Question:
i have been driving for about a year and a half and am tired of my job of humping 2500+ cases of beer into stores every week. i have considered buying my own tractor but am unsure of how i would go about getting work. how do the brokers work? any other info on this subject would be appreciated

Answer:
Before you do anything- Research,research & more research!!!!!!!!!!
Good Luck to you!
Answer:
Get yourself a company job, where you can do the kind of work, that you want to do.
Spend several years at it, while you pay attention to the cost to operate the truck, what happens to others, unexpected expense, ect.
Then, pay attention to the regulatory environment, business cycles, ect.
Then, you may be ready to consider buying a truck, for a specific application.Government Ain't YO' Friend. Nor your Servant.
A Tax Reduces Incentive & Capacity. A Regulation is also a TAX.


Answer:
Maybe you should float your question on the O/O Board? BOL

Answer:
I too have been looking into getting my own trk & authority.(I have 16yrs OTR exp.)
That's why I just spent (3)Three days in KC(Community College), getting some insight into what I need to do to get started.(sponsored by )
WOW!!! There is a LOT!!! to know & do.(even if you don't want your own authority.)
I will expand more on the class later in a different thread.

Answer:
Well, the first thing you should do is read Maestro's posts on having your own authority, and maybe pull up CaboverPete's stuff from last year about doing the same.
Then, find a company job somewhere doing the type of work that you want to do. At this point, humping beer may have trained you to actually drive the truck well enough, but you need to learn the types of freight, the rates involved, decide what lanes you want to run, figure out the costs, gather the info you need to make solidly backed decisions, and spend about two years making sure that you have all of your ducks lined up in neat little rows.
By then, you'll have an idea of how much truck you need to buy, how much it will cost to operate it, where you are going to maintain it, and all the details that go along with ownership. At that point, you can decide to make the full leap into your own authority, or whether to find the right company and lease the truck on to them.
Most folks that come on here with this sort of plan are just starting to drive and the option is unrealistic for them. You have been driving long enough not to be in that boat, but you probably need to broaden your experience base some before making this leap.As long as the paperwork's clean, you boys can do whatever you want to out on the road" Mad Max ...1979

Answer:
To Add to what others have said. Ask around and see whats paying and whats not.
Be a bad day if you bought a 3-axle truck with a condo sleeper and the only jobs around are for 2 axle daycabs hauling bottom dumps.

Answer:
Try different styles of trucking as a company driver if possible , easier than switching around as an O/O.
As for being an O/O do you want local , regional , long haul, where you are located also has an impact on what you can do , work you can get as well as the type of truck you need and the $ its going to cost to get up and running.

Answer:
Until you have a good cash reserve you don't even want to consider buying a truck. It takes a lot of money to support and feed a truck. You need to have a few years driving experience before you jump into ownership.