Long been a dream of mine to become a cattle hauler

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by ATL4, Aug 24, 2022.

  1. ATL4

    ATL4 Bobtail Member

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    Aug 24, 2022
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    Edit- title was cut short, should say on top of student loans and essentials, what should I, 20M, do?
    I'm currently in college for construction management, and will graduate in a couple years. Right now, I am on a leave of absence, though, and working construction. I currently have $7,000 in the bank, plan to continue working a $12.5/hr construction job (after taxes, healthcare, social security, etc.) full time until around January, when I will return to school full time. I then have three and a half semesters to complete afterwards, since I've taken a couple summer classes this summer and took some last semester and this upcoming fall semester. By the time I return to school for the spring semester, I should have a total of $16,000-17,000 in the bank. I will then work the summer of 2023, which will likely bring me to around $24,000 in the bank. Then, if I work again in the summer of 2024, I will be up to around $32,000. If I take the next semester, the fall, to finish college, and then work full time right after college, while still living with my parents, I can get to around $57,000 for 2025 and then one more year living with my parents I can get to around $82,000, which is finally enough to afford a dually 1.5 ton truck and a livestock trailer to start my dream of hauling livestock. I know a semi would be a better option, but I can’t imagine being able to afford it just yet. I’m thinking about starting smaller scale, pulling a 30 ft trailer, which will also likely get me a better chance of getting more experience with cattle.

    However, that would then leave me with nothing in the bank, and I can't live with my parents forever. Perhaps I could for a time turn the trailer into a makeshift home, but even then I still have to worry about student loans, food, clothing, etc. In addition, I also hope to someday afford a Peterbilt 389 sleeper and a larger livestock trailer. Of course, I'm not taking into consideration that I may at some point be given a raise/promotion at my current job, especially when I graduate with a degree in construction management and get my CDL, but even then I'm faced with the challenge of having to somehow come up with between $200,000 and $300,000, on top of student loans, fuel costs, and costs for essentials. I'd be perfectly happy living in the Peterbilt for the rest of my life, right now, although I may not be in the future, so perhaps I should also add to this list of costs that I need to at some point be able to afford a home.

    What should I do? Should I skip the 1.5 ton dually? Should I stick with the construction job a little longer? Any advice?
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2022
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  3. lester

    lester Midwest's #1 Feed Hauler

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    Go drive for someone else for awhile first and see if you really Iike it and go from there. Plenty of outfits that would take you on part time even.
     
  4. silverspur

    silverspur Road Train Member

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    I would make getting the degree the main focus as long as I didn't have to go deep into debt. With so many 100+ year old buildings in America, there are always going to be construction projects that need to be managed.
     
  5. Vampire

    Vampire Heavy Load Member

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    Not sure where you’re from. Why not purchase a piece of land and start a small scale cattle farm to start?
     
  6. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    You got less than four semesters left, then you have a “degree”, stick to that!

    pay your debt to us down, then after a few years in the construction business, then look at this again.
     
  7. Kenworth6969

    Kenworth6969 Road Train Member

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  8. Midwest Trucker

    Midwest Trucker Road Train Member

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    Ask for a raise. 12.50/hr working construction? Burger King pays $15/hr before taxes but at that low of income you’ll get most of it back anyway.
     
  9. D.Tibbitt

    D.Tibbitt Road Train Member

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    Well I don't know anything about livestock hauling. But if you want to turn that 87k into 0k the quickest way to do it is to go trucking... living in the truck the rest of your life... that really sounds miserable... although I thought the same thing before i got into trucking, I can just live in the truck forever and have no bills... then I got out on the road and became and O/Op and start dealing with truck driver #### and all I want to do is go home to my family in 1 piece... which is a task within itself it seems like...

    me personally I would use ur construction experience to get into hauling equipment...construction companies are always looking for truck drivers
     
  10. Long FLD

    Long FLD Road Train Member

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    Save your money, go drive for someone else until you decide if you like staying awake for 2-3 days at a time and running 6k miles a week by yourself.
     
  11. Last Call

    Last Call Road Train Member

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    You forgot to mention knowing all the senic routes
     
  12. Coffey

    Coffey Heavy Load Member

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    Finish your degree and if you still want to find someone to drive for first to see If you can handle the lifestyle cause it ain't easy
     
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