How to make money in trucking....????

Discussion in 'Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here' started by jrsytrucker, Mar 24, 2013.

  1. russellkanning

    russellkanning Medium Load Member

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    Seems happy and isn't hurting anyone:)
     
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  3. BobGa

    BobGa Bobtail Member

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    Apr 9, 2013
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    Hurst how much do you get paid per mile ?
     
  4. BigMuthaTrucka

    BigMuthaTrucka Light Load Member

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    The best way to earn money is to leave trucking altogether. The truck stops are just oversized convenience stores that want to charge you for stuff that should be free like water and WiFi. Expect to be broke your entire life if you stay trucking. Plan on getting food stamps and housing assistance. I'm surprised you even get hometime every 8-10 weeks. These evil companies will force you into bankruptcy and make you live off your fuel points.
     
  5. Epmtrucks

    Epmtrucks Medium Load Member

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    Sounds if you have had a rough year. I know I did the first couple of years 1978 & 1979. I no things where not better then, contrary to the rhetoric. Any skilled job is going to be tough in the begining. I started as Brickmason before trucking, 2 years in HS, 3 years hard labor, before I ever got on the wall. I was told how you gonna lay brick if you cant run the mixer, build and stock scaffold, run a forklift, read blueprints ect, ect. Same with trucking.
     
  6. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    The best way to try and make money in trucking is to avoid purchasing anything at the convenience stores. I'm eating one or two meals a week at truck stops. The rest of the time I stock the truck with my own food, averaging about $50 per week with "in truck" meals. When I started out I was spending $200 per week eating at truck stops, that had to stop in a hurry to save on the pocket book and to avoid getting larger clothes. Restocking on the road at Walmart superstores is working out fine.
     
  7. Hurst

    Hurst Registered Member

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    Aug 24, 2011
    Tampa, Fl
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    I'd rather not say, I think it would come across as bragging and others may feel I dont deserve to be paid what I get.

    From what I have seen others say they are paid with similar 'recent' experience,.. I am paid well above what they are. I gave my projected annual gross income. With 2800 - 3600 miles a week being typical, it should not be difficult to figure out my cpm.

    To be honest,.. I am not pushing it that hard. I ran more miles for much less money with my last company. I keep the left door shut,.. I get to my destination promptly.

    I other than fuel and what ever I can get for free with fuel points,.. I dont shop at truck stops. I stay out 4 - 5 weeks. I stock up on food before I head out. When out on the road I will buy water, drinks, lunch meat, bread etc from walmart or any grocery store that will accommodate parking my truck. I eat a lot of canned goods. I line a little lunch box 12v oven with aluminum foil and eat out of that like a bowl. When done,.. I remove the aluminum foil and toss it in my garbage can. A $3 box of plastic utensils will last me 2 months. Or if I run low,.. I'll grab a handful from BK or Wendys. They are good for that. BK is also good for loading up on ketchup and sugar packets. I have a coffee pot I use to heat water and use said lunch box again to cook raman noodles. I do a lot of PB&J for lunch at a rest stops. Or maybe some turkey or roast beef on rye. Honey Wheat and Rye stay fresh longer than plain white bread. Being out on the road and spending $20k a year just to eat will make you go broke. I leave home with $250 cash and rarely spend $100 - $150 for the 4 - 5 weeks I am out. My boss pays for everything the truck needs. Not like my last company where the cheap ####### expected the drivers to pay for all the nickel and dime things which quickly added up. When I did my taxes I showed over $800 in receipts on BS things that I was never reimbursed for. Fortunately I am a receipt collecting fool. Anything I can show a loss on and get approved I will.

    Some people cant cut it in trucking. Its not for everyone. For me, its all about time management. Planning my route and being where I should be according to the schedule I set for myself. Sleeping when I should and putting miles under the truck when I should. Driving down the hwy is the easy part. Self discipline and learning how to manage your own time are the keys to success in my opinion. Those that need to be micro managed typically dont fare well when out on their own.

    There are good companies and there are bad. I was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time to get hired on where I am now. I am extremely happy here. Is my boss a crook because he doesnt want to pay absurd taxes and insurance rates? Maybe if he was like my last boss and didnt pay too well I would agree. But if the driver is happy then who cares? A few more yrs under my belt and my record will speak for itself. I've done pretty well for myself so far. So I am not overly concerned about it.

    Hurst
     
    Lepton1 Thanks this.
  8. da bronx

    da bronx Bobtail Member

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    Apr 20, 2013
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    LOL too funny maybe a kmart calculater is better
     
  9. landstar8891

    landstar8891 Road Train Member

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    If you count your hours from the time you left your front door at the house and the time you get back,you will ''see it''.

    If you add up all that ''time'' including sleeper berth,deduct all your meals,your income taxes and then divide that number by your hours away.You will see that there is really no money in trucking.!!!!

    Most drivers are all getting ripped off at $5.00-$6.00 bucks an hour.No weekend time,no double time and no overtime.OTR Trucking has broke every ''Labor Law'' on the books.

    Today as it sits.You are better off getting an hourly gig and getting paid for every little tiny thing you do and getting paid for every hour you work,then go home and enjoy your loved ones and your life..IMO.
     
  10. Cswann1

    Cswann1 Bobtail Member

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    As has been said by others, managing expenses while OTR is key to keeping more of your money. Food is of course the main expense. A good refrigerator is a must! You'll read a lot of bad press on the 12v coolers from Coleman. They are fine in my experience, but not something you just plug in a forget. They need a little maintenance (defrosting the heatsink) and must have good air movement on the front grille. Try your best to keep your truck stocked up on water, bread, sandwich meat and everything else you want from a grocery store. Buying anything at a TS you will pay a huge premium.
    Inconsistency is just part of trucking unless you have dedicated or work for a LTL company. If your low week paychecks are $200 then I'd definitely look closely and how often and why you are getting that low. Are these weeks when you were home? If not how often are you getting that low. If you are having a $200 week every 4-5 weeks I'd move on to another company. But for GAWDs sake don't EVER take a recruiters word for it. Talk to drivers and see what they say, if you get a positive report on a company, get confirmation from 3 or 4 others, because the guy that bragged on his company may just be fishing for a referral bonus.
     
  11. spacetrucker88

    spacetrucker88 Heavy Load Member

    what about us guys that don't want or won't do anything else? Why does it work out so good for us?. Feeding an obsession maybe?
     
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