing your truck to a company, they will probably handle the drug and alcohol testing.
After you decide what type of entity you will become (sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, corporation, etc.) you may have to get an Employer's Identification Number (EIN), also called a Federal Employer's Identification Number (FEIN).  It's FREE! and will be issued immediately if you apply online. If you will be a sole proprietor, your EIN will be your social security number, unless you will be hiring employees (including family members), then you will need an EIN.  All others will have to file a IRS Form SS4, or file online at Employer ID Number (EIN).  See: 6) How to Do Bookkeeping and Other Necessary Paperwork Permits and Taxes for more information about sole proprietorships, partnerships, spousal partnerships, employees,and more.
After you get your federal EIN, you will have to apply for a business license with your home state.  (If you are going to be a sole proprietor, you will apply using your social security number, unless you will have employees - then you need an EIN.)  You may also have to apply for a business license with your county (parish), and/or city.  If you are going to be a LLC (limited liability company or LLP (limited liability partnership) then you will also need to have liability insurance.
Are you going to be leasing to a company or getting your own authority?  If you are applying for your own authority, you have to have a USDOT number.
Will you be operating intrastate or interstate? (intrastate is within one state only, interstate is operating in more than one state).
Will you be hauling hazardous materials (hazmat)?  Then you need a hazmat endorsement (any state).  You will also need to have a background check and be fingerprinted and get a Hazmat Endorsement Threat Assessment.  Go to Transportation Security Administration for details.  Cost is $86.50.  It is valid for 5 years, unless you transfer (to another state), upgrade (add endorsements), or renew a license, then you need to go through (and pay) all of this again.  You also need to be fingerprinted.
If you will be loading or unloading at ports, you will need a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).  You can get information about this at Transportation Security Administration - TWIC.  The cost is $132.50 and is valid for 5 years.
If you plan to operate in Canada or Mexico, you will also need a passport.  Passport Forms. If you travel internationally often, you may be eligible for a FAST: (Free and Secure Trade) card for commercial vehicles.
The answer to each of these questions determines what you need to apply for.  Go to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Getting Started with Registration for a matrix (list) of the required forms, and to apply online.
You will, of course, need license plates for your tractor and your trailer (if you are purchasing both).  Contact your state Department of Motor Vehicles to find out how to apply.  Unless you are applying for license plates within 30 days of your purchase of your tractor, you will need a copy of IRS Form 2290, Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return, showing you paid your road use taxes. This is an annual fee.  It is  $550.00 a year for an 80,000 pound vehicle (except logging.) This is prorated if you buy a truck during the course of the tax year, which is 01 July to 30 June.
The type of trucking insurance you need will depend on whether you are leased to a company or have your own operating authority, what type of goods you will be hauling, and whether your equipment is financed or paid for.  Be sure to read all of the pages at the FMCSA website.  Join OOIDA ($45 a year) and they will give you all the help you need to decide what kind of insurance you need.  You can even purchase it from them.  Just as with your personal vehicle insurance, your driving record, type of vehicle and the company you buy from will determine the cost

If you are leasing your truck to a company, you may also be required to be fingerprinted, buy Occupational Accident Insurance, and/or Worker's Compensation Insurance.
I know that everyone reading this wanted a nice, neat little list of what you need and how to get it, and how much it would cost.  As you can see, however, there are so many variables, it is impossible for me to tell you exactly what you need.  In addition to the federal requirements, each state has their own rules.
The costs are also impossible to calculate without knowing exactly who, what, where, why and how, but here is a rough list:
  • Money to pay for a truck driving school, if you are going to go to one
  • Down payment(s) for your equipment.
  • Licenses
  • Permits
  • Insurance
  • Enough money to operate until you get your first settlement check
  • Enough money to live on until you get your first settlement check.  I would recommend having enough for at least 2-6 months 
  • Money put up for breakdowns (it could happen on your first trip)
If you need to buy products (training manuals or safety and compliance tools), J. J. Keller is a good source for safety and regulatory compliance products and services that help you increase safety awareness, reduce risk, follow best practices, and stay current with changing regulations.  They are used by most of the large trucking companies.

I hope this has helped you.  I would be interested in your comments.  Let me know if you think this has been useful.  If you need information about something I didn't cover, let me know, and I will update this.
Read my other posts for details and resources for of some of the information in this post.
 
Be sure to subscribe to this blog to get the latest information, as I keep updating this site.
I am sorry I have to do this, but due to spam "comments"  I feel I need to moderate comments from now on.
I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause to my legitimate commenters.
Posted by Road King at 1:21 AM 30 comments
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28 March 2009

8) Companies That Lease Beginning Owner Operators Who Have No Experience

'83 Kenworth

Getting Started As an Owner Operator

 8) Companies That Lease Beginning Owner Operators Who Have No Experience
This list has been updated. See: Part 2 (below).


If you want to become an owner operator, but you don't have any experience, if you are just beginning, if you are fresh out of truck driving school, who will hire you?
Below is a list of companies I found on the internet through various sources that stated these companies would hire an owner operator who has no experience.
Most of these companies have websites, but a few of them don't. I do not know anything about them, so I am not endorsing them.
So, if you are looking for an owner operator trucking job, check out these companies. (Remember, the owner operator is really a trucking business, not a "job".)


