Having quality equipment is essential for any successful transport company. It's not only important for the company's reputation, but also for OTR transport. Finding the best truck supplies isn't difficult either. The most important step to being a successful owner-operator is to support the right niche market.
This step also affects small fleet owners. The market you choose determines the equipment you buy, the rates you charge and the freight lanes you can service. Load boards and runners can be very useful when you have an empty truck, but they are also expensive. Runners stay between 10% and 20% of the freight price, as they must earn a living and provide a service to the sender (and you).Trucking is a business that requires a lot of cash flow.
You're always buying fuel, paying for insurance, paying for trucks, etc. Unless you get quick payments, shippers and brokers can pay bills within 15 to 30 days. This delay can create a cash flow problem for you, especially in the early days of the company. It is common practice for airlines to reimburse their new students for the money they paid or borrowed for their tuition, but the way in which it is paid and the amount available to pay varies between different companies. Every company has a set tuition reimbursement limit, so make sure that limit covers all your education costs.
Companies also offer different payment plans; some depend on miles or time spent, and others are paid directly to you or your credit institution. When you're a professional truck driver, when you're on the road, your truck is your home. I once heard a driver compare living in a truck to camping every day, which is a pretty fair comparison. So, keeping that analogy in mind, you'll want to make sure that your 'tent' is not only in safe operating condition, but is also a comfortable place to live. Most truck manufacturers are starting to pay much more attention to driver comfort, so it's important to learn about the average age of trucks a company operates.
Newer trucks will provide more convenience and help make your transition to trucking much easier. Making sure trucks are well maintained with quality equipment and proactive preventive maintenance programs should also play a role. If you look at the federal score mentioned in the Safety section, it can also inform you about the operating status of the equipment they use. Benefits aren't always a black and white issue, but they can be an important consideration depending on your needs and the needs of your family. Ask about coverage, costs and provider networks for health insurance.
See what type of retirement plans the company offers and if the company matches any percentage of your contribution. Check to see if you will be offered paid vacation and also vacation payments. These are things like long days or nights on the road, time away from family, and more common employment markers such as pay and benefits. But when you find a good truck driver company to work for, it's not uncommon for you to stay with it for many years or even your entire working life. Obviously salary is the main reason for employment, so it's an important factor to consider, but the best truck driving companies will be able to answer these questions and leave little doubt in your mind. While these benefits aren't direct money in your pocket, they can often be more crucial than the actual paycheck you receive regularly. The ability to grow, adapt and find new opportunities in a company is an important aspect to consider when looking for work in a truck driving company.
Being able to transition to a new position or move up in a company helps when lifestyle and family situations change throughout your career. It is important to analyze what opportunities a company offers now and in the future. The thing is that all transportation companies make money the same way - transporting as much cargo as possible as safely and efficiently as possible - right? They all use the same roads, the same types of trucks, the same fuel, often the same customers and operate under the same laws. Therefore there are very few ways in which a transport company can differentiate itself from the rest. And in fact when you've been in the industry long enough and you've worked for several different companies, you realize that many aspects of different companies are pretty much the same. Larger companies have an enormous amount of resources available - they have tons and tons of different types of cargo and driving opportunities - often local jobs, dedicated jobs where you stay with a customer or travel a route all the time; regional jobs; travel on the road; etc. The organization makes or fails a transport company - logistics is one of the most important aspects of road transport - without good coordination deliveries can be delayed or even lost - no matter how hard they try if a trucking company's trucks aren't reliable then their services aren't either. Most people outside of trucking don't understand all of the responsibilities associated with being a professional truck driver - truckers pay taxes based on fuel used while driving around states regardless of where they originally purchased it. The most important factor in determining happiness and success in trucking is yourself - Connecteam is leading solution for transportation & dispatch companies - it's comprehensive application equipped with everything needed to run daily operations smoothly - but those who don't have what it takes usually fail from day one - one of hardest things about being truck driver is often time it takes off road. Transport companies will weed out weak & at same time those who have what it takes will find success & happiness.
