Post by Bri on Feb 11, 2010 14:17:56 GMT -5
Well, I figured I'd follow Chris' lead and give a little history behind my first rig for this CBP.
While most drivers are happy driving for companies, some still want the freedom of being their own boss.
Bill's been a driver for many years. He started out with MS Carriers in the late 80's. After many years of faithful service, Bill only got a "thank you" for his service when the company closed it's doors and sold it's interests to Swift Transportation. Without warning Bill found himself out of a job with no prospects. After discussing the situation with his loving wife, Bill decided that, in order to avoid a repeat performance from another company, he would get his own rig and haul on his own.
Becoming an Owner/Operator brought a whole new set of worries and concerns. Now, rather than his employer being responsible for fuel taxes, plate fees and all the other operating expenses, Bill would be responsible for paying these bills as well as making payments on his truck and supporting his regular household. This was definitely a huge, daring step, espeically in today's precarious economy.
After searching for a decent late model rig, Bill narrowed his search down to just a handful of trucks. Bill knew he would have to invest in a late model truck that would be dependable and last a long time. Carriers were reluctant to hire O/O's with older equipment simply due to the increased operating expense and increased probability of breakdowns and maintenance. Bill narrowed his search down to a Freightliner Coronado, Peterbilt 379, a Volvo, an International Eagle, and a Freightliner Century. Bill knew he had to make his choice carefully and pick the rig that was best suited to his needs, and not necessarily by the brand the truck carried.
As Bill was heading to Syracuse to meet with his dealer, he happened to remember a small dealer in Albany, NY that might have a truck he could get into for the right price. As he pulled into the lot, Bill saw a handful of trucks, but nothing that really caught his eye. Nonetheless, he got out and started looking at what was on the line. It wasn't long before a salesman came out and introduced himself. Bill told him what his situation was and what he felt he needed for a first truck. After thinking for a minute, the salesman agreed the trucks he currently had on the line probably wouldn't suit Bill's needs. Dejectedly Bill turned to leave. As he started walking toward his pickup, the salesman asked if he might be interested in a truck that was currently being serviced in the shop. The truck was a trade-in and had low mileage. The Cat engine was sound, but the mechanic was going through the rig from bumper to mudflpas to make sure of it's soundness. Bill shrugged his shoulders and figured it couldn't hurt to look, even though he had his suspicions the salesman was just desperate to make a sale.
As they walked back to the shop, Bill came face to face with a late model W900 Series Kenworth, complete with the Aerodyne sleeper package. Bill's breath caught as he took in the beauty of the truck. A crew of technicians were scurrying around the truck like Carpenter Ants building a colony. The hood was tilted and Bill could see the Cat engine in all it's glory being serviced and inspected. Even in the dingy lights of the repair shop, the paint sparkled a brilliant blue and silver. Bill knew he had to take a closer look at this truck and began going over it with a fine toothed comb.
After almost 2 hours of inspecting the truck and seeing what it had for options and such, Bill and the salesman got down to the nitty gritty of dealing. The asking price for the truck was $66,999 and it only had 255k miles on it. The salesman said the price was mostly firm, but a little leeway might be made for the right deal.
After almost 5 hours at the dealer, Bill signed the paperwork taking ownership of the Kenworth. He scored the rig for $64,000 and got 8 new drives and two steers with the deal along with a 300k mile warranty on the engine.
With the deal signed, Bill now just needed to find a carrier to ahul for. Bill wanted to haul for a company that he knew would be around for the long haul. Many names came to mind. Schneider, Swift, Roehl, and J.B. Hunt were just a few that were interested in obtaining Bill's services. One night while sifting through an issue of Overdrive magazine, Bill saw a small ad asking for Owner/Operators to run eith regional or cross country routes. The name didn't ring a bell with Bill, but it seemed to have a different ring to it. TSF...Bill ran the name through his mind and decided to do some checking on the internet to see what this company was all about. After a couple hours of internet surfing, Bill learned that TSF carried a variety of freight not only on the North American continent, but worldwide. This impressed Bill and reinforced his thoughts of wanting to haul for a carrier that was stable and one that would be around for a long time.
Bill filled out the necessary online application and it wasn't long before Mark, one of the recruiters, was calling Bill to talk to him more in depth about his application. Bill knew by the friendliness of the recruiter, also nicknamed "Doc", that he liked what he saw and heard. Bill made the trip to the regional terminal to meet "Doc" and tour the facility. After a week at the terminal, Bill signed the contract and was given 2 weeks to go home and get ready to hit the Eastern Seaboard regional routes. His route would take him from a satellite terminal in Glens Falls, NY to Ocala, Florida with stops in Pittsburgh, Charlotte, and Charleston.
Bill was about to embark on a new road in his driving career. With the support of his loving wife and a beautiful Kenworth named "Christy" under his feet, the life Bill was about to embark on would be filled with new and exciting experiences.
Stay tuned as Bill becomes an Owner/Operator on America's highways...