List of Companies - Part 1: (Scroll down for Part 2)
4 Star Bulk Transport
Allegiance Transportation, LLC
Altar Hauling, LLC
American Best Transportation
American Shipper
American Trans Freight
Amexx Express, Inc.
Astle's Trucking, Inc.
Barr-Nunn Transportation /Owner Operator Division
Baxter Express Services, Inc.
Bear Transportation Solutions
BGD Express, Inc.
Boats on Wheels
Cain and Forshee Trucking, LLC
CalCoast Cargo
California Cartage Express
Celtic Xpress
Champion Logistics Group
Cheema Freightlines, LLC
Chicoda Carriers, Inc.
CLC Trucking
Clearpoint Transportation
Confident Transport, Inc.
Container Express, Inc.
Cortrans Logistics
Crown Carriers, Inc.
CRST Malone, Inc
Dahl Trucking, LLC
Dart Trucking Company, Inc.
DD and S Express
Dimax Express, Inc.
Divide Transport
Divinity, LLC
Dog House Trucking
DTI Logistics
Eagan Transport, Inc.
Elizabeth
Enterprise Truck Line
Federal Logistics
FFE Transportation Services, Inc
First Team Transport Group
Four Season Environmental, Inc.
FTI Inc.
Gentle Touch Auto Transport, LLC
Go 4 Trucking, Inc.
Gorno Transportation Services
Grace Transportation Services Inc
Heartland Express
ICMS
Integrated Transport Logistics, Inc.
J and J Christian Transport
J L Shandy Transportation, Inc.
JB Hunt
Jimmy's Transport Express
Keytran Transporters
Knight Transportation, Inc.
KP Inc.
Legacy Express, Inc.
Lenny B's Express
Lessors, Inc
Liberty Transfer
Lucky Trucking
M and L Logistics
Magann Atlantic
Marten Transport/Owner Operator division
Mason Dixon Intermodal, Inc.
McLeod Express, LLC
Meadowlark Companies
My Express, Inc
NJ Re-Cycle Inc.
North Atlantic Leasing, Inc.
Owl Wire and Cable, Inc.
Panther Expedited Services, Inc.
Pavco Trucking Company
Perpetual Motion, LLC
PGT Trucking/Owner Operator Division
Pioneer Freight
Rhodes Farms & Trucking, LLC
RR Express
S and S Transport, Inc.
Shippers Support
Showtronics, LLC
Silver Streak Transportation, LLC
Snowy Owl Transportation
Southeastern Trailer Transport, LLC
Southwind Transportation
Sterling Global Express
STS Limited
Sunteck Transport Carrier Group
Supreme Auto Transport, Inc
Swift Transportation
SZL, Inc.
T Sammons LLC
Tennessee Steel Haulers
Timberline Transport, LLC
Transportation Network
Transtrak Expeditors, Ltd.
Truner Brothers Trucking
Universal AM CAN Ltd.
Velocity Express
W. J. Donovan, Inc. (Mayflower Transit, LLC Agent)
W. S. Carrier Services, Inc.
Western Sky, Inc.
Wheeling Transportation
Woody's Trucking' LLC
Zelenka Nursery, LLC


List of Companies - Part 2:
A.I.M.E. Logistics
Agricultural Express
Barton Transport, LLC
Blackwater Logistics
Buchanan Hauling Rigging, Inc.
C and C Transportation
C. White and Son, Inc.
Cargo Express, Inc.
Central Freight Lines, Inc.
Christenson Transportation, Inc.
Clark Transfer, Inc.
CR England
Cramer Transportation, Inc.
Crete Carrier Corporation
CRST Van Expedited
Cypress Truck Lines, Inc.
Danny Herman Trucking
Dependable Carriers, Inc.
Dice Transport, Inc.
E H Transport LLC
East-West, Inc.
Express – 1 Expedited Solutions
Finnegan's Moving and Warehouse Corporation
Fortrans
Fremont Contract Carriers
Frontrunner Logistics, Inc.
Hammell Transport Service, Inc.
Hotshot Logistics, LLC
Howells Motor Freight, Inc.
HTS
JK Moving and Storage, Inc.
JN Trans
Joe Zaputil Trucking, Inc.
Keystone Freight
Langer Transport Corporatation
Link America
Liquid Transport
Loadstar Transport
Lonestar Transportation
M. S. Molitor Trucking, Inc.
Maverick Transportation LLC
May Trucking Co.
McCrary Enterprises, Inc.
Midnite Express, Inc.
Midwest Express Corporation
Midwest Livestock Express, Inc.
Nancy Baer Trucking, Inc.
National Distributors Leasing, Inc.
O. L. Price Trucking, Inc.
Pride Express LTD
Pro Fleet Transport Corporation
Reeve Trucking
Refrigerated Delivery Service
RH Stover Transport
Risinger Brothers Transfer
Road Warriors Auto Transporter
Roehl Transport, Inc.
Ron Burge Trucking, Inc.
S and M Transportation, Inc.
Safe Handling, Inc.
Sammons Trucking
Schneider National, Inc.
Sherman Bros. Trucking
SJ Tranportation
Summitt Trucking
Sunset Pacific Transportation
Tandem Transport
Towne Air Freight
Trailway Enterprises, Inc.
Transco Lines, Inc.
Transport Service Company
Triple S. Trucking
TST Expedited Services
Turner Brothers, Trucking
Venture Logistics
Wayne Transportation
Werner Enterprises
West Atlantic Transportation Corporation
Whitlock Transportation Services
Wofford Farms
Workhorse Transportation
Worthington Sensitive Products Transport, LLC
Zalt Transport, Inc.


I am sorry I have to do this, but due to spam "comments"  I feel I need to moderate comments from now on.
I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause to my legitimate commenters.
Posted by Road King at 8:31 PM 22 comments
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