Becoming an owner-operator may feel like a dream. However, it isn’t for everyone. You need to make sure that you are fully prepared before you step away from your commercial driving job to go out on your own.
Before you get started, you need to ask yourself some serious questions. These should include:
Do I love driving? Before you even consider buying a truck and hitting the road, you need to make sure that you really enjoy the lifestyle. You are going to spend days and weeks on the road, sometimes without coming home. You need to make sure that you are really happy with your career before you decide to invest in a business.
Can I handle the business end of it? Unfortunately, driving isn’t the whole job. You have to think about it as starting a business. Are you ready to keep track of your books? Do you have relationships with vendors and potential clients so that you will have plenty of loads when you need them?
Is your family supportive? You are going to need the support of your family if you are going to succeed at trucking. You may be gone for days and weeks at a time so your husband or wife needs to be on board. He or she will have to take care of the home and family without you.
Are you financially prepared to buy a truck and go into business? In order to succeed at this business, you have to be financially stable. You are going to want to have some savings for any emergencies that occur or days when you might not have as much work to do. You are going to want to be free from debt and have a good credit score so you can get the best deal on a truck.
Going on your own as a commercial driver can be the best decision that you ever make. However, you need to make sure that you love both sides, both the driving and business end. You also want to make sure that you have a supportive family who will stand by you as you buy your first truck and go on the road.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for all of your commercial truck insurance needs. We offer insurance for commercial trucks in Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.
