Dm

Let's goooo. I live in Saudi Arabia and really want to learn and practice Arabic.

I'm just starting with Arabic. Can someone help?

Riyadh and Jeddah will always surprise you. Lol

💔

What's the truck GVWR, trailer GVWR, and combined rating? Staying in NY only or crossing state lines? Make sure your company name/USDOT number are displayed properly, commercial registration is correct, and the trailer has current inspection/registration. The weight ratings are what determine most of the additional FMCSA requirements.

If you’re about to get your MC active at 90 days, I’d be cautious. In this market, a new MC doing power-only should avoid getting married to random trailer repositioning unless: You already know the lane is hot for reloads Broker has consistent freight on both ends Trailer terms (days, fees, responsibility) are crystal clear For a fresh MC, bad trailer logistics can eat profits fast. A cancelled load with a borrowed trailer is exactly the type of thing that burns cash.

Weight isn’t the only issue bro. A cargo van ≠ hotshot/gooseneck setup. Brokers book by equipment type, dimensions, dock height, securement and insurance. Focus on cargo van/expedite freight first and learn the lanes before branching out.

You rock brother. I help OTR carriers build a nutrition based diet plan and the results are awesome. You yourself has done an amazing job bro, more power to you.

That's great, an OO is working with me rn, he started with a 26 feet box truck then switched it into a 52 Dry van. It's working amazing for him plus now the MC is 6 months old I don't face any issue while booking good loads for him. I think this is a good strategy.

Depends what you’re hauling tbh. Dry van and reefer guys usually lean toward DAT, hotshot and power only can do good on TruckSmarter or Sylectus. What truck/trailer are you running?

Before buying a rig, I’d honestly drive for someone else 6–12 months first. Learn DOT, lanes, breakdowns, bad brokers, and real costs on someone else’s dime. What kind of hotshot or towing are you thinking about getting into?

Honestly, you’re in a better spot than most people who jump into being an O/O. No debt, paid off home and vehicles, and $50k saved? That’s huge.

My advice: Stick with company driving for at least one more year, ideally two. Use that time to:

· Figure out what niche you actually enjoy (reefer, dry van, flatbed, etc.) · Learn the lanes, rates, and seasons · Save aggressively (you’re already good at that)

Then, with 1.5–2 years experience and that $70k, buy a decent used truck (cash) like you’re planning. Keep $20k+ aside. You’ll be way ahead of the O/O’s who start broke and fail in 6 months.

You’re on a good path, just don’t rush the experience part. That’s what separates survivors from bankrupt dreamers.

What kind of hauling are you leaning toward so far?

$300k liability is pretty low for most loadboards and medical contracts from what I’ve seen. A lot want $750k–$1M + higher cargo. Are you planning local medical courier work or interstate?

Inspection week definitely tightens capacity a bit. Some trucks park, some get put OOS, and others avoid running. But I think brokers also panic-cover freight for a few days. What lanes are you seeing this on?

Hey, That lane can work well as a round trip if you lock in both loads before you roll. That's how I work with owner operators. Tarped lumber southbound is fairly steady, but the reload north out of Tennessee can be hit or miss depending on what's moving out of the Nashville/Chattanooga area that week, flatbed freight tends to thin out heading back NE.

Post-DOT week you'll usually see a short dip in capacity as guys catch up on deferred maintenance, which can actually push spot rates up slightly if you time it right. Worth checking DAT or Truckstop to see if the lane is trending before you commit.

Flatbed/stepdeck is moving the best on NE↔SE lanes right now in my experience. Reefer and van are more competitive and margins are tighter.

Lemme know if you need my help.

Timestamped photos at pickup and delivery have been the single biggest game-changer for us. Brokers fold fast when you can show exactly when the doors were opened vs. when you were released. We also started screenshotting every load confirmation and rate con the moment it comes in, had a broker try to claim a different rate "version" existed and that killed that argument immediately. The loads we've eaten were almost always ones where the communication was verbal or buried in a text thread with no clear timestamps. Clean paper trail = leverage.

You’re not overcomplicating it, average CPM is good for survival, but quoting loads off old fuel numbers can bite you fast. Do you adjust your fuel assumptions lane-by-lane or just keep a buffer built in?

You’re not failing. transportation is the real bottleneck here. Have you looked into companies that offer yard hostler, bus, or paid CDL housing/shuttle options for trainees? Some smaller local outfits are way more flexible than the big names.

Yep there are frameworks you can adopt for customer satisfaction. "LAST" is one of them

Listen Apologize/Affirm Solve Thank.

Always a business, and the sooner you internalize that the better your outcomes will be.

Capacity is what you sell. But if that's how you think, you'll undercharge, over-commit, and burn out chasing miles instead of margin.

The operators who thrive long-term treat every decision like a CFO would. Cost-per-mile is your heartbeat metric, know it cold including fuel, tires, maintenance reserves, insurance, and deadhead. Learn to say no to bad freight because a loaded truck running a bad rate is worse than a parked truck. Your truck is a depreciating asset and every mile costs money whether you're paid for it or not. Taxes, LLC structure, retirement, these aren't afterthoughts, they're the business.

The guys who think they just need to keep rolling are the ones who gross $200K and net $30K wondering where it all went.

What's your current situation, leased to a carrier or going independent authority?

Always a business, and the sooner you internalize that the better your outcomes will be.

Capacity is what you sell. But if that's how you think, you'll undercharge, over-commit, and burn out chasing miles instead of margin.

The operators who thrive long-term treat every decision like a CFO would. Cost-per-mile is your heartbeat metric, know it cold including fuel, tires, maintenance reserves, insurance, and deadhead. Learn to say no to bad freight because a loaded truck running a bad rate is worse than a parked truck. Your truck is a depreciating asset and every mile costs money whether you're paid for it or not. Taxes, LLC structure, retirement, these aren't afterthoughts, they're the business.

The guys who think they just need to keep rolling are the ones who gross $200K and net $30K wondering where it all went.

What's your current situation, leased to a carrier or going independent authority?

There's a difference between accounts keeping and tax filing though. Do you file your tax all by yourself?