Just the facts...

[Carpet ResQ]

Beware, new Driver!
My current job is evaporating, like so many other hard workers, and its time to make a change before change finds me! I want to drive, prefferably for myself. I have only talked to salesman so far, and I need some real information to work with. My school starts in September so between now and then I want to learn as much as I can about the business end before I sign anything! I'm in Washinton state, and I'm thinking I want to run from the port and try to stay in state for the first few years, then go OTR when my kids are in coledge. I see cheap trucks everywhere, and I know a heavy equipment mechanic to help me sort out the crap, but I want to find some real numbers from real drivers for maintenance, tires, fuel, insurance, etc, etc. In the perfect world I'd like to find a company I can work with before I do anything else. If there is another post that has a good load of real data please point me at it.
Carpet ResQ

[baiano]

Need Advice for New Owner Operator Wanna Be


This thread just started, I think it sounds right down your alley

Local honestly is going to be hard to get into right now, because of all of the experienced drivers out there that are out of work. It will be hard to compete against a 20 year, or even a 2 or three year veteran for any local jobs available.

[Carpet ResQ]

Thanks for the reply. I read that whole post, but I'm looking for more brass tacks than warm and fuzzy. My wife and I both have an interest in trucking, we just don't want to be taken advantage by an "enterprising" company. I'm willing to start out as a company driver, but I'll be looking to move into my own before long.

[MizPoohBear]

of the companies that promise you that you can own your own truck by leasing one from them. It sounds like a real deal, the biggest perk being that you end up with a nearly new truck that is "yours". HOWEVER, there are a lot of snags that can ruin you if you sign a contract with the wrong one. There are probably a lot of drivers on these boards who can explain the pitfalls of that sort of a deal. My son in law went to the school that England offered, and at the end of his 2nd seat time, when he was ready to be classified as a solo driver, the lead driver started to really pressure him to accept a leasor deal. He did, and from almost the very beginning, his mileage fell off so badly, he couldn't even pay his house payment at home, and was rarely making enough to pay for his truck lease payment much less fuel, mtce, etc. Of course, he WAS billed for those things, and lost his "lease" when he failed to pay. He said he was getting a LOT of miles as a company driver, and calculated his lease deal on that premise, only to find that company drivers do get more miles than the leasors.
As I said, this was someone else's experience, not my own, so I don't know how accurate his accounting was. Still, I am leary of those "deals" because his is not the only story like that one that I have heard. Maybe someone else here has had some experience with those lease to own deals?
CMK (Pooh)

[Cerberus_Kelpie]

Carpet ResQ,

Unanswered questions about living on the road
So you want to be a TruckDriver

Since you stated you prefer to drive LOCAL for about 2 years this thread is applicable:
Best OTR Company for Driver w no OTR experience?
as well as these:
Where Would You Work
You know you are a newbie driver when...
best way to start driving career?

You want to do Port hauling, you'll need this (x2 if your wife drives):
Transport Workers ID (TWIC)

There are MANY THREADS with specific answers so if any of these do not suffice then keep looking in this forum as there are MANY PAGES chock full of information!!

[Carpet ResQ]

Thank you for the input. I need to stay local until my kids are a bit older. I'll finish my class and take my time finding the right gig. My current job will hold out for another year or two if I need it to. I'll check out the linked threads. Thanks again.