Oh, there ARE people who slap on a Wal Mart winky light, handwrite a sign and duct tape it to the door, and use a $39 CB radio and POOF! they are in business.  Those folks might make what they think is good money for a little while, but ultimately they wither on the vine.

I am not saying that you need tens of thousands of dollars to break into this business.  However, there ARE some basic expenses that you should plan to meet if you are serious about being in business for yourself.

Let’s assume that you have a serviceable vehicle that you can use for your business.  Whether it is a car, van, or pickup truck, you will have to spend at least $1000 to make it ready.  You will need at least one reliable amber colored light.  That is going to cost you about $150 for just one.  You might get good service from that Wal Mart winky light for a couple of weeks, but not much more than that.  You really should plan on having at least TWO lights.  Only a few states allow one light;  most require two rotating or strobe lights.  Some states, such as New York, require 47 inch light bars.  Those will cost you between $250 at $2100, depending on how fancy you want to be.  Generally, you can find light bars on sale on eBay, or at local government auctions when police departments swap out their older light bars for new styles.

Incidentally, one hidden cost in using lights is the demand on the alternator and/or the battery of your vehicle.  You should be prepared to replace your alternator more often than normal, or to install a heavy duty alternator.  Many folks simply carry a spare alternator with them.

You are going to need at least a good CB radio.  That $39 dollar radio might work well if you plan just to chase loads.  Their limited power output limits the distance you can be from the load, and THAT becomes a problem if you get too far out front of the load.  You’ll just have to experiment with it.  I have found serviceable radios at pawn shops, and sometimes at  yard sales.  I have bought radios through eBay, and through retailers.  Generally, you will spend around $130 for a new brand name CB radio…more if you want more features.  For example, my backup radio has the weather channels, along with a switch that allows me to jump from CH 19 to CH 9 to whatever channel I have dialed in.  Having the weather channels available allows you to keep up with what is going on around you or along your route of travel.  The channel switch is useful if you are on a load where the driver wants to be on something other than the standard road channel 19.  If you are on two lane roads out front, and on another channel, being able to switch to CH 19 with a quick flip of the channel allows you to warn oncoming big trucks about your load and then quickly go back to your escort channel.

You will need AT LEAST two OVERSIZE LOAD signs.  First, let’s talk about front and rear bumper signs.  Many people use the flexible, foldable signs that you can purchase at truck stops.  Here is a piece of advice:  stay away from the plastic signs!  They tend to sag and stretch, especially during hot weather.  I actually have seen signs droop enough to fall under the front wheels and get ripped from the vehicle.  Sometimes, the vehicle is damaged, depending upon how the signs were mounted.  It has been so long since I have used those, but I am thinking the price runs around $20.  If  you use metal or wood signs, plan to spend about $100, give or take a few dollars.  In addition,  you are going to need to figure out how to mount those signs.  Keep these factors in mind:  you want to keep open the opening to your grill and radiator; you want to leave your license plate visible; and you want to ensure that you do not cover your lights, including front headlights and turn signals, as well as brake lights and turn signals.

If  you operate in states that require overhead signs, don’t even THINK about using flexible signs.  I have seen some people attempt it, and it never seems to work.  Sooo…you are going to need to plan on some sort of mounting system.  If you have a pickup truck, you can purchase or build a “headache rack” on which to mount your signs.  If you drive a van or car, obviously you will need to find a mounting sytem on line or have someone build you one.  Either way, you are probably going to spend something in the range of $150 for the mounting system alone, plus the cost of the sign (again…about $100).  Most states which require overhead signs will not allow expanded metal signs out of concern that sunlight shining through them make the OVERSIZE LOAD invisible.  They will allow louvered signs, providing the louvers overlap enough that the sun cannot shine through to the other side.  Solid signs, even when angled, will cost you about 3 MPG when you use it.  Expanded metal signs drop your fuel economy about the same amount.  Louvered signs only drop it between 1 to 1.5 MPG.  That is a HUGE difference the more miles you drive.  Louvered signs will cost you about $300, if you can find them.

Then, there are the “little” things that you’ve got to have.  You will need at least three 18 inch high orange traffic cones.  You can get those at the Home Depot or Lowe’s, or online for about $16 to $18 apiece.  Truck stops have those cones, but most of the ones I have seen are 16 inches, not 18 inches.  You can purchase collapsible cones for about $120 per set.  I have written about those on this site before.

