Hiring an employee? His truck under my authority or just him as a driver?

Not sure so I shouldnt be posting. I bet the answer is somewhere in the ask a O/O though. I think he would get 95% of profit to use his own truck. I think thats average.. i think.

 

OOIDA deals with those issues. It's a good organization for 0/0's and small fleet owners. Check their website. OOIDA also has an online magazine, "Land Line."

 

I would also recommend getting advice from OOIDA on this matter. And avoid hiring your girlfriend's brother unless you're prepared to let them both go when he doesn't work out or when business slows down again.

 

I wouldn't put his truck under my authority . especially if you have your own truck you could put him in . There is too much more liability and you would also have to maintain a file with service records for the truck .

 

Plus if he screws up he can trash your CSA score,

sent from my Galaxy Tab2

 

Perhaps you should talk to him and check his level of interest. It might be easier for you to just continue using him as a company driver, as needed. If you decide to add him as an owner operator, you will have the cost of insurance, whether he is running or not. If you decide to lease him on, I would pay him percentage. As a contractor, he would be responsible for all costs, including workers comp or an occupational accident policy. You would be responsible for paying liability and cargo, unless you work out something different with him. There are pros and cons to doing either. If you lease him on, I would pay percentage. Most carriers pay about 75% if the owner operator has his own trailer. The percentage is up to you. I know of one carrier that pays 85%, but that is NOT the norm. You will still need to maintain a driver qualifications file and maintenance file in either case. He could get his own IFTA account and be responsible for that as a contractor, or he could use your account. There are things that are required to be covered in any lease agreement. You can find it on the fmcsa website. If you are a member of OOIDA, they have a sample lease that you can use as a guide.

 

Good post except there is no IFTA with the pickups he will be using . On trashing the CSA score a hired driver can do that as well . If the OP is already set up and doing well I see no point wasting money on OOIDA . Their services are overpriced and they are ineffective trying to have political influence .

 

OOIDA has been successful in some of their political initiatives. But, not as much as I would prefer. Whether you purchase their insurance or not, they are still a good resource. Their truck insurance has been high for me, but their occupational accident policies are competitive with other companies. If you join at certain times of year or during one of the truck shows, your dues are only $25/year. That is pretty cheap. Besides, it is the closest thing to a trade association we have as drivers and owner operators. I have a lifetime membership and have been a member for many years. While I don't agree with some of their stances, such as increasing the broker bonds, we won't see eye to eye with any organization we join.