Once Joe realized he needed to slow down and think through his business start-up by creating a business plan he decided to keep running while he completed his planning. Even though that Kenworth still looked realllly good at the dealership there would be other trucks just as cool. Joe wanted to do this right.
Joe looked at his watch, that last stretch of construction had really put him behind. Twenty four miles of one lane road and not one construction worker…Joe looked at his watch again and sighed. He was scheduled to visit with his uncle again soon and he was running behind. Finally, Joe made it to the new Flying J in Siloam, Ga. He had just enough time to put in 100 gallons of fuel, clean up a little, eat some dinner and had five minutes to collect his thoughts before it was time to call his uncle.
Joe and his Uncle talked about the many different types of business plans. It was obvious to Joe that there was no such thing as a cookie cutter business plan. Joe had been wondering if he could just copy someone else’s plan and save himself the trouble of writing his own. Uncle John felt, while you could learn from reading other plans, the best plans were done from scratch.
After an hour of discussion Joe and his uncle agreed on a general format which would be detailed enough to be a good plan without going overboard for Joe’s one truck company. Here is what Joe wrote on his legal pad:
Executive Summary: overview of most important points of business plan and what would make my company special or stand out.
Company Description: mission statement, company overview, general information about trucking industry, legal structure.
Products & Services: which sector of the trucking industry the company will be serving and pricing info.
Marketing & Sales: type of customers the company will market to, customer profile, competitive, sales strategy.
Operations: Legal, license & insurance issues and other milestones.
Management: responsibilities, organizational chart, advisors.
Financials: Profit & loss, cash flow, balance sheet, financing, debt schedule, use of funds and assumptions, break-even analysis.
When Joe hung up the phone he wasn’t totally intimidated by this business plan stuff. OK, maybe it was a little intimidating but Joe trusted his uncle that this was the right move. Uncle John promised Joe if he took each section of the business plan one at a time it would make the whole process seem easier. What was the joke his uncle told him&emdash;how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Check in on Joe soon as he starts creating an outline for the Executive Summary of his business plan.
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Any fool can have a trophy wife, but it takes a real man to have a trophy marriage &emdash; Diane Sollee
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Several years ago our small trucking company landed a new customer. The contract called for five of our sixteen trucks to begin running Just in Time routes for a local manufacturer. Because each route required a team operation we decided that I should come out of the office and into one of the trucks until we could get all five teams up and running. It took thirty-six weeks to get all five teams in place. Finally, I was able to come out of the truck and back into the office. Needless to say it was an extremely difficult time for our business but even more so for my marriage.
This was a dark period for our marriage. My wife was at home with three kids, working full time and struggling to keep things together. The cell phone helped but back in those days we were paying over a dollar a minute for roaming charges. We had some REALLY big cell phone bills. I can’t imagine how O/O’s from the past got along without cell phones.
Looking back it was probably the lowest point in our marriage. I was totally focused on keeping our contract (the contract did become a significant money maker for our company) and my wife was focused on holding herself and the family together. This caused little energy left to focus on our marriage.
In order to be successful in any business year in and year out you need to keep your life in balance. It’s easy for O/O’s to fall into the trap of totally focusing on running hard and losing site of other important areas of our lives.
To that end, Trucker Blog is beginning a series of posts from United Marriage Encounter (UME). UME, founded in 1975, encourages strong marriages through Marriage Encounter Weekends. The UME series of posts will give you concrete ideas and concepts to help you keep your spouse as the central focus of your life AND to help you keep running and making money.
We hope you enjoy this seris of posts. Be sure to let us know your questions or comments. To find out UME weekends in your area check out their website for dates and locations.
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The Chicago Tribune has a story about an accident involving a semi and a car in Northern Illinois. It was an awful tragedy as both passengers in the car were killed. The driver of the semi realized he was over-weight on a posted road and was attempting to make a U-turn. The accident happened when the car, at 3:50 am, struck the middle of the trailer. The truck driver was unhurt.
The thoughts and prayers of all of us at Trucker Blog go out to all involved and their families.
The business you have chosen is extremely dangerous. Truck driving is a perennial leader on the “America’s Most Dangerous Jobs” list.
Be extra safe and double check your route before you ever release your brakes. Know your interstate inter-changes, exits, fuel stops especially if you have to go thru major cities on your route. DO YOUR SAFTEY CHECKS.
Another area to double check is the directions to your stops. If you’re like me the last 2-3 miles before your stop can be frustrating. I know I’ve set records for U-turns (I once missed the driveway to the loading dock three times) and every time I did it I was lucky not to be in a serious accident. Write your directions clearly so you can read them. It also helps to create a system for writing your directions and use it every time. This way you’ll be able to quickly re-check so you don’t loose concentration on the road.
Every one of us has at some point found ourselves in a tough spot. Bad things can happen. BUT, do yourself, your family, others motorists and your business liability insurance a favor and do EVERYTHING you can to stay out of the REALLY BAD situations.
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Joe finally made his decision. He was ready. No more forced dispatch. He was going to be the owner and he was going to make the decisions. In fact, the more he thought about it the more excited he got. He couldn’t wait to get home and get things started. Here was Joe’s plan:
1. Tell his dispatcher he needed a few days off. Probably 4-5 days would do.
2. He could go to the Kenworth dealer when he got home; he had an old friend who was a salesman. Joe was sure he’d get a good deal.
