Still considering? Here are a few points to ponder before you take a long walk off what could be a very short pier:

1. Know your costs to the penny-all your costs. That includes the cost of running the truck, plus the cost of insurance, safety and compliance, communications, collections, legal fees, etc. There’s often more there than meets the eye. Bev Robinson says she wouldn’t even consider turning her own key for less than $1.60 US per mile.

2. Know the implications of being a carrier, not just an owner-operator. Carriers are subject to audits and certain other unpleasantries that can tax the spirit as well as the bank account. Are you ready to assume the administrative burden that goes along with earning bigger bucks? Remember, non-compliance at this level can carry steep penalties and
liabilities.

3. To what extent will you rely upon load brokers for a source of revenue? Without tarring and feathering the entire load broker community, there are plenty of characters in that business who are here today and gone tomorrow.

If the lanes you’re servicing are steady, you’ll be able to develop relationships with the brokers, and you’ll learn who can be trusted. But don’t believe for a minute that there’s a living to be made hauling a steady diet of brokered freight.

4. Go weigh the bad deal you’re getting from your present carrier and compare that with the potential cost of going it alone. Take a real good look. Maybe it’s not as bad as you think.