Throughout the nearly 8 year history of ExpeditersOnline, our members have discussed the nature of expediting, its pitfalls and its rewards. We have heard about all the Do's and Don'ts imaginable. We've read about dozens of the success stories from people who started with little and are now fleet owners. We've read about the many couples that started with a nice nest egg, or paid-up house, lost much of that to bad business decisions, and now happily drive without worries for successful fleet owners. And, we've read about many people that started expediting with nothing and left expediting with nothing.
Over the years, we've each read:
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.
All of the above may be true, but first and foremost, expediting is a business. Expediting is not the simple act of buying a truck, leasing on with a reputable carrier and driving down Easy Street. Whether a person is leased to a carrier as an Independent Contractor, or subleased to an Owner/Operator as a driver, that person is operating an independent business.
If we can each agree that expediting as an Owner/Operator is a business, then why can't we each agree that success in this business is best reached by being adequately capitalized. That is having sufficient reserve funds to pay all operating expenses to accomplish the work for which we are contracted. It seems that lately, we are reading an increasing amount of posts where people want to enter this business on someone else's dime. So many people seem to want a carrier to provide benefits, or access to carrier resources that are typically provided to employees, not contractors. They want carriers to provide advance money for fuel or food, or for truck repairs in advance of work performed. They want carriers to respect the fact that they are independent contractors and then want carriers to help out with problems that are clearly outside of the terms of their lease agreement.
I'm not referring to people who are taking advantage of a carrier's run money advances after pickup of freight or upon providing proof of delivery. These advances are entitlements to which the contractors and carriers have a contractual agreement on pay schedules.
ExpeditersOnline has long been recognized as The Expedited Freight Information Center. In that capacity, those of us that have joined EO as Forum Members are being recognized as folk that provide sound information for those aspiring expediters who come here to get the best information available on carriers, trucks, policies and procedures. So, I end this long-winded essay with a request that we each commit to emphasizing the need for new entrants to expediting to ensure they have adequate working capital to attain success. We should also emphasize the desirability of finding an O/O mentor with their carrier of choice. Experience and knowledge of a mentor can be beneficial to success.
Over the years, we've each read:
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.
All of the above may be true, but first and foremost, expediting is a business. Expediting is not the simple act of buying a truck, leasing on with a reputable carrier and driving down Easy Street. Whether a person is leased to a carrier as an Independent Contractor, or subleased to an Owner/Operator as a driver, that person is operating an independent business.
If we can each agree that expediting as an Owner/Operator is a business, then why can't we each agree that success in this business is best reached by being adequately capitalized. That is having sufficient reserve funds to pay all operating expenses to accomplish the work for which we are contracted. It seems that lately, we are reading an increasing amount of posts where people want to enter this business on someone else's dime. So many people seem to want a carrier to provide benefits, or access to carrier resources that are typically provided to employees, not contractors. They want carriers to provide advance money for fuel or food, or for truck repairs in advance of work performed. They want carriers to respect the fact that they are independent contractors and then want carriers to help out with problems that are clearly outside of the terms of their lease agreement.
I'm not referring to people who are taking advantage of a carrier's run money advances after pickup of freight or upon providing proof of delivery. These advances are entitlements to which the contractors and carriers have a contractual agreement on pay schedules.
ExpeditersOnline has long been recognized as The Expedited Freight Information Center. In that capacity, those of us that have joined EO as Forum Members are being recognized as folk that provide sound information for those aspiring expediters who come here to get the best information available on carriers, trucks, policies and procedures. So, I end this long-winded essay with a request that we each commit to emphasizing the need for new entrants to expediting to ensure they have adequate working capital to attain success. We should also emphasize the desirability of finding an O/O mentor with their carrier of choice. Experience and knowledge of a mentor can be beneficial to success.
