I believe that most company drivers at some point consider becoming owner-operators. Most of them possess traits like independence and responsibility which are required in the trucking industry, but they’re also "must-haves" in starting a small business. So, I’m suggesting that it’s in our DNA to want to be owner-operators. The same free spirit that we share, that lures us to this industry will also lure us to try
our hand at becoming an owner-operator. However, many have made the jump without counting the costs and ended up on a fast track to bankruptcy. Nevertheless, if you have the determination to succeed and possess good business sense, I know you can make it. After your successful business plan is in place, you will need to buy a truck. This will probably be the biggest investment in your business so I recommend making a smart decision by purchasing a
SelecTruck.
When I was ready to choose a truck, I spent many hours listing the pros and cons of different manufacturers and dealers and came up with Freightliner and SelecTrucks as my best choices respectively. My first truck was a 2007 Freightliner Columbia that I bought at SelecTrucks of Greensboro, NC. The truck was a one-owner from a local fleet that has been in business for over 80 years. This gave me peace of mind because I knew the fleet had an outstanding maintenance program in place and serviced their trucks regularly. Still, there’s a reason that big companies turn in their trucks as the odometers near 500,000. They know that the maintenance costs will increase as the components age and start to fail. However, the increased maintenance
costs are a drop in the bucket compared to the price of a new truck right off of the assembly line.
SelecTrucks has the best used truck warranty in the business bar none. I am not one who normally purchases warranties on items, but my truck is how I earn my living so I decided to purchase a warranty and am glad that I did. I recouped all of my warranty money back when my turbo and exhaust manifold had to be replaced. That’s nothing unusual with a truck that has over 600,000 miles. Catastrophic maintenance failures are one of the top reasons owner-operators go out of business so any protection from that is mandatory in a successful business plan. The peace of mind that a warranty gives me on an older truck cannot be overstated.