3. He could probably sign a lease with his current company they had several O/O’s already leased on. He could talk to the company owner when he got home.
4. Worst case scenario he could be up and running by the end of next week for sure.
The next morning Joe was out of the bunk at the crack of dawn and into the Petro for a quick breakfast when he had an idea. Joe’s uncle had bought and sold several businesses. Joe thought it would be a good idea to call his uncle. You never know, thought Joe, he might have missed something. In later years, Joe would credit that phone call to his uncle as the single most important decision he ever made.
Uncle John listened intently as Joe poured out his ideas for starting his business including the four step plan. Uncle John was thrilled that his nephew was thinking about his own business. But, Uncle John was very concerned about Joe’s start-up plan. Uncle John knew that the number one reason for new small business faliures was a lack of planning. Uncle John also knew there were other pitfalls as well but those could be dealt with through proper planning. Uncle John stressed the benefits of a business plan:
1. The process of putting a business plan together forces the person preparing the plan to look at the business in an objective and critical manner.
2. It helps to focus ideas and serves as a feasibility study of the business’s chances for success and growth.
3. The finished report serves as an operational tool to define the company’s present status and future possibilities.
4. It can help you manage the business and prepare you for success.
5. It is a strong communication tool for your business. It defines your purpose, your competition, your management and personnel. The process of constructing a business plan can be a strong reality check.
6. The finished business plan provides the basis for your financing proposal.
When Joe hung up he was both excited and disappointed. He was excited because he knew his Uncle was right. Proper planning would help make his new business a success. He was disappointed because he REALLY wanted that new Kenworth.
Joe and his Uncle agreed they would spend the next several days creating a business plan which was appropriate for Joe’s new business. Thanks to his Uncle, Joe was off to a good start.
Come back and visit to “listen” in as Joe and Uncle John discuss what his business plan should look like in our next post.
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I must be on a generator kick today. Here is a site that offers generators for trucks. The site has a great table which illustrates how expensive it is to idle your truck. It also illustrates how much money an O/O might expect to pocket by adding a generator. Check this site out. You’ll be amazed how much you can save.
Trucker Blog will be covering topics such as the use of generators as a way to increase net revenue in a series of posts about Joe. Joe is a fictional driver who is going through the process of planning and starting his own small business as an O/O.
We would like some feedback from O/O’s who have generators in their trucks. I was never lucky enough to have one in my truck. Let us know your thoughts at Nathan@truckerblog.org
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As you can probably tell Trucker Blog is just getting started so our site doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, yet. So today’s monumental occasion is the addition of our first Blog Role link.
Caterpillar has been a major player in the trucking industry for decades and is positioning itself to be a world wide leader for on highway truck engines. Caterpillar sponsors the No. 22 car driven by Dave Blaney in the NEXTEL Cup Series.
The blog role link is an interesting story on Caterpillar generators providing power for the television coverage of NASCAR races. The story of Caterpillar and their generators is amazing. It is unbelievable the ways in which these generators are used all over the world.
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I’d like to introduce you to Joe. Joe’s a good driver and good guy. He has run over the road for 15 years. During the years he has worked for a few companies&emdash;some good and some not so good.
Joe’s been thinking for the last several months that it’s time for him to take the plunge. He’s talked it over with his wife, his friends and even the owner of the company he’s currently running for and everyone keeps telling him the same thing “Joe, it’s time to buy your own truck. You can do it.” Even with all the encouragement he has some real concerns.
Joe has never run a business before. He knows how to run hard, his record keeping is excellent, he is courteous to customers and communicates well with the guys in the shop to ensure the company truck he drives is in good running condition. Joe does all the little things it takes to be a great driver. But owning your own business? That’s an entirely different ballgame. Joe doesn’t have a lot of confidence in himself that he can run a truck and a business at the same time. He thinks, he rationalizes, he talks himself in and out of the idea a hundred different times. Finally, he decides “I’m gonna do it.”
Ok, I admit it Joe is actually a figment of my imagination. However, Joe’s situation is similar to many drivers who want to become small business owners as O/O’s. Just like Joe they wonder (and rightly so) if they have the skills it takes to be successful both behind the wheel and behind the desk.
Whether you’re thinking of becoming an O/O or your name is already on the door, Joe’s struggles, success, setbacks and triumphs will be helpful to you as you move forward with your own business opportunities.
Thanks for stopping by Trucker Blog and come back soon to see how Joe handles his first big hurdle—his Business Plan.
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Hello and welcome to the first post for Trucker Blog. We are really excited you stopped by for a visit. If you are an Owner Operator (O/O) or dreaming of becoming an O/O you’re in the right place. Trucker Blog is designed for you.
Over the next several days and weeks we will be buiding a blog based on topics and issues important to you and the success of your business.
We know you love trucking and so do we. We can’t wait to get this blog up and running.
Thanks again for visitng and please come back soon.
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March 10th, 2007 | Tags:
trucking | Author:
admin | Comments:
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