Up Front Expenses

[belmor]

I was a OTR driver for a while and am considering buying an expdeitor, as a former truck mechanic, i know about equipment expenses and maintenence, I have calculated truck notes, and fuel but what i need to know is what the expenses are in registering/insuring a D truck
1.) If you get insurance thru the carrier you are leased to do you have to have additional insurance?
2.)Where do you get the truck's base plate and what is the usual cost for it?
3.) What other expenses are associated with a start-up of this type when one plans to lease to a large company like fedex cc, panther 2, or tri-state
Any help that can be given is much appreciated
Ben Elmore
Richmond, VA

 

[Weave]

The company you lease to will usually provide some or all of the liability insurance, but you will need your own non-trucking liability and deadhead insurance. Sometimes the company can help you obtain it. This is somewhat expensive for me living in NYS, about $250 a month, but is much cheaper in other states.
I have an OK base plate, which is about $650 a year. OK allows you to get a plate there to avoid paying sales tax on the purchase of the truck, and from what I gather their annual cost is cheap compared to other states. The amount of running you do affects the annual cost a bit with fuel taxes.
Some companies have start up costs such as sign installation, qualcomm installation, and my all time favorite "raspberry" escro account deductions. These things can be anywhere from $500-1500. There are some places to lease to with no start up costs at all.
-Weave-