You’ve made the leap from driver to owner-operator or fleet owner. Now what? The road to success is full of challenges and hard-learned lessons. Success doesn’t happen overnight, but according to Jeff Morton and Charley Mahon, the co-founders of Contractor’s Corner, you control more components than you might think.

If you caught part 1 of our conversation with Jeff and Charley, you know that they are big proponents of being mindful of your “Why.” Understanding what drives you is essential to setting yourself up for success, but the process doesn’t stop once you have that critical factor pinpointed.

According to Jeff and Charley, it doesn’t matter if you are just getting started or are years into your journey, it is an ongoing process. You have to put the right pieces in place and have the right mentality to succeed in an industry where failure is far too common.

Here are some key takeaways from the second installment with the Contractor’s Corner duo:

1. Be Mission Focused

Understanding your Why is the first part of the equation, but how do you make that actionable? While you may not have a plan right off the bat, you must write down your goals. Writing down your goals might seem like a small step, but the science behind the method has been proven time and again.

The gist is that it is a neuromuscular exercise providing a concrete reference point as you create your strategy. The more defined the goal, the more likely you are to achieve it. 

2. Fill In The Gaps

You don’t have to be an expert in everything related to your business. Acknowledging strengths and weaknesses is a sign of a great business person. If you struggle with accounting or with insurance, find and work with people that can help educate you along the way.

This could be with industry experts, vendors, or other more experienced fleet owners. No one said that this has to be a process you take on alone.

3. Constantly Improve

There are no days off when trucking is your business. You have to be willing to put in the work both on the road and in the back office to be successful. Pieces can be outsourced, but ultimately the buck stops with you. 

4. Share Knowledge

The final point that Jeff and Charley dove into was the importance of sharing knowledge. Far too often we look at owner-operators as a single entity with unique aspects. And while that is true, there is power in the collective ownership of knowledge. They pointed out something as simple as discussing your fuel discount with other operators.

It might be that others in your fleet are paying significantly more or less than you at the pump. If you aren’t willing to share knowledge, chances are others won’t share information with you.

The fact is, no two paths to success are the same, but there are milestones and pieces along the way that can help make it easier. There are countless men and women that are ready to help and support your business. Be willing to seek out those people and better yourself and see how it impacts your bottom line.

Catch the full conversation with the Contractor’s Corner team using the link below and remember – these resources are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all of the advantages you get when you join the ES Advantage community.

Listen Now: Part Two With Contractors Corner

In the second of our two-part conversation with Jeff Morton and Charley Mahon, the co-founders of Contractor’s Corner, they will share more of their tips on how find success on the road while operating your own business.