Older male looking at trucking for most money and no touch

I started at the tender age of 53, not because I wanted to but because I ran out of options. Training with a big company was the most miserable experience of my life. I'd advise you to do anything but trucking. If you choose not to take my advice, become an O/O asap. It took me 2 years but I would never have survived any other way.

 

1. Don't lease. Don't go owner op. That is terrible advice. If you want to have a million dollars in trucking, start with 10 million and go owner op.

2. Almost all training companies are absolute garbage. You'll do about the same at any of them. I'd probably look at who has the most trailers and tractors and customers and decide almost entirely based upon that. In your first year, that and who your planners are will determine most of your success.

3. If you can move anywhere, my advice is to somehow get a Texas address and get your license moved there... then call Swift. Get your CDL and do your year, hopefully on some sort of dedicated account so you won't ever be sitting. The less you have at home to be responsible for financially, the better. You'll basically have a cell phone bill and food on the road. Take home time wherever you #### well please, because guess what... when you're OTR you can pretty much do that.

 

There aren't really varying opinions about o/o. With zero experience in this industry, it's a horrible idea to think you can start and run a successful trucking company. Especially when beholden to the company that controls both the truck lease and the freight you'd run.

Texas because there is no income tax here. You don't even have to move here. Just have an address where you can receive mail here and get your permit here. It's also easier to get home here than most other states outside of major freight centers and there is always a load out of here. And Swift because the CDL training is actually great. As a company driver you won't sit very much. Everyone here will have differing opinions on companies to work for. That's a good one to start at. If you can succeed there, you can succeed at almost any company.

One thing that is almost universal, however, is do not lease a truck and do not go owner op. If you do, wait for a year, preferably 2 so you can see what the major freight lanes are and so you'll have the required experience necessary to haul for a carrier that you can actually have access to freight that you can get a percentage of, rather than 1.12 per mile... so you'll be getting say, 80% of the gross for the load... as an example, a 600 mile load may be shipped for 2500-3000 dollars. A lease operator will make about 620 dollars for that load, spend 300 in fuel, have a 750-800 dollar truck/insurance/etc/etc/etc payment to make every week.

A person with experience taking 80% will be making more than 2000 for that load that can be run in a single day. The lease operator for a mega carrier will run that load and still be 300-500 dollars in debt for the week. Lease operator probably also doesn't get to see what loads are available for the area. They get whatever the carrier offers them. Could be a great load, could be a bad load... either way, you'll be making less than 40% of the linehaul, all of the expenses will be on you. If you piss off the planner by not taking a load to, say, New York City... sorry, we don't have any loads. Try back later.

Truck payment still due. Insurance still due. Family still needs to be fed. And no matter how much money you make, the company gets their cut first. Trust me, for a person starting out who should be 100% focused on not hitting anything... you don't need that #### in your life. If you talk to a company as a new driver and in orientation they are talking about leasing a truck or any way try to pressure you to do so, promise you more money or freedom--they are predators and you need to kindly decline and run out.

 

How much diesel repair do you know? That can save your ###. Or you may go belly up if you do not have a fat bank roll. Or a hired mechanic.

 

From what I've heard 90 hours a week every week worked. I might be off a bit.