I am looking to buy a used 2007 Kenworth, W900L that has only 195 thousand miles on it. I was thinking about going through the SBA, (small business administration) for my loan but after further research i do not know now. I am interested in purchasing this Kenworth out right and becoming a Owner / Operator, the company I want to haul for is 100 % Owner / Operator and pays pretty good

1) if I purchase this Kenworth out right, do I have to get my
own DOT operating Authority, or can I operate under the
Authority of the company i want to drive for ?
2) This might be a stupid question, I have been a company
driver for the past 20 years, never really undestood the
differences between just Owner / Operator and Lease
Owner / Operator
3) I am putting a sort of business plan together for my own
satisfaction, so as to crunch the numbers, to make sure
of my success, any comments or ideas on the below would
be appreciated.
a) cost of fuel for a month
b) cost of tractor maintenance (Kenworth Premier service)
c) Insurance, bobtail, pl/pd, etc
d) labor cost for loading and unloading if needed
e) cost of base plate
f) estimated cost of consumables
g) cost of bookkeeper, and IFTA reporting
h) Mileage tax state to state
I) if anything else please let me know
4) I was trained by a current Owner / Operator who told me
take what you are making per mile, let's say $ 1.00 per
mile, you have to take 80 % of that to put back towards
the truck. any comments
5) Has anybody heard of this new law that California just
passed about Particulate Matter Filters ? does anybody
know, if this is required for all tractors, or is there a
Manuafacture year that is a cut off, I found one piece of
information that read pre 2007, does anybody know for
sure.

If I left anything out, that you can think of please reply to post with your comments, thank you for your time,

If you live in CA and you want to go O/O cold turkey, you have some giant obstacles to overcome. Have you even checked out what your health and disability premiums will be?

Thank You Ranger309 for your response to my thread, as far as your question about health and disability premiums, No I have not checked into this amount. These are the items I am not to familiar with, and the reason I posted my thread here, for I could get more information. What I am trying to do, is buy my own truck, then contract my services to a specialized carrier here in california. What I am also trying to do is build a spread sheet, of what my estimated bills would be every month, in junction with what the truck is making on a monthly basis. so far i got the, fuel, labor, truck maint, mileage tax, insurance, base plate, my bookkeeper and cost of consumables. any help on the unknowns would be appreciated by anyone reading this thread, this is why I am here, thanks

OOIDA has a cost per mile spreadsheet that is good for a start. First of all I would check the ECM on the truck to see what the mpg has been. You need the best mileage, less weight, forget about good looks. The truck will eat you alive unless it is getting good mileage.Talk with the O/O's at the company you are investigating. I am sure there will be a few that will blow smoke up your rear,but for the most part they will shoot you straight. Check this and other boards about those that have experience with them.
You should operate under their authority. If not, the insurance is going to cost you MEGA bucks, like 8 to 12 K per year. Maint wise you need to save at least .05 per mile and about .03 per mile for tires. The older the truck, you need to save more. I have a 2001 T-600 and save .07 per mile for maint. Insurance will depend on the value of the truck, bobtail runs about 8.00 per week. Loading and unloading should be reimbursed by the carrier, if not it can range from $50 to $300 or more per load depending on number of pallets and the breakdown. License, ad valorum (property taxes if you state has it) is around 2,000 per year depending on how many states you add to the base apportioned tag. IFTA should be handled by your carrier, if not there are service companies that do it for you. I set aside $14 per week just in case. Usually each quarter I have to pay around 18 to 25 dollars to the state. Bookkeeper should be around 800 per year. Also, make sure whatever truck you purchase that the heavy use tax has been paid for the current year. If not when you license the unit it will cost you $550 plus any penalty.
Do your homework. Investigate. Talk to other O/O's. Only believe what you see. Run the numbers and be conservative with income projections.
Remember, this is a business and you are a business man, not a driver.
I hope it goes well for you.

talk to this lady about your taxes

http://www.truckingboards.com/trucki...bers/rkms.html

Big Mac,
I forgot to mention Occupational / Accidental insurance which is basically Workman's Comp for the self employed. You have to have it at most places and it runs 36 to 40 dollars per week. You also now get to pay both sides (15.4%) of FICA, not just 7.2 % like an employee pays. Also, does the company charge you for QualCom or communications of some sort? I will keep thinking.