How do I get started as an owner operator?

I used to be a programmer and decided to become a truck driver as well. You may want to seriously consider gaining experience from a company first since you will learn a lot and make a lot of mistakes that you are glad you didnt have to learn on your own dime. For example, I used to pull over on the shoulder a lot and noticed my right tires always got big nails in them. When I stopped pulling over on the shoulder I realized I was most likely picking them up from the shoulder. The company probably spent $5000 in tires before I realized that which you would have had to pay for. That is just one example.

Once in the snow I was backing up perfectly straight inbetween two trucks and hit my brakes which caused the trailer to swing to the left and break off the mirror. The company paid for that fix but that would have came out of my pocket. Also when I was new I barely tapped my trailer door against a small poll very slowly and carefully and it instantly ripped the entire door off since the hinges are designed to do that. All of this I learned within my first three months of driving on the company's dime which wasnt taught in trucking school or my useless trainer. Now I never hit anything and have a clean record. I know you are anxious, just research a good company, not a big mega corp like Swift, Schneider, CR England, etc.

 

Something like 80-90% failure rate for new entrants. First things first, slow down and don't put the cart in front of the horse. This site has tons of valuable info with some guys having 50+ years experience. Chill out for a bit, go be a company hand for 2-3 years and listen to what old hands have to say. A year down the road you might have a totally different outlook

 

Dont come into trucking.......we have enough......stay out! Everyone! There......thats what we should be saying .....why saturate this industry more and more? Huh? WHYYYYYYY? LOL

 

It would of only took a month to learn if you paid for your own mistakes.

 

I rather pay nothing thx.

 

Ahh your a slow learner. LOL

 

With a fast new truck that you follow behind.

 

Your still learning I see. "Fast" costs money not make money.

 

Or I have more than enough. I dont have a stay at home wife, three kids in college, an RV, a Harley, a boat, and a Seadoo living in California. I just have a paid off house and live on 20% of my income which is better living than most people.