Well here we go with the first timer questions!!!

[HeadBanger]

Hi folks, new guy here. I usually hate doing this on a forum because everybody says, go here, go there, look at other threads, oh no-not another new guy!!! Yikes. Sorry, but I'm at my wits end. I am a retired Police Officer, completely clean background and driving record. I just completed Trucking School with a Class A CDL with Haz-Mat. The only big vehicle experience I have is driving my bands 45 foot tour bus with an Allison 5 speed over a 25 state area for about 10 years, primarily part-time, but doing about 100 locations a year from Miami to Chicago.
I was looking at driving for a company OTR Tractor-Trailer, but was very curious about a straight truck OTR. Here's the clincher, I want to drive SOLO. I prefer to be a loner on the road. I am secure with having no one breathing down my back. It seems like anyone I talk to in Straight truck jobs, says, "Boy have I got a Team Opportunity for you." or Do you wanna buy a truck? At this point in time I don't want to jump into buying a truck.
Now, my kids are grown and gone, and I don't mind being out 3 to 8 weeks at a time. But is there a decent opportunity for a guy to drive a Straight truck, OTR - S-O-L-O? Thanks for any help.
OH YEAH!!! I almost forgot. I live in Louisiana.

 

[cheri1122]

Headbanger: welcome to EO.
The good news is: yes, you can drive solo in a C or D unit that you don't own, OTR, because I've been doing it for several years. I know of others who do it, and some of them are guys, too.
The bad news is that as you've noticed, everyone prefers teams, sigh.
I'd suggest that you do enough research to get a feel for how the different carriers work, and then talk to fleet and single owners with trucks on with the carrier you're most interested in - some will put a solo in a truck, while others won't. Some will have a problem with your lack of experience (due to insurance regulations more than anything) also, so it takes perseverance. EO has classified ads for drivers wanted, and that's worth looking into as well. Best of luck to you!

 

[louixo]

Go to the classifieds here on EO and look for "drivers wanted", but I can tell you from the git go, that if you`re a newbie single, you will probably be better off, and make more money driving a tractor/trailer. Living in Louisiana you probably won`t see home much in a straight truck unless you deadhead, and you`ll most likely deadhead some distance to get out of Louisiana. Expediting used to be better for singles, but now you have the HOS to deal with, which means limitations on how far you can go before stopping, and that in turn will necessitate more short hauls, because the long ones over 550 miles (depending on company policy) will go to the teams. If you don`t mind sitting, and can live on less pay during the lean weeks you can give it a try, and as you learn, you`ll pick up on the freight lanes. But, if you need to run, and make a good paycheck everyweek, i`d look for TT. Lots of companies will give you 2500-3000 miles a week. I think JB Hunt still makes that claim, and there are other companies out there where you can do specialized hauling and choose something you really like. Not all TT work is general freight. Far from it.

 

[blondechick]

Yes, teams are preferred, but there are solo jobs available, with fleet owners. LEAM has a small fleet owner who has hired solos, but LEAM requires 6 months experience. Look for small fleet owners who are leased to Panther and FedEx CC. Don't get into a lease program just starting out, bad idea.

If you are one of those guys who needs to keep busy or you'll go nuts, this may not be the path for you. My spouse tried it without me for a couple of weeks and he almost went insane sitting. Solos can make it and do well if they manage their business, but they do sit. OTR will keep you moving a bit better. It depends on your personality and if you have a hobby like whittling to occupy your time.

Sorry louixo, we were tying the same thoughts at the same time, I wasn't trying to copy you.

 

[x06col]

My experience with this subject is much different (as usual) than anyone elses. We ran both costs from the midwest routinely as single drivers. HOS is not as large an anchor as many make it. You can drive 11 hours a day. Depending on the States you can run 700 or better each day. Hone your logging skills and find yourself a smaller Carrier without all the baggage, and you can do very well.

Most these nay sayers are involved with the big boys. And that wouldn't work for me either.

 

[LDB]

Hone your logging skills and find yourself a smaller Carrier without all the baggage

Magic decoder ring translation: Learn to log "creatively" and find a carrier with no QC to provide electronic tracking and documentation of actual hours and miles.

You can find a position as a solo but it will be more challenging since a team can generate more revenue for an owner in the same truck investment.

 

[x06col]

Don't tink he asked what is better for the owner. That concern usually is waaaay down on the list of concerns for folks. And yes, stay away from qualcom equipped trucks. It's a monthly/weekly expense that'll really cost you more than the fees.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

LDB said.."You can find a position as a solo but it will be more challenging since a team can generate more revenue for an owner in the same truck investment."

Be very careful here...unrelated team members(where you split 50/50 with another). Can actually make LESS $$$ then a single driver, the only people that makes more money is the owner...

