Need Advise!!!

sorry I think I'm confused.

If you have your learner's and are considering the possibility of a company paid training..etc.....why wouldn't you just pay for it yourself? $8000 from what I have seen would cover your schooling....

Why would you consider a company you would be indebted to as you pointed out? As for your second option....lemme guess, buy the truck pay it off quick (supposedly anyways) and run up and down the highways earning the big bucks right? ummm, you're forgetting that you still do not have any experience. Try crawling first...see what happens. Slow down to try to make an informed decision.

 

D2CR,

You have several good advantages right now. You have tanker and hazmat and you live in Houston area. Call Schneider and discuss going to work with them in their Bulk division pulling tankers. The regional bulk division is run out of Houston. You will have to go through Schneiders school and sign a contract but not only will you obtain the standard transmission training but you will also gain entry into the tanker arena. It is difficult for any new driver to get into tankers and, from everything I have heard, it is preferable over dry van, reefer, etc.

Being out of the Houston area you will make many runs in and out of Houston and home time should be easier to obtain.

 

Good advise, I have been pulling a dry bulk tank for a year and a half, it is the easiest job i ever had. It only take me about 10 minutes to load, and the only thing you have to do to unload is hook up a few hoses and pay attention to what you are doing for about 45 minutes to an hour. When i first started pulling a tank, it seemed like most of the other tank drivers were more than happy to lend you a hand if you needed it.

 

for option 1.........

i would highly advise you to go back to your driving school take a "refresher course", its usually free as you're a grad, then have the school help you find a job, afterall, its the placement office that has to honor the contract you signed when you attended previously. then, take whatever job they find you.

that 8 grand you have might get you a decent used truck, but here you go again, NO EXPERIENCE.............so in all reality, no finance company will take a 'gamble" on you. you would be prone to failure, and they don't want to own a old dump truck................

try the advice in option 1.................

 

Don't forget to factor in:

licensing and proper permits for the vehicle

necessary permits from local/state/federal depending on what you will haul

The state of Texas will require you to have a business license so they can collect franchise and other taxes as they deem fit. If you attempt to run unincorporated then you will be required to register your DBA name with every county you do business in.

A LOT of insurance in the event an accident occurs.

Money to market your business to those you seek contracts from. This can be as simple as advertising, buying incentive gifts/dinners/etc, WEB site or just the cost of fuel and wear and tear on your private vehicle as you scout out business.

Cost of all other necessary things such as cell phone service, office equipment (Computer, printer, fax, shredder), all of your expendable office supplies, etc.

Money to hire a lawyer to view/write/correct any contracts you have and for other legal matters you need them.

Money to a CPA to advise you how to handle the financial aspects to ensure you don't miss on valuable accounting practices, etc.

A large reserve fund to sustain you now while you try to get the business up and running as well as pay operating costs before the money starts really coming in.

Money in reserve for medical/dental/etc issues you may have and/or to pay for insurance coverage.

If you do not live on a property that will allow you to park your truck then you will need to make arrangements for a secure parking area. That will cost additional money.

There are many other items that are not listed here and I am sure others can contribute to.

Now if you are just trying to find a company that does not have a contract for hire and will still send you to training to obtain the manual transmission experience you can contact CFI. They have a WEB site at www.cfidrivers.com which will give you a lot of details. Essentially they will send you to training and you pay a small amount of it and they do not require a signing contract.

 

Prevailing wage dump truck and pup driver, Puget Sound Area: $30+/ hour

And that's driving someone else's truck. Keep in mind that's only for jobs that involve public money, but if I remember correctly, regular scale was $23/ hour ten years ago.

If you can find someone to take a chance on you, I'd go for the dirt, but in someone else's truck.

Early, long, long hours, mud, dust, city traffic, and dirt roads. Good pay otherwise.

 

Average wage here in Texas for new drivers is only $10 - $12 an Hour with private companies, and not much better with governments. In addition the big companies are requiring from 1 - 2 years experience just to start driving for them. An unfortunate side effect we have here is a ready supply of very cheap labor.

If you plan to haul aggregate, or most any other raw materials for construction, there is a second major issue here. That issue is called Lattimore Materials Inc. They own most all of the major pits here and have been trying to lock the market up with their trucks and materials. Have two friends in the local haul business, trucks and pups, and they have felt the squeeze significantly. Lattimore has raised prices to the point it has hurt them hauling for anyone, even for property owners needing materials.

I highly suggest you drive for a company for a year first. Does not matter who but it will give you a chance not only to see what the business climate is like, it will also give you a chance to network and make contacts. You'll need both of those if you want to start on your own.