Seeking Info on working for myself

keithnel · Mar 12, 2012

Hi Folks,

I need some info from some of you experienced folks. I live in Alabama and I am interested in running some small loads not over 3000 LBS over sorta a southern states regional thing. I have already found the business but I am a little unsure of what all I need to set up as. I am going to be driving a 14 foot box truck with a 10000 LBS GVWR. To my understanding with that truck I will not have to log or be required to carry a DOT medical Card or pass over scales in most areas. My real problem is what is the best way to set up my company. Should I do it as a courier or expeditor company - or does it matter?. What DOT numbers and such do I need to acquire (My own Authority)? what kind of insurance must I have? Although I will act as my own broker, etc. I will be the only person driving, so I will be doing it all.I would appreciate any and all information that anyone could give. Thank you all in advance for your replies.

ebsprintin · Mar 13, 2012

One idea would be to join OOIDA. You could use their services to get your authority, and they have classes that teach you about all the things you need to know about running under your own authority.

eb

greg334 · Mar 13, 2012

Here is something that is rather important.

BEFORE you do anything else, get a truck that you intend to drive weighed to see what your unloaded weight is. I am thinking that 3000 is going to be a bit over the 10k you have targeted for a truck like that.

Now with that said, if you are starting new, with no experience, get some before you even approach this idea.

Mailer · Mar 13, 2012

Yep, agreed with Greg. I, too, should spend more time to research and read(especially from this site). I thought I had enough info, went out and bought a CV last week. As of now, I still did not hear anything from the carrier that I wanted to team up with.

greg334 · Mar 13, 2012

Mailer said:
Yep, agreed with Greg. I, too, should spend more time to research and read(especially from this site). I thought I had enough info, went out and bought a CV last week. As of now, I still did not hear anything from the carrier that I wanted to team up with.

Don't be offended by what I am saying but that's the whole problem with people today, too many times putting the cart before the horse.

I would not put any credence on the carrier and would not have gotten any van until you first understand what you want out of this work and base your desire on your needs. I read that you didn't. Buying a van isn't as bad as buying a truck, even though it is money that you could have kept in the bank for a bit more. BUT choosing a company that fits your needs is the most important thing and it is overlooked all too often. Many read this forum and assume that because one has a great time at X company, they will too and they invest all this effort into getting into X only to find they have a disaster.

SO a bit of advice to those who want to get into this business.

1 - think hard about it, it isn't as easy as people make it out as.

2 - this is a business, treat it as such.

3 - what works for one, does not work for another.

4 - if it appears easy to get into, it is easy to fail.

5 - there are as many companies that you can make money with as there are groups of vans and trucks. SO select wisely and take your time.

6 - listen to others, ask questions and to add to that, go into the company with a question sheet to cover all of the questions. WRITE everything they say down and compare it with other companies.

keithnel · Mar 13, 2012

greg334 said:
Here is something that is rather important.

BEFORE you do anything else, get a truck that you intend to drive weighed to see what your unloaded weight is. I am thinking that 3000 is going to be a bit over the 10k you have targeted for a truck like that.

Now with that said, if you are starting new, with no experience, get some before you even approach this idea.

Thanks! The weight factor I got from the manufacturer of the truck. it is what they said the cargo capacity would be. As far as the experience, I have been a local courier I/C and didn;t really care for that, but I did enjoy some of the longer trips that I got with small loads, so that's where I got the idea. Thanks for the information. Be Safe!!

Mailer · Mar 13, 2012

Thanks Greg. I did all of the above but I know I got to read, research and ask more. Without this forum and many great folks like you, I probably wouldn't even know how to take the first step. I did some net search and info on CV didn't even come close to what EO members put out on this site.

By the way, some good news, I was contacted by 3 carriers few hours later. Though, I still have to go thru the approval process. I hope for the positive responses. Meanwhile, I will continue to read, research and ask.

Tomorrow, I will work on E track and flooring. And yes, I got all of the info on how to do it from this forum.

Again, thank you to all of the EO members who have contributed to this forum.

cranis · Mar 18, 2012

If i am right, on a vehicle with cvwr of 10,000 pounds do require a DOT medcard, this page is in kilo but converted it is only about 9, 995 # which would require you truck as to get. This is not a hard think to get.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Medical - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

zero3nine · Mar 18, 2012

Medical card is required at 10,001#

3,000# will likely put your truck over 10k, but who is going to weigh you?

A bored DOT officer or state trooper with a portable scale, that's who.

Likelihood of that is very low, but the possibility exists.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

keithnel · Mar 18, 2012

zero3nine said:
Medical card is required at 10,001#

3,000# will likely put your truck over 10k, but who is going to weigh you?

A bored DOT officer or state trooper with a portable scale, that's who.

Likelihood of that is very low, but the possibility exists.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

Thanks for the info. I contacted the manufacturer of the truck and they told me the cargo capacity would be 3000 LBS. I can adjust it down to a 2000 LBS load if I need to. Like I said I'm going to be running on my own authority and picking my own loads. I am going to start with this size truck. If I don't like it in the long run, I can use the truck for local use, so it's not a total waste.

Rocketman · Mar 18, 2012

keithnel said:
Like I said I'm going to be running on my own authority and picking my own loads.

keithnel said:
I have already found the business but I am a little unsure of what all I need to set up as.

Which is it? If you already have the business, you wont be needing to pick loads...you already have them..no?

If your just getting a van and jumping in with both feet, hopefully you have deep pockets.

Be very, very careful of those who make it sound easy.