 

[LDB]

He didn't ask what was better for the owner and I didn't tell him what was. I pointed out that the majority of owners are going to want teams in the truck. Finding one willing to let the truck sit over half the time will be difficult. OVM brings up a good point. The average revenue to a team truck is about 1.79 times that of a solo truck so unless we're talking husband/wife team both team members are going to find themselves making less money than the average solo operator.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

1.79 less Leo? Is that your numbers or an overall industry number?

 

[LDB]

That's basically an industry number I picked up in a seminar a couple of years ago.. they said not quite 1.8 times so I chose 1.79 to represent that.

 

[TeamCaffee]

Since Headbanger is a retired police officer I do not imagine he is too interested in running illegal as so many solos do while running without a QC.

So since he is going to want to run legal I do not see too many owners being too interested in putting a solo driver in their truck. Keep trying though you will find one I am sure with a smaller solo truck that does not need the income a team can generate will be interested though in you.

Do not give up easy the right truck and owner will be out there for you.

 

[moose]

H'mmm
Am smelling a sprinter on this officer Horizons .... Well why not ???



Moose.

 

[x06col]

Jes because you don't have a QC, you don't have to run outside regulations. Jes means you can get full benefit of your eleven or fourteen. Whichever comes first. And full benefit of your time means a lot in this business.

Don't believe I typed anything bout "creative" or any such thing in the logging department. But, i'm certain the ones tink'in that may well be the ones to cross the line first.

 

[pjjjjj]

LDB said.."You can find a position as a solo but it will be more challenging since a team can generate more revenue for an owner in the same truck investment."

Be very careful here...unrelated team members(where you split 50/50 with another). Can actually make LESS $$$ then a single driver, the only people that makes more money is the owner...

I'm not getting what diff it makes whether codrivers are married/same-household or not. Should one spouse not aspire to make the same amount as the other spouse? If both spouses want to work, shouldn't the potential income of holding a different job be weighed against driving with spouse? Unless the couple lives in the truck and doesn't have a home with all its expenses, I can't see how it's a valid consideration, unless you are lumping a married-set-of-codrivers into a single-entity-one-income comparison to a solo driver. But how can you do that when it's actually the time of 2 people? NOT arguing here, just don't understand the philosophy when I hear people talking about this subject.

 

[lostandfound]

i 2nd what the moose said

 

[TeamCaffee]

pjjjj not sure if I understand you question or not. The advantage we have as a married team is that we have one set of bills instead of two sets. Our combined income is more than enough to cover our bills and to invest in our future. If this Express truck we are in was trying to cover two different sets of bills this truck and not related drivers would not be doing nearly so well. Now to add to this if this Express truck had two non related drivers and also a fleet owner they would not be doing well at all and probably all three would be going in the hole.

 

[pjjjjj]

pjjjj not sure if I understand you question or not. The advantage we have as a married team is that we have one set of bills instead of two sets. Our combined income is more than enough to cover our bills and to invest in our future. If this Express truck we are in was trying to cover two different sets of bills this truck and not related drivers would not be doing nearly so well. Now to add to this if this Express truck had two non related drivers and also a fleet owner they would not be doing well at all and probably all three would be going in the hole.

I'm just confused becuz if you look at it as a business, there are in fact three entities, the truck owner, the driver, and the driver. Just because a driver might also be the truck owner, should that mean the owner should make less than a fleet owner on that part of the equation? If there are 2 drivers who happen to have one set of house bills, should that mean they should be paid less than 2 drivers who aren't related? Just because someone doesn't need as much to live on, does that mean they should make less? If someone doens't have a truck payment, does that mean they should make less than someone who does?
If there are 2 shopkeepers, and one works the business with himself and the unpaid labours of his wife and has a mortgage free home, and one works the business with himself and one paid employee and is still paying a mortgage on his home, does that mean shopkeeper#1 is more successful in business?
If a fleet owner wasn't making any money in owning his trucks, and his drivers weren't making enough money to keep them working, would he still stay in business? Why should it be different just because someone is driving their own truck with their spouse?

 

[arrbsthw]

I think it means that there is NOT enough money in an
express truck for 3 families to make a living. You are
trying to make this way more complicated that it is Pjjjjj.

Whereas a husband and wife can live and earn money as
one, 2 unrelated drivers have 2 families to support.

 

[LDB]

Made up numbers to illustrate the point. Let's say a solo can make $1000 a week in a specific truck with a specific carrier. If that exact same truck had a team, statistically it would make $1800. If you have Mr. and Mrs. Jones running the truck they have $1800 to put toward their household income. If John Doe and Fred Smith who are in no way related are teaming and splitting equally they each get $900 instead of the $1000 a solo would make. That's the point attempting to be made, that unrelated individuals will usually make less teaming than they each would individually as solos.