Do you advise young people to get into the trucking industry?

The $1000 a week starting pay is probably stretching it a little bit for a newbie at a starter company. At least it definitely was when I got into it in 2011. There were plenty of weeks where I only took home $300-400 after taxes, but even that was plenty to scrape by on since I had such a cheap living situation with basically zero financial responsibilities. Who cares, it was all profit and after 6 months I had 10 grand in the bank and was having a blast most days. Probably should have stuck with that game plan a little while longer and went straight to a down payment on a nice starter truck to lease on with and I probably would have been light years ahead of where I sit in life now, but hindsight is what it is and I digress.

Yes, you're not wrong with most of that, but only a small handful of people have what it takes to go from flipping burgers or working some retail job in their hometown to shipping off to a company class A driving job orientation on that free bus ticket and not wash out within the first year or two. Theoretically you can grow up poor and win a scholarship to Yale and earn an engineering degree and a six figure job at Google awaits, but again, very few have what it takes to pull off a hat-trick like that. I would say it happens about as often as the guy who goes off to driving school after working at some crap job and ends up in a shiny Pete running his own numbers and killing it. Hard to pull off that success story with your own bootstraps...very hard. If Daddy got you into Yale or threw you the keys to the shiny Pete to drive for the company HE started, good for you. But that ain't the same thing and that ain't the same guy (or gal). True upward mobility is hard.

 

Way back when this was a vocation that men, and a few women, got into because they wanted to be a truck driver.
Whether an owner or as a operator.
Mechanically inclined, good hand/eye coordination, situationally aware and independent with a wanderlust to see the country.
To be part of a growing America

Today it's a bit different imho.

But if someone wants to make a go of it they certainly can be successful.

 

I know, but you gave me an opportunity to make fun of TQL for their thousands of high school kids trying to play broker. I'll never miss an opportunity to make fun of those idiots.

Well said!

 

HELL NO!!!

 

I endorse it if someone younger shows interest and aptitude (driving, mechanical and business) for it. Most of the kids that get into around my parts these days run lumber or some sort of regional stuff. Very few, if any, run OTR. And with the way OTR is getting these days, I can’t endorse it.

 

Back in the day, a buddy and I went to truck school together and signed on with the same company planning to team. We had to go out separately with trainers. He hated that experience and went back to the real world. I motored on as a solo. A year later, he was tired of sales and wanted to give it another go. I moved over to US Xpress because they would let me train him. We were 23 and unattached, completely ditched the homelife and spent the next 9 months on the road burning 7-8000 miles a week. USX had a 3-tiered monthly bonus based on mileage. We were averaging $12-$1500 a week each in 1997. We busted our butts but we had plenty of fun too. Pickup basketball games from Rochelle to Laredo, getting the tractor stuck in the ocean in St. Augustine, hitting a bar outside Montreal where the girls only spoke french. Teams still command a premium and two friends with the right mentality and similar goals can still have a blast while banking some real money.

 

Friend of mine has a small business installing cameras and wifi etc

he has three employees and he makes them leave their phone in their car , because they simply can’t stop scrolling on it while they are supposed to be working .

 

The one thing I WOULD advise young people to do is take the CDL class at the local community college.

Ive even offered to pay for it for several young people I know ,
For the sole reason that with my nephew , when he took the class , he became a much much better driver in cars .


he also earned over $90k last year doing regional flatbed & RGN trucking ,hauling heavy equipment , being home every weekend .
Lot better than $18k at dollar general .

earn $90k , which would be $60-65k after taxes , for a couple years while still living with your parents on the weekends , you can stack some serious cash.

 

I would recommend industrial electronics, then auto technology then welding Then trucking..
Alot of youngins can't be away from home for a couple months at a time. I have 21 nieces and newfews. Average 17-19. Most to all have already quit or been fired. Or left school or have the you owe it to me mentally.
Its sad I couldn't leave my truck to any of them. When they literally complain about a 6 hour Mc donald shift. I'm in my 40's and have told most of them appease once you couldn't hand a days work if it bit you on the ankle.
The oldest being 22. Works 20 hours a week and complains she never has any money. I would not be comfterable reccomending this to any one that does not already have a strong work ethic and a stable mind.