running on your own

[Dynamite 1]

I know there are quite a few here on EO who have their own authority and find their own freight. just curious as to actually how many we have doing this. so any who are please post so i can get some actual numbers. seems this is kind of becoming more than just a rogue 1 or 2 here and there. would also be curious as to how long each have been running on their own. thanks in advance, TNT

 

[blizzard2014]

I do not presently run under my own authority. But I do have enough knowledge about this subject from conversing with several people who do have their own authority (in sprinters and cargo vans) to be able to get into it myself. However, I do not have enough funding to make it happen at this particular time. So, from what I have been able to gather thus far "indipendent agents" are going to be in high demand in the near future. This has a lot to do with dwindling automotive freight and a spike in fuel prices. As regular carriers have an inherently harder time trying to find "gullible" drivers to fill their lease quotas, I think more freight is going to be brokered out to partner carriers and "independent agents!" Although bigger companies do not make as much off of a load if they have to turn around and broker it out to an agent, they can still generate a considerable amount of revenue from this practice. All they have to do is pick up the phone and book loads like crazy and then broker them out after they take their cut right off the top. When an independent agent accepts a load, the freight is covered by the agents authority. So, if the agent gets into an accident while in route to a customer, the main carriers insurance and safety rating is not affected. This is a win win situation for the larger carriers. So, in my humble opinion, becoming an independent agent is the wave of the future.

 

[fastrod]

I have been running under my own authority for 2 1/2 years now. I also believe that this is the wave of the future for those with the ability to do it. It is a big leap from dependent contractor to being a carrier, which is what those of us with our own authority are classified as.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

I started in June, and loving it! Yes, it is growing. The number of companies with partner carriers is growing as well. Unfortunately, the number of independents who cut rates is also growing. I would ask them: If $1.25/mi (no fsc) is enough for you to run, why not sign on to one of the few, found on EO, that get freight that cheap? NLM loves ppl like you!

Ok... back off my soapbox.

We are on our last load of the month, and it's my best month ever. Having said that, my expenses are higher than the leasing expediter, as are the paperwork headaches. So, in essence, I'm leased directly to the FMCSA and DOT. Still... the flexibility can't be beat. Neither can the moulah. I'm looking at adding another truck already. (Not actively recruiting, or giving rosy doubletalk, like one independent on here. )

 

[Dynamite 1]

thanks hawk, hey empty your pm folder, its full and i would like to message you. TNT

 

[CharlesD]

I've had my authority since December and I too think it's the only way to go these days. You just have way more flexibility than when you're leased on somewhere. Most of the larger companies are doing partner agreements and you can even get some darn good rates on shorter runs. You also have the ability to run all sorts of freight other than the standard automotive stuff and I've done a bit of LTL just to relocate to a good area. Yeah, the money's a little better, the expenses are higher, and the freedom is better. I'm also at the point of thinking about adding on another vehicle, but I'm not doing any aggressive sort of recruiting or blowing smoke either, just seriously considering it.

 

[louixo]

I was just reading an article on getting your own authority. My question is, if you have your own authority, why not take it one step further, and get your own brokering authority? I`d like to hear some comments on that possibility, pro and con. I would like to know also, those of you who have your own authority, by what percentage do you calculate your revenue has increased in general.

 

[nightcreacher]

Years and Years ago I had my own authority.I'm not doing this anymore, as, unless you have the time to hunt down your own loads,and yes I know about the load boards,but if I'm going to compete with other trucks for the same loads,I may as well just be leased to a company,no matter whom it is.There are cases where owners have never been paid what they were offered,you usually dont get the FSC,and in the expedite world,just your getting the left over loads,that the leased trucks dont want.There are some advantages, you can pick where you want to go,and you may feel you have more freedom,but when you pay for your insurance programs,you load board contacts,your permitting,and all the little odds and ends no one speaks of,for me it's just not worth it.

A few years ago when FECC cut my lease for safety reasons,I was going to get my own authority.When I played with all the numbers,I decided to go with Con-Way Now,even though this turned out to be a mistake,I'm not sure having my own authority would have turned out any different.Of course i'm in a tractor,and unless you actually get into the LTL world,or a true expedite load,the pay scale really sucks for truck load rates

 

[Jefferson3000]

Hey, I'm a small carrier as well. It can be a pain, but it works for me. I have the flexibility to take my wife, who is not a driver on our team. She handles my logistics when we go, watching boards, posting trucks, checking directions and such. We also take our dog. No carrier to hassle me about that.

Getting broker authority will probably happen for us sometime next year. Right now, I'm really a carrier to the carriers: LTL companies call, expedite carriers, freight forwarders and local cartage call us for their special needs.

