Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/135388
How have you or your fleet been preparing for the July 1 enforcement date of the new hours of service rule? "My fleet hasn't even talked to us about it yet, but I run a team, so I'm not affected that much. I feel bad for solo drivers, though. How are they going to make any money?" Kurtis Watkins Tuscaloosa, Ala. Owner-operator leased to Colonial Freight Systems Inc. "It's not going to affect us a whole lot. We always make sure our drivers have adequate breaks, and we've been logging ours for years. Now we just have to document it more officially." Jonathan Odom Mobile, Ala. Independent owner-operator "I haven't done anything about it yet because I don't think it will go through. I think it will get held up in court. If it does go through, though, we're all going to be hurting." Robert Godbold Ocala, Fla. Independent owner-operator "I am considering retiring because of [electronic logs]. We just have loose-leaf logs, but they are considering changing to electronic logs." Chuck Shirey Guntersville, Ala. Owner-operator leased to Pasha Distribution Services PULSE Living a dream P ete Carpenter of Nashville, Tenn., spent 25 years as a one-truck owner-operator, many of them driving team with his wife, Christine. After working for North American Van Lines and FedEx Express, in 2003 the Carpenters finally settled on FedEx Ground. In 2008, "We decided we'd had enough of being on the road and started purchasing other contractors' trucks," Pete Carpenter recalls. That year they bought three small fleets. Then they added three used Volvos, growing the new Pac Trucking to 19 tractors by 2009. Their career track is a good example of what the U.S. Small Business Administration celebrates this month with its National Small Business Week, June 17-21. Many owneroperators make good money and enjoy their work without growing to a small fleet. But it's worthwhile noting what the Carpenters learned about operating under their own authority and expanding beyond one truck. STAY ON TOP OF PAPERWORK. "That will make you or break you," Carpenter says. File papers on time. Use financial services providers. PLAN TIME OFF AROUND FREIGHT. "Take your vacation when there's ice and snow and no one's got freight," he says. USE A PAYROLL SERVICE. The Carpenters use ADP, which provides weekly paychecks and handles financial reports and taxes. "Why would you want to do that if someone else will do it for $92 a week?" USE A GOOD ACCOUNTANT. "They're paid to keep up with that stuff," says Carpenter, who tried to do his own taxes at first. USE A GOOD SHOP. He ran his own at first, then sold it to his head mechanic. "He's got seven full-time employees. He still fixes my trucks." ADD AT LEAST TWO TRUCKS. Having three or more trucks is best suited to the business model of a small fleet. FOCUS ON PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE. Each of the fleet's trucks gets a thorough inspection every 15,000 miles to help avoid expensive downtime on the road. TREAT DRIVERS WELL. Pac Trucking sets His best decision: "We sold everything and bought a truck," says Pac Trucking owner Pete Carpenter. pay rates above average and doesn't shirk on equipment needs – SiriusXM, good seats, mattresses changed every few years. "We know what it takes to be comfortable out there," says Carpenter, who has 10 full-time teams. "Team life is rough." FOCUS ON SAFETY. Pac Trucking gives a 2 cents per mile bonus for any month when there are no violations or customer complaints. That and other safety initiatives have paid off: The company went more than 8 million miles without an at-fault accident until a minor trailer scrape this year. The Carpenters' last five years have seen no shortage of challenges. But Carpenter doesn't shortchange their earlier years, when they embarked upon "our adventure of adventures." "Everyone thought we'd lost our gourds," he recalls. "We sold everything and bought a truck. It was the best thing that ever happened to us." By Max Heine Editorial director mheine@randallreilly.com June 2013 | Overdrive | 5 Voices_0613.indd 5 5/28/13 10:41 PM