Joe Bockenstette and his wife Leslie have been doing driveaway for several years and enjoy the variety it offers.
Joe Bockenstette describes himself as a wildcat owner-operator. After all, he drives Class 8 trucks and delivers goods. He owns his own truck and trailer – a 3/-ton pickup and a steel hydraulic lift trailer.
Conventional, it’s not. But neither is his over-the-road operation.
The Norman, Okla., resident is an independent driveaway contractor. This basically means he transfers commercial trucks from one location to another. His “freight” is whatever he is driving and/or towing.
Driveaway, or towaway as it is sometimes called, is a trucking job that fits Joe’s strong work ethic and love of the open road. “It’s a business that I like,” he says. “I like working for myself. I don’t mind hard work, but I don’t really know how to work for someone else.”
Driveaway Lifestyle
Driveaway encompasses a myriad of operations ranging from the transport of new to nearly new lease trucks to repos and everything in between. Some operations have standing contracts with fleets or truck manufacturers while others rely mainly on orders that come from various types of companies or individuals who need something moved.
Almost all driveaway companies use independent contractors. Drivers range from full-time professionals with their own equipment setups to semi-retired individuals who supplement their income with part-time work.
