Back in 2008, USA Today declared the death of independent trucking as an industry. The rising cost of gas and the encroachment of large trucking companies, the story claimed, had driven most independent owner-operators into bankruptcy and made it nearly impossible to earn a living doing independent trucking jobs. Before you sound the death knell, however, have a chat with the thousands of men, women and couples around the country who are doing quite well as independent truckers, thank you very much. They’ve taken advantage of new technology, the Internet and person-to-person contacts to develop their own ways to find trucking jobs among regular clients and one-off assignments that keep their trucks loaded and their pockets full. Here are a few tips from professional truckers on how to find the right trucking jobs in the easiest ways possible.
Get Organized
Organization makes everything easier. Set up a contact list of people you know at trucking companies and note which ones are good for what kinds of jobs. Organize your own personal information, including your professional licenses, equipment list, mileage logs and trip itineraries. You should be able to put your fingers on any piece of information you might be asked by a potential client. In addition, the better your records are, the easier it will be for you to bill customers and collect what’s due to you.
Plan Ahead
When you take a job, plan your return trip before you leave. There’s no sense in traveling empty if you can make a buck on the way back. Search every posting load board for trucking jobs at or near your destination and make arrangements to make money at every step of your trip.
Be Proactive
Nearly every posting load board also allow truckers to post trucks free, so take advantage of the opportunity. Post your truck’s availability so that trucking companies and independents that need to ship items can contact you and book your truck for the job.
Find Trusted Brokers
Brokers get a bad rap in the industry, a necessary evil with middlemen cutting into profits on independent trucking jobs. There are always a few bad apples that sour the barrel for everyone else, but there are at least as many honest trucking brokers who will deal with truckers honestly and provide protections that most small independents don’t have. Some brokers, for example, make it a practice to pay contractors even when the customer doesn’t, and provide backup for billing and assistance.
The demise of the independent trucker may have been widely reported, but it was largely mistaken. If you know where to look and how to find trucking jobs, it’s still possible to make a good living on the road as an indie owner-operator.