I am 21 years old and in the process of getting my CDL drivers license.
I have completed college and have a bachelors degree, but i have an opportunity I just cant seem to pass up.

Beginning of this year i helped my dad get incorporated and set up our own business, he is an O/O hauling Loads for WM. There are no payments on left his truck.

My dad has been driving for about 15 years and due to "connections" (Hes friends with this guy that owns a multi million dollar truck repair business) has gotten a hauling job for Waste Management. He can get me into this fairly easy.

i Have 2 options, I can either go towards my degree and make entry level or work on my own and make near 90k clean after expenses at start.
I work the invoices and expenses - this is where i get my data.

Gas is not an issue as per day we make about 5 rounds - burn about 200 miles per day, we get compensated by the load.
Insurance would be an additional 4k per year on adding another truck


My dad is planning on buying another truck and hiring someone in spring, I figure i would be more than happy to drive Once i get my CDL. Since hes gonna purchase it anyways i figure i can try it and if i don't like it we can just hire someone else. For me the pay would be identical per load.

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Is this just a dream? I just cant see myself making this kind of money at my age.

or am i an idiot for not going towards my own career?


What would you guys do in my position?
Anyone else hauling locally have any input would be greatly appreciated.

What do you mean "going towards my own career"? Do you mean not using your college degree to be some minion in a cubicle making half the money? You have the rest of your life to do that, might as well try this while you are young. If you don't like it, your college degree doesn't have an expiration date on it.

Go get your *ss out on the road. If I would've had that chance years ago, I would never have done the jobs I did. Go for it.

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Thanks for the support as i really needed some advice form experts that have been there and done that.

Yes i have had a temporary 6 month job sitting in an office working on the computer all day. I liked it for about 2 months then it got extremely boring. I started to be late and leave early just to make the day go by faster.

I really want to be out there and actually feel like im "working" i don't know maybe i am crazy or something.

Oh and i despise working for other people.

Be careful here. I've always said that you should have many different paths you can take if one doesn't work out. I don't know what you have your degree in but if I were to do it all over again I'd use my education in a specialized trucking field. Soon there will be a search for professionals in the nuclear field to start moving the waste to NV. You can have both worlds. However, if you can fit right into a 90K a year job they you'd be a fool not to take it because it's not only rare but unheard of.

But just don't give everything up to drive a truck. You find that most of us that have the years are sick of it and wouldn't want our kids doing it. Education is always the best way to go so if things do fall apart you have a nice cushion to fall back onto.

Why not continue your education while you drive? You should go for the master degree if your in a field that needs people. But if your in a computer field where there's alot of out-sourcing then I'd think real hard about changing your field. Just my 2¢

Waste Management sub contracting?

Gashauler, petroleum/fuel hauling that's what I want to get into. Got my hazmat and tanker. Just need T/T experiense. 2-3yrs @least.

FL adds say $50k. Up northeast says $70k. What is start rate in Cali?

What kind of experience will get me an * on my app?

Thanks, For your input, Yes i have numerous interests in other fields such as Finance and been in sales for almost 4 years now.

I would take the money i make and pay for my school loans.

Ive also been involved in starting an on and off a computer repair business when i have enough time and would love to eventually roll it out into an installation service (Home theater, networks - been doing/experimenting with this for a while) - but i have going in circles because of insufficient funds.

Corporations - I have worked for them and see how they operate and frankly i don't like it one bit. Ive seen too many people resort to kissing ### because they have nothing else going for them, just to get that 4% yearly raise.

i like risk.

BTW i have a Bachelors in Information Technology.

From everything I have read you should drive that truck. I have my degree and quite frankly in this day and age having a degree is a bit overrated as so many have them now and the entry level jobs you can get with one are the type of jobs it sounds like you hate. It seems a ton of IT guys are going into trucking now also. I think having a degree meant something completely different a few decades ago than it does today.

But I do disagree with the notion that you can do this now and use your degree later. If you don't put your degree to use now, years later, it will become outdated, especially an IT degree, without the work experience.

I have worked a lot of those desk jobs and just like you they hold my interest for a couple of months and then that office/cubicle starts to become your personal prison. Don't worry, if that makes you crazy, your not alone.

Tough choice, but having had a degree and worked a variety of jobs, unless your really passionate about your field of study, go with your gut on this one. I know there are a lot in the trucking industry who say stay away, but man, thats been every industry I have ever been in. They all have positves and negative, but the opportunity to make $90k doesn't come knocking very often.

Just an update,

Im very close to pulling the trigger on this one.
Ive got a few contacts and clients in the IT field that i will be doing side jobs - under my own company name.

So i will be getting experience that way.



But im really thinking about driving the truck based on that salary and tax calculations as the opportunity is still available.


Any other input from you guys?


Thank you.

Some things are just too good to be true these days. It seems that you have a "platinum spoon" in your mouth. All these opportunities at such a young age. A bachelors degree, a friend with a multi-million dollar business, a father with a truck free and clear, you helping your father get his business inc, you opening your own business soon, and many many more! Your right it does seem like a dream.
TRUTHFULLY, analyze what you enjoy doing. If you enjoy driving truck, drive truck, if you are happy number crunching, crunch numbers.
It seems with your enhanced connections no matter what you do you will have a very nice safety net.