Ive wanted to get my CDL for a long time, but just havn't. I am 29 married with an 11 year old and one on the way. I own a small construction co and do pretty good. The thing is I still need more and want to drive a truck. If i got my CDL would someone hire me to drive a few hours a night and maybe a 1 or 2 night run on the wekends. If so what kind of money is realistic. Cant afford to give up my company, and wife wouldnt want me gone all the time, but 2 nights a week she would like.Thanks for the help.

One more thing A guy I know here pays his drivers % but they drive his trucks. Is that common?

I had basically the same desires that you had concerning trucking, but from a semi-retired professor perspective (but I already had my CDL and six years of OTR experience from 30 years ago). I only wanted to drive occasionally...here is what I did. Last summer I began looking for tanker jobs on wildland fires (I was a forestry prof for 20+ years). Found a great company in Oregon who hired me on...worked the busiest month of fire season and began to get my skills back in driving trucks.

Then when I got back home I started contacting trucking companies and owner-operators to let them know I was available as a relief driver. It wasn't long before a company contacted me to relief drive for two dedicated runs. Then after about a month, they asked me to drive two nights a week on a dedicated run of 540 miles round trip (6pm - 6am)...paying me $250 a run (tractor and loaded trailer waiting for me, drive 270 miles, unhook and rehook to loaded trailer, drive 270 miles back home). Pretty easy work for a $2000 monthly supplement to my teaching income...

I'd recommend getting the CDL, if you can do it cheaply...I would not shell out the bucks they want for the driving schools...the return on investment would take too long if you just part-time drive. Then use search engines like Craigslist to hunt down part-time work/relief driver/etc. and also call upon all the dedicated trucking companies in your area. Put ads in any of the local truck stops...Mail-haul contractors generally have a need for relief drivers also...good luck!

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there are a lot of small companies that can work you here and there for extra cash...


a lot of local companies do not have the volume to warrant full time employees - so then tghey get in a tough spot when they do have something that needs to roll...
this work is mostly cash and "paid under the table".

the only problem I see is that most of these situations are reserved for guys who can walk in and show years of trouble free driving...

a new cdl'r is a HUGE insurance and legal risk - and any reputable company would never allow a newbie to jump in as a casual and roll their fate down the road.

you may check with a local companys looking for "part time" work who are willing to actually put you on the payroll.

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