Going down a rabbit hole

So much negativity in the comments. Sure trucking isn't like it was back in the 70's when I started out but it's not all doom and gloom.Find a good carrier(still some out there) and work for them as a company driver and see if that is what you want to do before you buy a truck.If you should decide to buy there are still good companies to lease on with but the list is getting shorter.Iv'e been driving close to 50 years now ,the last 36 as an O/O and you can still make good money at the right carrier.

 

Upon re-reading; your second question "can you make money leasing trailers to carriers," is the more viable one. There are some large players in that market already (e.g., Ocean), but there could be room for you if you buy your trailers right, don't have to spend too much on maintenance, develop a relationship with a reliable local carrier and/or service a niche market.

In my VERY honest opinion, don't waste your time getting a Class 1, learning to drive, driving for another carrier if all you're looking to do is invest some cash. If you really want to learn what it's like to be reviled by millions -- including the people you work for -- and what prison must be like (living in a 7x5 cell), then fill your boots!

 

A very good point made, IMHO. Absolutely do not lay out dollars on iron until you have made some miles of your own. How can you justify any investment in something that you do not fully understand, or have a working knowledge of?

 

I know your question specifically included statements that you don't plan to get your 1A/CDL in either scenario, but I have to agree with the 2 most recent comments above -> before investing your hard earned $$, you really should get a taste of the industry yourself, first-hand, to find out if that's truly where you want your $$ to go, and the only way to do that is to get your license and get some experience........if nothing else, it'll reduce the likelihood of someone taking you to the cleaners due to your lack of industry knowledge.

 

Flat deck. A LOT harder to wreck.

 

You’re better off investing in ETFs, the average return on investment for trucking companies is in the neighborhood of under 5 percent.

 

Notice the only poster enjoying any of this has over 50 years experience. How many of those guys you think are still around? Him, his buddy and his cousin, that's it. And he's calling out negative posts because he don't know #### how it is to start rookie in this industry. It was fantastic for him back in the 70's. Wonderful thanks for the memories, but wake up and smell the sulfur, it's a #### and we need to burn everything down for a reset and new rise of the industry.

About pilot pay, I've heard that too. There is also nothing there unless you fly for big commercial transatlantic airliners. Last I heard those guys are at $80k+, but it takes years, and as you say backstabbing and all the other crimes of human behaviours to get there. The flight attendants are also getting railed hard, they not happy either. I don't know anyone who's any happy in this country anymore. I guess the guys in government who siphon our money off to offshore accounts, I'm fairly sure they're in a decent mood.

 

Westjet would prob be Challenger or ERB/KDac.

Bison is Sunwing or Spirit Airlines all day long lol.

TransX is a smouldering crater in a field somewhere.