Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

So you’re ready to take the big step into becoming an owner operator. Of course you’ve done your homework on planning, financial, insurance, etc. If you haven’t, you’re being a fool and need to go back to square one – being prepared for the worst situation that could arise. Is your family agreeable, are you willing to run the rig like a business and not a cruise ship?

Now it’s time to turn in your company rig – just exactly how should you do it? Remember, never to burn any bridges as you won’t know if you’ll have to cross them later in life. It matters not how crappy a dispatcher treated you, it matters not how bad the loads were, what matters is you’re ready to move on to the world of owning your own business! You can’t change the past but you can change your future.

It is customary to give two weeks notice – don’t expect the carrier to take you up on that. So be prepared – before giving them notice make sure you’ve been routed home and clean out most everything that is not essential out of the rig so when the rig is turned in you have only minimal to remove.

Clean the rig out as if it was your own – yes, get on your hands and knees and sweep it out, wipe down the dash and cubby holes, flip the mattress. Now take your camera and take pictures with date stamps, that way you’ve protected yourself down the road. Don’t forget to take pictures of the outside of the rig, showing you’ve returned it in good condition – without bumps and bruises.

Make sure you’ve given notice in writing – not over the Qualcomm, not via’ email, but writing so you have proof you’ve not abandoned company property. Remember, some don’t think with their brains and have left rigs on the side of a road as far away as possible from the home terminal. Idiots yes, so protect you – no one else will!