My fiancé has a truck. He is moving grain in Illinois. He wants to buy a couple more trucks and start his own trucking company. He might hire a couple owner operators. He works under someone else right now but he wants to cut out the middle man. I will be doing all the billing and office work, misc tax forms for employees and dispatching. First of all I would like to know where would I learn how to do all of this. How to find loads in the area without using a broker. And where would he start as far as getting authority, buying more trucks any answers will be helpful

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Originally Posted by dwinns17

My fiance has a truck. He is moving grain in illinois. He wants to buy a couple more trucks and start his own trucking company. he might hire a couple owner operators. He works under someone else right now but he wants to cut out the middle man. I will be doing all the billing and office work, misc tax forms for employees and dispatching. First of all I would like to know where would I learn how to do all of this. How to find loads in the area without using a broker. And where would he start as far as getting authority, buying more trucks any answers will be helpful

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If neither of you has worked in the management office of a trucking company you have one heck of a learning experience in front of you. Everything I have heard this is a cut throat, razor thin margin business. YOu are going to have to have a very good idea of maintenance costs for your trucks... deal with the road taxes.. insurance issues, on top of being able to get everyone paid (you will be the last to get paid if there is money left over). As far as finding loads... you are going to have to give a compelling reason why those places should leave the carriers they know and trust to go with you... an unknown variable... and expect pushback because you are going to be having to take work others have been getting...

I had a relative that had a fleet of trucks at one time... and know why he eventually gave it up... and what he dealt with.

Good luck with this... You have a sizeable job in front of you.

We have a 1 truck trucking company and I do all the office work.. The reply above is correct in the fact this business is cut throat. Every load is a battle with the broker to get what you need to haul there freight. We have been in this business for 9 years and there are many days I would like to quit. When I get what I want to haul a load, it feels like a victory, but I know this victory is short lived. When you have your own company, you have to pay all the trucking bills before you can pay your household bills, there are many months when fiancés are not available for household bills.

If you decide to get your own authority, I would start with one truck and trailer, until you learn the business.

Good luck.