seven years as a company driver for a big carrier out of Joliet. i have about 41,000 saved and a wife who has finally stopped saying no. after reading dothan's thread i have been watching the tractor listings on the m&a auction every night.
what i do not have is the order of things. what has to be lined up before i put in a sealed bid, and what can wait until i win?
the DOT annual. the truck shows up with whatever sticker it has. who does the new one and does it have to be done before i can drive it?
plates. i am in Illinois. how long do IRP plates take and can i even apply before the title is in my name?
insurance. can i get a real quote on a truck i have not won yet?
leasing on vs my own authority, which changes all of the above.
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ooida_member_lou
2018 Kenworth W900L, X15, 18-speed, leased on since 2009
Over the roadColumbus, OH77 posts, joined Jul 2025
insurance, yes, and get it first. any agent who writes trucks will quote off a year, make, model and VIN from a listing. ask for two quotes, one for leasing on (bobtail and physical damage) and one for your own authority. the gap will make half of your decision for you.
own authority numbers so you are not shocked. the federal minimum liability for general freight is 750,000, but most brokers want a million plus 100,000 cargo. new authority with no history, first year, i hear 14 to 22 thousand depending on your state and your record. leased on, the carrier's liability covers you under dispatch and you pay a few thousand a year for your part.
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ifta_quarterly_pain
2020 Peterbilt 579, MX-13, 18-speed, dry van, own authority
plates. in Illinois IRP goes through the Secretary of State. you need the title or a lease showing the truck is yours to apply, so the plate comes after the title, not before.
the part people miss is that IRP is tied to the USDOT number of whoever is responsible for the truck's safety. leased on, the carrier usually runs your truck on its IRP fleet and hands you a plate and cab card, like dothan's carrier did. on your own authority you need your own USDOT and MC numbers first, and the plate is yours. so decide that question before you bid on anything, m&a auto sales or otherwise.
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mod_ron_t
retired, 2.9 million miles, last truck a 2015 W900L
the annual. a used tractor needs a periodic inspection under the federal rules at least every 12 months, and plenty of truck shops have a guy certified to sign one off. you can drive it there. a repo from M and A or from anywhere else has a sticker you cannot vouch for, so assume you are doing a fresh one the first week.
budget for what the annual finds. on a 500k tractor, steer tires, brake chambers, air lines and lights are the usual list. i would hold 3 to 5 thousand back from the bid for that alone.
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dothan_reefer_run
2023 Cascadia 126, DD15 455, DT12, 53' reefer, leased on
here is the order i would do it in again, from my own thread.
if you lease on, get the carrier's safety department to say yes to the year and miles before you bid.
pre-approval from your bank or credit union, in writing. you pay the invoice by wire, so have the loan approved before you bid, not after you win.
insurance quotes off the listing VIN, like lou said.
then bid. after you win: wire, wait about two weeks for delivery, title it at your county, annual, plates.
one more. the m&a people answered my email the next morning when i had a warranty question, but read the 10,000 mile part of the warranty before you need it. on a truck it goes fast.
update. two quotes back. leased on, 4,300 a year for my part. own authority, 18,600 first year. that answered the authority question for now. leasing on with a carrier out of Morris that runs Midwest regional and will have me home two nights a week.
their safety guy said under six years and under 600k, and he wants a copy of any listing before i bid. credit union pre-approved me for 45 on a tractor. i have a bid in on a 2021 Cascadia 126 with 498k that is listed on mandaautollc.com, closing next Thursday. i will not say the number until it closes.
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