Posted: 4/30/2014 7:10:16 AM EDT
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I'm currently working in the gas and oil fields fracking. Myself and a coworker have been thinking about buying our own semi and starting team driving. We've planning on starting hauling sand but would be willing to look at any type of hauling that would be more lucrative.
Any advice for someone looking to get into this field? |
| Don't buy a truck . I have ran fleet shops most of my life . Many owner operators buy the loaded up truck and fail to realize how much maintenance cost is . Fuel and tires are the 2 largest cost . Buy a Cummins and buy extended warranty from Cummins . when the warranty runs out sell the truck . Spec the truck with proven common reliable components . spec for reliability and mileage . pre 05 if you buy used gets no egr and better fuel mileage . An example is brakes . the company I worked for bought some trucks off the lot spec ed out with odd rear brake drums . they were $55 each higher cost than the standard 3600 drum that is the most common rear drum . An easily overlooked item when buying a truck . A lot of guys buy cheap parts , Chinese tires and non name parts will bite you in the ass and leave you hanging on the side of the road . carry a set of fuel filters and learn how to change them . Do NOT buy Baldwin filters . Pushed hard at Fleetpride . Any questions shoot me an email. |
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Quoted:
I've never owned a truck, but I did team drive with my wife for 3 years. Mostly hauling UPS, DHL, and Con-way freight coast to coast. They typically wanted us to stay out at least a month at a time. I can't imagine being cooped up that long with another guy. Well, we work out of town and the company puts us up in a house which we're roommates in as well as being on the same crew. We just planned on driving as a team until we could buy a second truck. |
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When I worked for a trucking company, most of the owner operators always seemed to be hurting for money, or complaining about being broke anyways.
Seen lots of new drivers buy the fanciest truck they could get and have it repoed in 6 months. The repo company would sometimes empty their truck on a parking lot several states from home, unhook the trailer and take off while the driver was inside eating. Those guys got a bus ticket home and had to pay the company back for it from their last check. |
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Quoted: Also the best trucking companies make less that 5% profit a year . one of the fleet magazines used to publish a list of the top 300 companies and the financials and what they hauled etc. There is no money in trucking |