Many people dream about owning their own trucking business. They can pick what they want to haul and where they want to go. They can do short trips or, if they prefer, long ones.
However, it is not the easiest way to make a living (especially when you are first starting out). Here are some tips for owner-operators.
Make sure that you have plenty of money to get this business started. Not only do you have to buy a truck (and possibly a trailer), you are going to have to have enough money for maintenance. Fuel costs are also going to come out of your pocket until you get paid.
If you don’t have a lot of money, your truck payments could really hurt your business. Then, if something breaks down, you aren’t going to have the means to get your truck back up and running.
Being a mechanic helps (but isn’t required) for the job. If you are able to fix your truck whenever it breaks, you could save yourself a lot of money. However, if you aren’t able to, that doesn’t mean that you can’t do it. Just make sure that you know a good mechanic that you trust to keep your truck in good working order.
That being said, maintenance is key to keeping your truck on the road. Though you may find yourself too busy to do maintenance on your truck, it is important. If you keep after your tires and regulate the fluids in your truck, it is going to last longer. Perform regular checks to make sure that everything is working properly. If found early, problems are often much cheaper to fix. If left go, you could be dealing with expensive fixes that can take you and your truck off of the road for a few weeks (or even months).
If you want to be an owner-operator, you have to be smart. It helps if you have a lot of money. It takes a lot of capital to buy a truck and to keep it in good working condition. If you aren’t mechanical, it is important that you know someone who is. Don’t forget about the maintenance. It will keep your truck on the road for much longer.
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.
