Career Planning Advise

You really think you can survive on 5k a week? I dunno. That's cutting it pretty tight .

Seriously, take the first 6 months to a year + to learn to drive the truck and learn the industry. It will become much clearer to you at that point. You can come up with the best business plan ever right now but you'd be surprised how much the best laid plans change.

Be flexible and let it play out.

 

You're not going to learn the ups and downs in one day you learn while you're in the industry as a company driver and ask other drivers along the way.It'll take some time but if that's your goal you can do it just don't rush into learning how to successfully become an owner operator the industry will always be here.

 

I agree with dumdriver.
It will take the better part of a year, maybe a little more just to learn the industry, what you can do or are willing to do.
Then robably close to another year to gather the finances.
After approximately 2 years, most have found their niche, they've proven themselves capable, and they are ready for the next step.
Once you have some road experience under you, had a chance to learn the industry, you can make money doing anything, skateboard, reefer, heavyhaul, van. Just depends on what you are comfortable with.
All in all I wish you the best of luvk.

 

I wanna echo the last cats post. Any advice you'd get at this point would pretty much fall on unprepared ears. Learn what that truck can do, what parts of the country you like runnin in, how to deal with traffic and deadlines and difficult shippers and receivers. There are pros and cons to every kind of hauling and the process deserves time. Get good at the things you need to get good at...trip planning, truck operation, pre and post trippin on the road, etc.

See, the thing is this: that 5k number you're lookin at is based on absolutely nothing right now. That might be a nice number in theory, but so many other factors come into play that it's too much of a moving target at this point in your career. For instance...as you learn as a company driver, it's gonna be all about the mileage right now. Get comfortable with that, and run the crap out of the truck you're in. Get a feel for whether you and your family (if you have one at the house) can handle over the road operations. It turns into a whole different deal when you're a true o/o, as it becomes more about revenue and less about miles ran. Example being maybe you can get a good gig earning 4K a week and only 1500 miles, lil more time at the house. That's what I mean by a moving target. There's a hundred different niches you can get yourself involved in, if you let yourself work the process. Talk to guys at your pickups and deliveries. Talk to guys at the truck stops (not just anyone...pick out guys that have strack rigs and maybe a setup you ain't familiar with, like oversized or specialized or tanker etc).

You're in an awesome position right now in your life. You have the chance to learn and trust the process. Lots of guys will say trucking sucks, its best days are behind it. Don't listen to em. Take notes, run that company truck like it's yours and track your fuel, your expenses, your mileage, everything you can. You're prolly gonna be unaware of the revenue right now, but that's immaterial. Learn as much as you can and don't pigeon hole yourself or let yourself feel like you know all the answers after a few months. Thats a deep hole to fall into.

After all that, I wish you good fortune in your journey.

 

Keep it simple for now. You're interest is more flatbed, so become a company driver pulling flatbeds for now.
Follow the advice of the others that have already posted concerning learning the industry and keeping track of everything concerning that truck and operating it.
Become a member of www.OOIDA.com which is a business website for the owner-operator.
Choose a flatbed company for now that hires new grads & runs coast to coast:
Britton Transport
Melton Truck Lines
Jones Bros. Trucking - Missoula,Montana
Transport National - Joplin,Missouri