 

[CharlesD]

Hey, I'm a small carrier as well. It can be a pain, but it works for me. I have the flexibility to take my wife, who is not a driver on our team. She handles my logistics when we go, watching boards, posting trucks, checking directions and such. We also take our dog. No carrier to hassle me about that.

Getting broker authority will probably happen for us sometime next year. Right now, I'm really a carrier to the carriers: LTL companies call, expedite carriers, freight forwarders and local cartage call us for their special needs.

That's pretty much how I operate. Most of my loads come from other carriers and LTL brokers. I'm probably going to look into broker authority in the next few months as well.

 

[Dynamite 1]

thanks to those of you who have posted and called but i would like to see even more. do we have more that are on their own, let us know and help me out w/ some information. personal thanks to fastrod, charlesd. TNT

 

[zanico]

Just wondering, what do you guys with your own authority drive, straight truck, box van, cargo van, sprinter, etc. Still in the "wannabe" stage. Would really like to run with my own authority, if and when I finally decide to do this.

 

[Jefferson3000]

I have a three axle, 22ft w/liftgate. Nothin' fancy. Just big ol' class 8 pig runnin' down the road.

 

[CharlesD]

Sprinter. And here's a bit of advice regarding that. If you go with a Sprinter, don't use too much space for your sleeper. If you're leased on to someone, it's not as much of an issue, but if you're on your own you want at least 12 feet. That way when the expedite gets slow you can combine LTL loads easier if you have more space. Of course the smaller straight trucks are probably even better as far as that goes, but I like my fuel economy.

 

[fastrod]

I run a Dodge 1 ton window van. In pa. it is classified as a station wagon and the plates are standard passenger car and much cheaper then truck plates. This is one of the nice things about having your own authority, you can run what you want with no one telling you how new it has to be or what color it has to be.

 

[CharlesD]

I run a Dodge 1 ton window van. In pa. it is classified as a station wagon and the plates are standard passenger car and much cheaper then truck plates. This is one of the nice things about having your own authority, you can run what you want with no one telling you how new it has to be or what color it has to be.

So if my Sprinter had windows, I could get car plates on it? That would be nice.

 

[fastrod]

In Pa. if it is a passenger van it is classified as a station wagon and gets passenger car plates. A 1 ton cargo van gets truck plates at $198 a year and a 1 ton passenger van gets car plates at $36 a year. The other thing is with car plates, windows, and no markings at all you become invisible to the DOT.

 

[kwexpress]

I have been on my own for the last 11 yrs sometimes under my own authority and sometimes just run under someone elses that will let me book my own loads.

I have been off since feb to persue other interest but I noticed your from mattoon,IL not exactly a hot spot but not to bad your within reach of several cities.it just depends on the type of truck your gonna run.I know there are always loads of insulation coming out of charleston but they need tractors.

I have always run straights and semis myself and would suggest if you go on your own that you at least try the tractor route never will you sit unless you want to.but straights are not bad either and a little cheaper to run.there are a few pitfalls if you lease on others so I would also suggest you stick to yourself for awhile.plates in IL are a little on the high side.I dont really know what your looking for but if you would like to chat you can email me @ [email protected] as I am not on this site to much anymore.

 

[Jefferson3000]

Sprinter. And here's a bit of advice regarding that. If you go with a Sprinter, don't use too much space for your sleeper. If you're leased on to someone, it's not as much of an issue, but if you're on your own you want at least 12 feet. That way when the expedite gets slow you can combine LTL loads easier if you have more space. Of course the smaller straight trucks are probably even better as far as that goes, but I like my fuel economy.

Charles, brings up a great point. Because the bigger carriers sell service according to vehicle sizes and weights, it is the tendency of an o/o to go to the dealer and get whatever fits a particular criteria for a certain carrier. For example, an o/o may say, "How can I set up my truck so it can haul the required 12000 or 13000 lbs in order to qualify as a D unit, and still have a big sleeper. Running my own authroity, my business plan is this: How can I set up my truck to qualify for as many loads opportunities as possible, and still have just enough room to sleep? If I do my business right (and I'm still learning), I should be able to fill my truck every time I have hours to run.

You see, you can set up your truck for the minimum requirements for business and the maximum for comfort, OR you can maximize the business side at the expense of a few "creature comforts." I believe this philosophy will also work for the leased o/o. If your truck has more abilities than the trucks around you, you won't need to have the world in your sleeper, as all you will have time to do in there is sleep and drive.

 

[highway star]

In Pa. if it is a passenger van it is classified as a station wagon and gets passenger car plates. A 1 ton cargo van gets truck plates at $198 a year and a 1 ton passenger van gets car plates at $36 a year. The other thing is with car plates, windows, and no markings at all you become invisible to the DOT.

Did Pa. tell you that it's O.K. to run commercially with a passenger plate? It probably isn't, I know in Michigan you're not supposed to do that. You may never get busted for it, but you never know.