Need advice

[guest]

I am a retired State Trooper looking to get into the business. I've driven for someone for a few years but now that I am retired I want to go out on my own. I never worked in the commercial vehicle division so I have no idea how things work but...

I was looking at buying a cargo van and becoming an owner /operator for a national company. While doing research about the need for cargo vans in my area I found a warehousing company (over 2 million sq. feet) that tells me that they are always looking for cargo vans for JIT loads. My question is this; if I'm only operating a cargo van (under 10,000 GVW) do I need to affiliate myself with a company and let them get a percentage of my work or can I simply buy the van and go to work? I realize I’ll need insurance on the van and cargo insurance as well as a business license but do I need to operate under someone's "authority" for a van?

If I do need to operate under someone's authority what about going to the company that I was going to hire on with and trying to work a better deal since I am bringing them the business, not the other way around?

 

[teacel]

Welcome to the site. Here is a link that will answer your question.

For information on who needs to get a DOT Number, please look at the following site:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/whatis/regions/faqs.html

As long as you will not carry any hazmat loads you don't need US DOT#. You will still need a MC# and that you can get yourself. If you are going to stay in your own state doing deliveries you may however need to apply for a PUC# instead of the MC#.
The company you will be delivering for may also want you to carry Liability and cargo insurance, but you should ask them.
As for the question about going to a national company and working out a deal, forget the address. You will get the short end of the stick. Trust me!!! Why would you want to split with them when you can do it yourself? You may also ask the people at the warehouse if they don't have something set up for you to hire on as an IC with them.

 

[Weave]

A simple "Thanks Tony" would be nice, instead we get threats of tickets from a retired class act of a state trooper one month after he joins the EO forums? Nice, makes us SO glad to try to help folks on this site!
-Weave-