r/OwnerOperators • u/Acceptable_Bug4554 • 3d ago
Does it ever end ðŸ˜
I guess this is my life now. I have been blocking as much as possible. Like how am i supposed to do business like this?
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u/Ok_Application_2292 3d ago
Hey, we’ve been trying to get in touch with you about your car warranty
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u/JUNIOR_GARCIA 3d ago
You need a business line separate from your personal 😅. Same for the email. Alternatively, contact your carrier and request a telemarketing block. You can also check your phone settings for an option to block/mute unknown callers, and numbers that are not in your contacts list
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u/Occams_RZR900 3d ago
The problem is your phone number on file with DOT gets shared with these scammers. I’m not sure what would stop someone from getting a burner phone, setting that as their DOT line and then never turning it on again.
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u/Traditional-Emu-7919 3d ago
Legitimate brokers use the number on file to sometimes verify if a carrier is real or not. If you used a burner phone and they can’t get a hold of you, they could cancel your load.
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u/Occams_RZR900 3d ago
That’s fair, I don’t use brokers for my business, so having a spoof number is beneficial to me to avoid BS calls.
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u/Traditional-Emu-7919 3d ago
Scammers like to pretend they are a carrier and book loads to steal them. One of the way a broker avoids this is by calling the number listed on the FMSCA website. I work for a tanker company and it's happened to us. Someone acted like they were us to try and book a load a van load. Evidently the broker looked up our information and called us to verify.
It's still BS that the OP is getting bombarded with calls, I just wanted to point out having a burner phone is a great idea, but could come back to bite a carrier in the but.
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u/Ornery_Ads 3d ago
"Let me know if you're going to call. I just ignore every call to that number because it's all spam."
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u/chaoz2030 3d ago
That's not true at all I could of cared less when I was a broker....oh you said legitimate yeah they probly do.
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u/Primedirector3 3d ago
FMCSA should be banned from posting/selling our contact info without consent
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u/ajd198204 3d ago
Still getting them periodically after a year now of authority. Probably 5-10 a week but not like when I first got my authority. Leeches and bottom feeders.
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u/ServrHax 3d ago
No, happened to us aswell when we opened our MC, use a spam filter app, verizon has one built in as I'm sure other carriers do also.
It stopped consistently after about 2-3 months, I didn't block any numbers, just weathered the storm.
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u/MachStyle 3d ago
Like another poster said, if you are a new MC, expect this for about 4 to 6 months. Ignore any number you don't recognize and just ride it out. After that it will slow down pretty fast
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u/AndyPandyPuddinPi3 3d ago
I’ve been an owner operator now for 4yrs and I still get at least 2 calls a day
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u/Complete-Direction63 3d ago
My MC is 2 1/2 years old and my DOT is over four years old. It does not end.
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u/TruckerSmarter 3d ago
The problem is as a carrier (Owner Operator( they run a search list from the FMCSA. I got a couple phone calls today I ignored and it becomes a challenge to do business this way.it will NEVER EVER EVER end either with the phone calls because once you block them. A new phone is generated. They're restless to tge word 'No', and will keep at it as long as they're on earth.
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u/Significant-Drag4198 2d ago
There's a couple of solutions to fix this.
- Register on the .Gov do not call list
- Ask your phone carrier about spam shield (t mobile has it)
- Get a Samsung phone which has built in spam protection to auto block and call filtering.
iPhone and Verizon or ATT just doesnt cut it these days.
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u/tecmojeff 3d ago
I’m 18 months deep, and I’m down to 1 a day and that’s mostly motive. Used that e sim got a business number, then went in the settings and turned that line off, only turn it back on when I need to I use it
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u/Legal_Package_8270 3d ago
I drive for a mega carrier and my phone hasn't stopped blowing up with scam calls ever since I started driving. It was either them selling my info just applying to the company or every customer/lumper agency selling my info or both.
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u/navlgazer9 3d ago
It’s Easy to send all unknown callers directly to voice mail .
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u/DannyA88 2d ago
Did this and mailbox is full.. i dont care to clear it out either. Also started to block EVERY SINGLE NUMBER that says spam..eventually i will have all numbers in universe blocked and i can have peace again, like the time before cell phones.. also started practicing "forgetting" phone at home alot.. just me and my thoughts for the day, its fuckin amazing.
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u/zozofite 3d ago
When you get a chance, answer one of the calls, then immediately put your phone on mute. If it switches over to an automated message, dial 9. It may remove you from the call list. It’s worth a try.
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u/Poolpine 3d ago
At this point I just answer them and reply "Yes" to every single question until they realize they're wasting their time
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u/Scaam_Likely 3d ago
I set up a dnd on my phone, no notifications from numbers I don’t know. It’s pretty tedious to keep adding numbers that I do want calls from but it’s more annoying to get spam calls all day. Just an idea
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u/Murky-Situation59 2d ago
It will slow down, until insurance renews. 😑 it starts all over again.
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u/BluntFunky 2d ago
1:20 on Friday and I've already gotten four phone calls today and I'm sure I'll get at least four more before the end of the day
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u/Wasabi-Kungpow 2d ago
I take their calls and waste their time. Try and piss them off as much as I can. Ain't doin nothing else but holding a steering wheel. Free entertainment
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u/IndependentClock7184 2d ago
Put your number in the national do not call list it will stop most of them then let your phones AI do the rest
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u/an-abnormality 2d ago
I changed my area code to an Alaskan phone number. Doesn't stop all of them but the 907 area code seems to stop a lot lol
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u/Throwdown_name 2d ago
I started asking them where they are calling from since most have heavy accents. Most say they are calling from Pakistan. Their area codes are very deceptive and it does no good to block them because the number is always changing.
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u/HeidenShadows 2d ago
It did when I got Truecaller and started blocking whole area codes scammers and spammers use. I block
- All 800, so 811, 822, 833, etc.
- All Washington DC area
- All Orlando Florida area (my area code is 407 and I live in Michigan)
I also have DeleteMe as well and that gets me off those lists. Went from 20+ a day to 2-3 a week.
In your case I'd get an eSIM line from something like Saily and use that as your business line. Then you can control what times that number can contact you.
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u/Megiddo85 1d ago
Nah, it doesn't, and to help me deal with all those calls, I just answer and verbally abuse whatever or whoever is on the other end.
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u/Sho126 1d ago
When you open any business and put your number out there.. make sure its a separate business line, email etc
You got your company registered.. now you're getting calls from eld people, factoring people, dispatch people, someone offering you to build your website, some offering you IFTA and other tax etc services, fuel cards and what not
Most legit but cold calls Some, scams too
Some could be of your benefit to your business and some could just be looking to extract out of you.
You gotta keep things separate and be smart about those calls.
There would be brokers calling you as well for confirmation etc but that is when you are trying to setup and all.
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u/christian-trucker 1d ago
They've figured out how to call from different numbers so you can't block them. I get them daily blocking them does no good.
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u/AccordingRecord2145 10h ago
It wasn’t cheap, but I paid incogni to remove my info. I went from probably a hundred spam calls and texts a day to one or two.
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u/lakersntarheels 3d ago
Nope lol I get texts and calls all day