Several people have written me for help in getting started in this business,
this page attempts to answer some of their questions.
!!! NOTE !!!
START RIGHT NOW KEEPING TRACK OF EVERY MILE YOU DRIVE, WHERE YOU GO AND WHY. KEEP TRACK OF EVERY PENNY YOU SPEND.
!!! YOUR TAX PERSON THANKS YOU !!!
The very best place to start in this business, in my opinion, is to buy the book:
UNITED STATES TRUCKERS REGULATIONS ON OVERSIZE LOADS
and PILOT CAR DIRECTORY
You can find the book in most major truck stops either near the maps or near the "oversize load" equipment. If you are unable to find it there, it may be purchased directly from:
Browse the book and decide if this is something you really want to do. Some things to consider are:
How far from home are you willing to travel?
How long are you willing to stay out on the road?
Do you want to run high pole?
Do you have a suitable vehicle?
DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER EXPENSES UNTIL YOU START RECEIVING PAYMENT FROM THE TRUCKING COMPANIES?
At this point, you may want to contact someone in your area who is currently in the business. Most of us are more than willing to answer questions, share our experiences, and offer advice to those of you interested in this business.
O.K., you've done your homework and have decided to do this.
The next step is your vehicle.
The vehicle you have now may work just fine. If you want to buy a new vehicle, buy the best you can afford. If possible, equip it with a heavy-duty battery and alternator, extra transmission cooling, and really tough tires. (Be sure it is comfortable: during the summer you may be spending up to 15 hours a day working!)
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The bare minimum required (see the oversize load book) equipment for your vehicle consists of:
INSURANCE
FIRE EXTINGUISHER
Light Bar
Oversize Load Signs
Signs to Identify Your Company
Flags
CB Radio and Antenna
Tools
Flat Screw Driver
Phillips Screw Driver
Pliers
25 foot Retractable Tape Measure
Flashlight and Batteries
Hammer
Current Atlas
High Pole
To start out, equip your vehicle to conform to the requirements of your home state and the states adjacent to your home state. You can add additional equipment later. When you are ready to buy additional equipment, you might want to look at the requirements from the state of Utah, I think they require more than any other state. If you are going to run New York state, they are very specific about their requirements, also.
State (Most state Welcome Centers
have free, detailed state maps.)
City
Bridge Clearance
Gazetteers showing county roads
Industrial Parks
Truck Stop Books or Exit Guides
National Truck Stop Directory
The Trucker's Friend
P.O. Box 476
Clearwater, FL. 34617
(800) 338-6317
Trans Mid-America Permit Directory
11570 W. Dodge Rd.
Omaha, NE 68154
(800) 228-7577
Various other (chain specific) directories available from individual truck stop chains
Communication Equipment
ONE should be Toll-Free if possible ALL should have some way for the caller to leave messages
Caller ID is nice if you can manage it.
Unless you are very skilled in the above areas, hiring a professional is money well spent.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
All dressed up and nowhere to go?
Remember that person in your area you contacted earlier? Now is the time to see them again, convince them to be your mentor! You may want to ride along on one (or some) of their runs to get a feel for what you're doing before it becomes YOUR responsibility. They can help you with contacting other pilot car companies and trucking companies. Many times, they will have short local runs you can take for them to get some "hands-on" experience.
Finally, once you get started, you are going to want to be on the Internet:
Get an e-mail address that you can keep no matter who you ISP may be.
Get listed in the various business directories.
Get a web page of your own.
Get listed on the search engines.
Get other sites to link to your site in exchange for a link on your site. ( A
WebRing
is a quick, easy and efficient way to get your site noticed in a hurry by
the people who most need to know about you.)
That's about the extent of my wisdom! Much of it was learned by the trial and error method! I hope this page and the other pages on this site will speed up and simplify the process for you.
Listing or space on this site is provided as a courtesy by Professional Pilot Car
who is not responsible for transactions
between the pilot car company and the trucking company.
