Give me the trucking get rich blueprint. lol

$50k/year is the baseline that anyone should be making in this industry. Don't worry about that. A reasonable target for serious drivers is 70k after 3-5 years experience.

There are Megas out there where this is not possible but being on this site and asking for help will steer you clear of those.

 

Eh, don't sweat it. The wash out rate is high (like college) so we all assume you'll be yet another 6 month wonder.

Nothing wrong with doing research. This is the internet age after all.

 

Nothing wrong with not having an emotional connection to trucking (or any other industry), just realize that some people on here do and tend not to like it when others view "their" industry as nothing more than a cash cow.

I won't claim an emotional connection, but I will say that I paid my own way through CDL school simply because I like trucks and always wanted to drive them. I never expected to earn any money with that CDL once I got it. It was just a personal goal I wanted to accomplish.

 

It gets in you blood. You'll drive so much that hopping in your little V6 Camry feels like a rocket ship and you can't figure out how the hell you ever drove with such small mirrors lol

 

That and being so close to the ground.

 

The worst is when you are trying to back out of a parking spot in your car and you can't figure out why the back of the car isn't going where you expect it to.

You also never forget that time you went for that next gear without using the clutch and got a very loud reminder that you were no longer in the truck.

 

Last company I was with had a 5 speed Toyota pickup, I was apparently not the only one who forget becasue it went to 3rd with no clutch and no problem... When it wouldn't pop into 4th is when it hit me.

 

Take money out of the equation for a moment. If money wasn't the object, what is it that you really want to do?

I'm a driver. It's what I do. Its what I want to do. I used to build 4x4 trucks to play in the mud. I've built and races sports cars. I was a chauffeur. I was Rescue. I was PD. Even when I retired, I still drove cross country just to drive. I built my own big rig. I've built my own motorcycles. When I go home, I get on the bike and ride for days. I stay out and I run as long as there's money. When the money drops off, I park the truck, get on the bike and ride. It's what I want to do.

The majority of the people in the business will never see eye to eye with me because they hate what they do. They cry and whimpe about their lot in life, and I recommend that they find something else to do, but they can't because they're losers. Then again, some of these people are so stupid that they couldn't make money if you gave them the official engraving plates, ink and paper. They cry when they leave home, they cry when they're away from home, they cry about their paychecks. Losers.

Why are there so many losers in this industry? Because some loser road the metro bus to work, saw a driver driving down the road and thought that he could do that too. Looks easy, right? Then why are there so many people crying and whimpering? Anyone can hold a steeringwheel and run straight down the highway, right?

Some of them wimp out even before they finish school. They've failed at everything else in life, but they read on a billboard that they can be a truck driver and make good money. 'Graduate from our acredited school and you could make $50000 a year in as little as 6 weeks.' You could, but odds are you won't.

"Why not, Six? Why can't I make $50k my first year?"

I was watching this program where 10 people were asked about 3 black lines, and which were the same length? The first 8 people were paid to give the wrong answer. The last 2 went along with the crowd. It was very rare for someone to go against the crowd.

You go to truck driving school. You sit in a room with a bunch of people that have never done anything tough in life. The big box companies bombard the school with their recruiters. These people come in here asking about a bottom feeder and everyone warns them. You tell them to beat the bushes and find a better job, the recruiter offers them a sunshine injection in Uranus and a prehire. It's like being on trial and accepting protection from Big Raymond if you plead guilty. Uranus hurts and you can't even look at yourself in the mirror. I'd hate life too if I copped out and took the path of least resistance. But that's not me. That's not my guys.

My first year in a truck, I made $52000. I retired from driving and went into home building.i had 4 houses on the market when the market failed. Had to start all over again. Had to ride with a trainer for a few weeks even. I made $79.9k my first year back, BUT I was away from the house for 50 weeks. See, I had a goal. I am goal oriented. I needed to pay for those 4 houses until they sold AND buy a truck. The following year, got the truck paid for, sold 3 out of 4 houses, and moved my mom into the last house. Mission accomplished.

A couple of my guys commented on this thread. They're just like me. One of them commented about how he stayed in his pickup to reach his goals. These guys make money. They're doing exactly what they want to do, so you don't see them CRYING about how terrible life is and how much they hate the industry.

So, is this really what you want to do? Or is there something else you want to do? Sometimes, someone comes in and does a post about how he wants to do this part time. Or just for a couple years. Waste of time. It costs too much for school, you have too much invested, and you won't make enough money to break even. If there's something else you want to do, go do it. You have one shot in life.