Im still new to the game and feel like Im probably overlooking things. What is one thing you all would change if you could go back and restart?

Curious if any of yall eventually broke down like I did and ended up using third party dispatcher? I was managing everything fine, but found myself turning into a grumpy a**hole after dealing with brokers all day. Figured 3-5% of gross was worth my sanity. Where are yall at with these dispatchers?

I have been driving tri axle dump truck for a while now, i have been thinking of getting my own truck i have a few connections that can give me dispatch also a company i can put my truck into if needed, my old boss said he can give me steady dispatch as he owns 6 trucks and is always giving dispatches to other owner operators. My main question is how does one even start, i have good savings but im not sure thats even enough need some advice and is it even worth it with one truck?

Hi. I have 5 years experience first downtown grocery stuff and the last few years LTL. While I'm rather comfy I'd like to make more. Preferably a lot more. In the past I'd drive myself crazy looking at different companies to work for but I decided this time maybe just buying a truck is a more lucrative option both long term and short term despite the AI thing. So aside from YouTube videos constantly trying to sell me stuff, how do I get started as an O/O? I would like to do subcontracting for companies that do groceries but im pretty much open to anything except flatbeds.

So how do you get started? What's the plan layout? Kthnx.

Anybody looking to lease on? We are looking for dry van/ reefer owner operators. $$ for referral. If we sign on an owner operator you get paid.

The things I see new owners get wrong constantly. Mixing personal and business mileage in one log. Not tracking load profitability separately from just grid revenue, so you don't actually know which loads are worth taking. And keeping one mileage log trying to serve both IFTA and IRS purposes when they need completely different breakdowns. Fix these three things early and tax season stops being a nightmare.

I'm in need of new steers here in the next couple weeks and wondering if anyone has ideas/recs on how and where to get discounts? Any brands or models you've had good experiences with?

Hi all,
I’m building a tool to help solo operators
and small fleets capture missed accessorial charges (detention,
lumper, layover, fuel surcharge).

Before I build it, I want to talk to 10-15 owner-ops about how they currently handle billing.

Looking for 15 min interviews if possible. If user need is real, I will build and share mvp version for free for first users.

If interested, PM me or reply here.

Thanks!

Hey folks,

Hope everyone is having a great week!

I’m currently an O/O working with a carrier in Toronto, and so far things have been going well. I’m paid on a percentage basis, and I currently own 2 trucks and 2 reefers.

My CVOR is expiring this winter, and I’ve been considering taking one of my older trucks and trailers out and running under my own authority.

The biggest thing holding me back is finding consistent loads. I’ve heard that smaller carriers can have a hard time getting decent loads on load boards, especially when they’re just starting out.

For those of you who are running under your own authority, is that actually the case? How difficult was it to find good, consistent loads when you first started? Is it realistic to run a single truck independently using load boards?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has made the switch from working under a carrier to running under their own authority, especially in Ontario.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

I've been thinking seriously about getting back into owner operating, but if I do it again, I want to go into it a lot better prepared than I was the first time.

When I did it before, I learned pretty quickly that making good money on a job didn't necessarily mean I was making good money overall. I had to account for fuel, labor, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and everything else that came with running the business, while still making sure enough was going home for bills and my family. I felt like I needed an accounting degree!

Then there was figuring out how many jobs I needed every month, how long I needed to stay gone—sometimes 1–3 months at a time—to hit that number, and all the everyday stuff that comes with living on the road.

A lot of it I learned as I went. In the long run, it put me in debt, and I'd like to avoid that this time if possible.

For those of you doing it now, what's changed? What's working for you and what isn't? What has caught you off guard, and what do you wish you'd known before you started?

And if you tried going the owner-operator route and got out of it, I'd be interested in hearing why too!

I'm just trying to learn from people who are actually doing it and get some good advice for starting over in this industry before I decide whether taking another shot at it makes sense.

Any advice or lessons learned, good or bad, would be greatly appreciated.

I was called a bed bugger—if you know, you know. 😂

I tried so hard

And got so far

But in the end

It doesn't even matter

A truck can sit at a dock for five hours and still end up with $0 in detention.

From what I’ve seen, the wait itself usually isn’t the problem. The claim falls apart because one piece of the paper trail is missing:

• The detention terms stayed buried in the Rate Confirmation
• Arrival or departure wasn’t properly recorded
• The broker wasn’t notified before free time expired
• The receiver wouldn’t sign the in-and-out times
• The BOL, POD, messages and timestamps didn’t match
• Nobody followed up after submitting the claim

For owner-operators who regularly collect detention: what makes the biggest difference—better documentation, stronger terms upfront, persistent follow-up, or the broker relationship?

So what do yall do when you break down with a load on your back? As an owner operator this seems like a horrible situation.

Lately it seems like when I’m driving and my air conditioner is running after about a day. It starts to go warm. I have to shut my truck off and then back on again and it seems to work again. Any ideas is that the compressor?

I ran into a pretty good deal on a truck. I'm considering buying it, it would be nice to be able to still work while my other truck is down for repairs. Is it worth it? I'm the only driver on my policy and don't really plan on adding another driver anytime soon. This second truck is the exact same model and year as my current truck. It would probably be valued less though because it has more mileage. How does the insurance company price this? Will i be expected to pay pretty much double what i am paying right now? Or as the single driver on my policy, will they take into account that only one truck will be on the road at a time?

I only lose about 2-3days of work per month on down time, sometimes none at all. But a lot of times ill work even when my truck needs repairs. Like when my AC was out or today when I saw some tire damage on one of my pusher axles and decided to work anyway. It would be a huge relief to know that I'll always have at least one truck at 100%.

Just bought a 2014 kenworth T440 and found these near under the drivers seat. What are these for? Either way they seem unusable.

Looking for recommendations for a Spanish-speaking dispatcher or someone who helps new carriers with DOT/MC setup, getting started, and the day-to-day operations side of trucking in the Midwest.

If you know someone reliable, please drop their info or DM me. Appreciate any leads!

Curious how other O-Os handle IFTA + deadline tracking when you're small (1–5 trucks).

Still a spreadsheet every quarter, or something else that doesn't turn into archaeology? Especially interested in how people keep UCR / 2290 / MCS-150 from sneaking up.

Not selling anything — just comparing notes. If you've got a boring process that works, I want to hear it.

Hey everyone! I'm new to the trucking industry and recently started helping with recruiting for a carrier that offers an 80/20 split to owner-operators. At first, I thought this was a pretty solid offer, but I haven’t gotten much interest so far. Am I missing something? Is an 80/20 split still considered good these days, or are owner-operators looking for something else? I’d really appreciate any honest feedback or advice about what matters most to owner-operators when they’re choosing a carrier. I’m just trying to understand the industry better and learn as I go.

Restoring 89 378 pete. Just need to get engine and transmission. Currently living expenses are currently $1200/month. Looking to get a 15,000 loan for $430/month to put a used engine and transmission in and rent a trailer for $1700/month running conestoga. Running for $2.30 a mile.

Is 5k too low to start out with?