Father and son future company

I would say learn the company, but get a degree. It’s all fun driving for the first month but after that it’s hard work. Get a degree in business and learn to build the company from one truck to many. Just because your dad made it doesn’t mean you will too. A degree or learning a trade is a better option at this point.

Not sure why any parent would agree to their kid doing the same job they are instead of encouraging you to accomplish more than he has.

 

@Midwest Trucker , who replied earlier, will be a very good resource on the business side of things. He has grown his business into a pretty successful small fleet!

There are many on here as well that can answer the mechanical side of things. Ask your questions and contemplate the responses you get, without challenging them, and you can learn all that you want to know - maybe some that you don't want to know as well.

 

Become a member of www.OOIDA.com which is a business website for the owner-operator and small fleet owner.

 

You asked for advice . So , listen to it .

stay in school and learn a marketable skill.
I’d get a degree in something that has a demand , if you’re able to get one in something that you can have an interest in.
Something in a science , technology, engineering or medical field

the folks that keep telling you STEM is the way to go , know what they are talking about.if you want to be a driver , that earns good money , you must keep your driving record spotless . And that isn’t easy .

Getting into trucking is fine . It’s an honorable way to make a living , but you need a backup plan .
Not only are you going to be working long hours and gone from home for days at a time , but you have to compete against all the immigrants who are willing to work for less than you.


You need a backup skill , because getting kicked out of trucking is very very easy.
One accident that is accompanied by a ticket , and you’re out of a job .
And that accident and ticket don’t have to be in a big truck.
It doesn’t matter what vehicle you’re driving ,
You get a couple of tickets as a teenager , and it will make getting a trucking job much more difficult .


There is NO other job where you can lose that job with ONE incident.
If you’re an HVAC tech or a licensed plumber ,and make a mistake ,and cause a few thousand dollars damage, the state won’t pull your Plumbing license .
But if you have an accident , even a minor one , you will be out on your ear from trucking .
Get a speeding ticket or an accident off duty in your personal car ?
Boom , you’re fired and you better have a backup career in the works .

no other occupation is like that .


learn some other skills before you get into
Trucking , you can’t get into trucking until you’re 21 anyway , unless you are working for a farm that has an agricultural exemption .

instead of working at a Restaraunt , I’d suggest finding a part time job at a diesel mechanic or some other skilled trade like welding plumbing hvac etc ,
If you can find someone who will take on a part timer and teach you stuff .

the secret to earning decent money is:
The harder it is to replace you , the longer it takes to train your replacement , the more money you will get paid .

 

I'd maybe even look into the trades. Welding, power plants, etc.

 

Well kid. Truth be told I got into this because I love big trucks. How ever I am not brand happy. Any big truck for me is a fun ride. I jew since I was younger than you are now I was gonna do this.
In the short 5 years that ive been doing this. I still haven't reached the point where I would say I regret it yet. Unless the law has changed you cant cross state lines until your 21 driving a big truck. What the other men and women on here are saying it is true. I would get your gel at 18. And use a grant to pay for it. Most community collages have one or another for it. And make sure you. Study that hazmat or you will never get your cdl.
Once you have that nicely tucked into your wallet. Should take 60 to 90 days. Then get a job working in shipping and receiving. Preferably one that has a shuttle truck. At this point you should be about 19. Take the years from 19 to 21 to hone whatever your back up craft will be.
By the time your 21. You will have a year and a half of so schooling for the back up craft and working full time. Then come to trucking. Stool and work will equal 70 to 80 hours. A week and so will trucking so you will be ready for the long hours.
Put a year and a half into trucking to see if its what you really want. And if its not your already prepared with the back up gig.
As far as running a family company. You still have 5 years before you can hit the road. And three more after that before you can be a o/o. So thats 8 years you could be building other blocks.
Just my 2 cents. Good luck what ever you decide.

 

Friend of mine got into the laborers union at 18 and is now 23 and in 3 months will already have a pension. Over the winters when he’s laid off he takes part in free training by the state for different things. This winter he got his certificate in several different kinds of welding. Next winter he’s going to do the free CDL class. All the while he’s been applying to get into the operators union and almost made it this spring. He still could get called up at some point this summer.

This “kid” that I’ve known since he was 13 when he knocked on my door asking to mow my grass, has really built something for himself. He had his own lawn care business while he was still in school. Also in the side he works on cars and is even rebuilding engines now. #### impressive.

If you got the want to, you can do about anything in life. That’s much more important then school IMO. If you find a mentor of sorts along the way even better but if you don’t put yourself out there you’ll likely never find any of it.