Older male looking at trucking for most money and no touch

I understand the "53 and no other options" thing myself. Same thing happened to me. You must have been in management too. Seems like if you're over 50, they want nothing to do with you. Here's my story......

Went to one of those "we'll train you to get your CDL" companies and about all I learned was how to drive forever and cheat logs. After busting my CDL test (3 times), they sent me packing. So, I went to my local tech college and passed their program at the top of my class. Then I went to Schneider where they reimbursed my tuition. Was a company driver for about 8 months, leased a used Cascadia from them, drove it for 2 years, paid out a $25k buyout, and have been driving a paid off tractor for the last 2+ years. So, here's are my suggestions........

1. Pay your own tuition to a good school; mine was about $1800. Do your research though because some companies won't accept training from just anybody..."Bob and Doug's CDL School and Bait Shop" likely won't get it. Many states and schools offer re-training assistance and there are many programs out there to assist you in tuition. If all fails, get a student loan. By paying your own tuition you are beholding to no one on the back end.
2. Find a decent starter company. I went with Schneider because they did tuition reimbursement and I'm sure there are many others out there. But, despite what you might read around here, there's nothing in the world wrong with Swift, Schneider, Werner, and some of the other bigs. The other reason I would recommend Schneider is their 'on the road' training is only 5-7 days.......no team driving for months on end. Another advantage, in my opinion, is at the bigs, you're completely anonymous......I don't need no desire any new 'friends'........just tell me where you want it to go and when you want it there.

3. Figure it out from there. Read here a good bit, but take everything, including what I am telling you, with a grain of salt. This is not the life I desired, but actually it's working out really well. It's funny, sometimes God puts us in places we never dreamed we would be, and it works out better than we thought.

Good luck.

P.S. If you tell us where you live, we'll be able to help you better. See @Chinatown

 

Not until the next election.

 

What the What? Way to go Jimmy.

 

I'm cheap ...lmao

My biggest expense is Insurance ($350/week).

I buy fuel at Kroger (Grocery Store) more than at Truck Stops (best for pee stops anyway). I buy Shell/Motel 6 gift cards by so I can get fuel points, to get $2+ off a gallon on diesel...lol

I never sleep in Truck Stops if I can do Motel 6 - better to park at hotel parking lot, than being SWIFT'ed or even worse, risk hitting someone when backing in.

My last trips are averaging 8+mpg @ 60-65MPH - any faster and it's money out the smoke stacks (and out of my wallet)

 

Unless you want to manage a trucking company from a desk, you'll need lots of driving experience and contacts to even think of being successful as an owner-operator. Try out being a company driver first and if you do decide to buy your own truck, pay for it in cash, and have whatever you spend on the truck saved up, in cash, ready to go at a moment's notice in case the truck dies or needs repair.

i.e. if you buy a $25,000 truck, have $25,000 saved up so you can buy another $25,000 truck when that one blows a rod through the block, decides to drop the transmission or any other catastrophic thing that can happen to a truck.

If you can avoid serious problems for a year, use whatever money you saved during that time, combine it with the cash you have available, sell your current truck, and potentially get a nicer, newer truck... but be warned, stay very far away from post-2007 trucks with emissions control equipment. They are money pits.

You'll want a 1995-2004 truck with a Caterpillar 6NZ, Detroit S60 or Cummins N14 (or very similar motor).

 

Get your foot in the game. Study the ups, and downs of market trends, freight influx, freight seasons, mechanical issue of trucks you are thinking about, things to fix own your own, or not, taxes, freight lanes, market spot rates, calling brokers setting your own appointments, paying lumpers, that kind of stuff. New trucks are costly in many ways including cost of ownership. Older truck are less if they have been well taken care of. Any old used truck is a roll of the dice without maintenance records, or rebuild paperwork. And most of all watch your ### because No one else will. Many scams with 4 wheelers cutting off trucks and than comes the attorneys with their hand out.