And this is the truck Bill will be driving. Keep an eye for him and be sure to say hello when you see him!
While most drivers are happy driving for companies, some still want the freedom of being their own boss.
Bill's been a driver for many years. He started out with MS Carriers in the late 80's. After many years of faithful service, Bill only got a "thank you" for his service when the company closed it's doors and sold it's interests to Swift Transportation. Without warning Bill found himself out of a job with no prospects. After discussing the situation with his loving wife, Bill decided that, in order to avoid a repeat performance from another company, he would get his own rig and haul on his own.
Becoming an Owner/Operator brought a whole new set of worries and concerns. Now, rather than his employer being responsible for fuel taxes, plate fees and all the other operating expenses, Bill would be responsible for paying these bills as well as making payments on his truck and supporting his regular household. This was definitely a huge, daring step, espeically in today's precarious economy.
After searching for a decent late model rig, Bill narrowed his search down to just a handful of trucks. Bill knew he would have to invest in a late model truck that would be dependable and last a long time. Carriers were reluctant to hire O/O's with older equipment simply due to the increased operating expense and increased probability of breakdowns and maintenance. Bill narrowed his search down to a Freightliner Coronado, Peterbilt 379, a Volvo, an International Eagle, and a Freightliner Century. Bill knew he had to make his choice carefully and pick the rig that was best suited to his needs, and not necessarily by the brand the truck carried.
As Bill was heading to Syracuse to meet with his dealer, he happened to remember a small dealer in Albany, NY that might have a truck he could get into for the right price. As he pulled into the lot, Bill saw a handful of trucks, but nothing that really caught his eye. Nonetheless, he got out and started looking at what was on the line. It wasn't long before a salesman came out and introduced himself. Bill told him what his situation was and what he felt he needed for a first truck. After thinking for a minute, the salesman agreed the trucks he currently had on the line probably wouldn't suit Bill's needs. Dejectedly Bill turned to leave. As he started walking toward his pickup, the salesman asked if he might be interested in a truck that was currently being serviced in the shop. The truck was a trade-in and had low mileage. The Cat engine was sound, but the mechanic was going through the rig from bumper to mudflpas to make sure of it's soundness. Bill shrugged his shoulders and figured it couldn't hurt to look, even though he had his suspicions the salesman was just desperate to make a sale.
As they walked back to the shop, Bill came face to face with a late model W900 Series Kenworth, complete with the Aerodyne sleeper package. Bill's breath caught as he took in the beauty of the truck. A crew of technicians were scurrying around the truck like Carpenter Ants building a colony. The hood was tilted and Bill could see the Cat engine in all it's glory being serviced and inspected. Even in the dingy lights of the repair shop, the paint sparkled a brilliant blue and silver. Bill knew he had to take a closer look at this truck and began going over it with a fine toothed comb.
After almost 2 hours of inspecting the truck and seeing what it had for options and such, Bill and the salesman got down to the nitty gritty of dealing. The asking price for the truck was $66,999 and it only had 255k miles on it. The salesman said the price was mostly firm, but a little leeway might be made for the right deal.
After almost 5 hours at the dealer, Bill signed the paperwork taking ownership of the Kenworth. He scored the rig for $64,000 and got 8 new drives and two steers with the deal along with a 300k mile warranty on the engine.
With the deal signed, Bill now just needed to find a carrier to ahul for. Bill wanted to haul for a company that he knew would be around for the long haul. Many names came to mind. Schneider, Swift, Roehl, and J.B. Hunt were just a few that were interested in obtaining Bill's services. One night while sifting through an issue of Overdrive magazine, Bill saw a small ad asking for Owner/Operators to run eith regional or cross country routes. The name didn't ring a bell with Bill, but it seemed to have a different ring to it. TSF...Bill ran the name through his mind and decided to do some checking on the internet to see what this company was all about. After a couple hours of internet surfing, Bill learned that TSF carried a variety of freight not only on the North American continent, but worldwide. This impressed Bill and reinforced his thoughts of wanting to haul for a carrier that was stable and one that would be around for a long time.
Bill filled out the necessary online application and it wasn't long before Mark, one of the recruiters, was calling Bill to talk to him more in depth about his application. Bill knew by the friendliness of the recruiter, also nicknamed "Doc", that he liked what he saw and heard. Bill made the trip to the regional terminal to meet "Doc" and tour the facility. After a week at the terminal, Bill signed the contract and was given 2 weeks to go home and get ready to hit the Eastern Seaboard regional routes. His route would take him from a satellite terminal in Glens Falls, NY to Ocala, Florida with stops in Pittsburgh, Charlotte, and Charleston.
Bill was about to embark on a new road in his driving career. With the support of his loving wife and a beautiful Kenworth named "Christy" under his feet, the life Bill was about to embark on would be filled with new and exciting experiences.
Stay tuned as Bill becomes an Owner/Operator on America's highways...
And this is the truck Bill will be driving. Keep an eye for him and be sure to say hello when you see him!