You will need at least two sets of traffic triangles.  Usually, they come three to a set.  They are available at Wal Mart, truck stops, and online for about $15 each.  Some states require three sets.  You will need a first aid kit.  In most states, even the most basic first aid kit is acceptable.  If you really want to be useful at an accident scene, you will want a more extensive kit.  The basic kits are available for around $6-7.  More useful kits will cost more than $20, or more than $100.  In addition, you will need at least ten pounds of fire extinguishers.  Most states will allow two five-pound fire extinguishers.  You can find them online, at hardware stores, truck stops, and safety equipment stores.  Plan on spending about $20 apiece for those.  (Speaking from personal experience, ten pounds of fire extinguishers don’t go very far on a fire…just a word of caution!)

Once you’ve got all of that together, you will need to get the right kind of insurance for your vehicle.  Above all, BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE COMMERCIAL LIABILITY INSURANCE.  If you plan to operate only in your own state, you might be able to get along with basic liability coverage.  However, most states require a higher coverage.  Some states require up to $1 million commercial liability, and a few others require $1 million GENERAL LIABILTY insurance as well.  Those can cost you between $1600 to $2500 per year, depending upon a lot of factors.

Now…you’ve got to think about operating funds.  There are those people new to this business, and a few “seasoned” operators, who operate solely on payment at the end of the run basis.  In my experience, those are rare indeed.  Realistically, you should plan on waiting at least 30 days for your money.  If you operate through a broker, add another two weeks to that.  You probably need about $2000 in hand to be able to operate one month without any income.  That does NOT include your rent or mortgage payment and utilities.

There are lots of incidentals that will pop up unexpectedly that will cost you money.  For example, one critical expense will be the cost of certification.  In my next issue, I will discuss certification requirements and make suggestions for your training.

Nothing I write here can fully describe Ellen Diltz.  I simply am not eloquent enough to do justice to her memory.  It is sad that you never will have the opportunity to meet such a special person.  She really was a rare one!

Ellen was beautiful inside as well as outside.  She was a devoted Christian who lived her faith by example.  She truly loved her fellow man.  That is why she chose her career field as a nurse.  Ellen was a highly skilled labor and delivery nurse at Baylor Medical Center, but she also seriously considered working in hospice.  She loved the idea of bringing new life into the world, but she believed that she could help in that transition to death.  She thought labor and delivery and hospice were part of the same continuum.  She not only was adored by her colleagues, her patients and their families loved her as well.  At Baylor, they give patient care buttons to staff who get five letters from patients and/or their families.  Ellen received five pins over her 25 year career.

Ellen Diltz was absolutely charismatic!  I fell in love with her on the very first time I met her.  We talked for about three hours that night after my son Jeremy and her daughter Elizabeth introduced us.  I proposed to her the first time just five days later.  She was intelligent, warm hearted and witty woman.  She had a way of blinking her eyes that attracted my attention.  Her laughter, which came often, was like music to my ears.

Ellen was completely devoted and unselfish when it came to her children.  She had two children at home and one in college.  She worked the graveyard shift so she could be with her children during the day.  She got home about 7:30 AM, got her kids off to school, and slept during the day.  If there were school activities for her children during the day, she attended and participated, no matter how little sleep she got.  Although her income fell dramatically following her divorce, Ellen made sure that her daughter Mary had an elegant church wedding and full reception.  She just worked extra hours to make up the difference.  She ensured that her daughter Elizabeth got to attend the University of Texas.  For her son Michael, she made selfless choices that were good for him, but not necessarily for her.

Ellen fell ill in April 2003.  She was diagnosed with ALL-a form of leukemia that is highly deadly for adults.  She attacked the problem with vigor.  She underwent chemotherapy and then radiation treatment, followed by three different bone marrow transplants.  She encouraged the doctors to aggressively treat her.  For example, when they were giving her steroids to suppress the grant-host disease (a reaction to the bone marrow transplant), she told them to back off because she felt it would help her body accept the new bone marrow more completely and quickly.  Because of that, she itched over her entire body and the skin on her fingers and hands cracked..but she was willing to do everything she could to beat her leukemia.

During her illness, Ellen retained her sense of humor and her loving spirit.  She made every birthday of every one of her children special.  She joined in leukemia support organizations.  She remained a passionate and loving companion.

Ellen was my best friend.  I told her all the dark secrets of my life and she never violated my trust.  She was devoted to me as I was to her.  Often one of us would begin a sentence, and the other would complete it.  It was not unusual for someone to stop us at a Wal Mart or in a shopping mall and comment on how obviously we loved each other.

After fighting leukemia very hard for two years, Ellen died peacefully at Baylor Medical Center on April 6, 2005, while a nurse softly sang “It Is Well”.  I will miss her very much!