Any other truck drivers on TW? Owner/opp

Ok so I have been driving trucks for about 7 years total. The first 4 years I was hauling cars for the shop I worked at in a Dodge Ram dually with a enclosed 45ft goose neck trailer(aka hot shot). Then when reality hit and I realized I had zero benefits just a cool job working for a performance car shop transporting race cars and cool street cars I decide I needed to think about my future.

So then I worked for a company in FL called Cemex I drove a mixer, dump truck, and a block truck. After working there exactly one year I decided I was over crappy pay and left there. (14.50 an hour is all we made)

So now I am working for Gordon Food Service as a relief driver so I run deliver routes and transit runs. Pretty much whatever they need me to do. I love the job and the company. Pay is awesome for what little work I do and we have killer benefits. I am home every night and get to spend time with my girl friend.

But here in the last few months I have had the desire to own my own truck and just run local. My first thought is to purchase a dump truck and move back to Fl and haul rock and sand. I am not sure even how to start looking In to becoming a owner/opp for something like that.

Also my other thought was to go to Alaska for 5 months out if the year and try that out.

Any advice would be great, I am just a lost and not sure what to do.

 

Any luck with this, I'm in the middle of buying my truck. My experience has been a lot of time away from home and a lot of headaches. Not to discourage anyone, but for instance, I made 100,000. last year, brought home 18,000, payed 15,000 in federal and state taxes, 30,000 in fuel, close to 15,000 in repairs, the rest went to truck payments, insurance, accountant (must-have) permits and fees- 2500.00 per year, fuel road taxes, ect. The beginning of last year fuel was through the roof, but this is the controllable part, as far as how you drive. Fuel is way down, my truck will be payed off this year so hopefully it gets better. Semi is behind taco, an 03 volvo, D12 10 speed. 250,000 on a rebuilt engine and trans at 1,000,000 miles. Professionally maintained it's whole life. Hope this helps you.

 

I spent over 30 years driving both local and Cross-Country, and NEVER had the slightest desire to own my own truck. Some guys can make it work, but there are a lot more that don't, and the bank ends up with their truck.
Just my $.02.

 

Seen it happen too many times. I've wanted to leave this truck sitting and say take it many times. Everyone but you makes money and if anything happens the pressure is on you. I'm not special, this is with a lot of guys. I'm on an eighteen month payment plan to pay the truck off quickly. No way I was going to spend five years paying on it.

 

Another thing that I liked was that if something major breaks, I could just get on the Qualcomm and tell the maintenance department that "YOUR truck has broken! What are YOU going to do about it?", or "YOUR truck has a flat tire. YOU need to call the nearest tire shop that YOU have a contract with so they can come out to fix it."
It didn't happen often, but it did happen.

 

Miss that part myself. Now it's, WTF. I CANT AFFORD THIS SHIT. $75.00 an hour mechanic fees. I don't even make that much. Life is grand. I really shouldn't complain. Things could always be worse. We could be the op having to read through these messages on his post.

 

I'm a manager for a dedicated fleet and I don't know how owner operators do it. Crazy how crap you gotta do to remain legal. It's a bit easier to have a support network built around you but I have some serious respect for owner operators.

 

Just got recertified. Now they charge whatever they want since it's mandatory. Had a place wanting to charge 350.00 just to check your eyesight, blood pressure and ask yes or no questions. Luckily I found a small clinic that's charges 45.00 for the exact same service. As I said earlier, everyone makes money but you.

 

Yeah I still have thoughts of owning my own truck but for what I am making now back in FL and I don't have the expense of a truck to take care of I might just stick this out. Hoping to move into a transit spot soon(hauling doubles to drop yards) and at that point I am just gonna ride the gravy train for another 28 years lol