"Home Daily directly out of school? Is this realistic?

There are places where you can be home but it might be just for your 10hrs off. your sleeping is 8 of it and then your commute to and from work... if you really wanna be there with your family and see them every day and not be exhausted then I would say stay away from trucking.

 

I agree. If you’re in school for welding, stay there! Especially right now. Concentrate on becoming the best welder that you can be. You will work shorter days than a local driver and less wear on the body. Let the kid get older and out of the house and if you still feel like driving, you will be prime age for a driver.

Welding is art that I hope to master some day. I wish I could weld.

 

I did one year local, and when they fired me that was a blessing for my career. I don't know why so many people think that all truck driver's want to be local. I know I am definitely better suited for OTR

 

Well...yep, I guess it did - and you're welcome, Son. Seems to me you've got your priorities figured out and in the right order. You are going to do just fine, young man.

 

Appreciate your advice for the OP.
You wish you could weld... and I wish I was 24 again!

 

I live 10 minutes from my job. Even if I work 12 hours I still got time to do whatever when I get home.

If you can find something close check it out. I’ve never done otr and I make good money. Probably more than a lot of otr guys. At the end of the day you just gotta go with what you’re comfortable with.

It isn’t all about the money because no one here is getting rich driving a truck. You got a family you wanna see? Me too, that’s why I do local stuff.

You got no strings and just wanna camp out in a truck or hit the oil field and stack money? You can do that too.

I get why a lot of people don’t like local work but I just flat out don’t care about what happens at work. Traffic? That’s fine I’m paid by the hour. Crazy drivers downtown? Hit my truck if you want, I’ll be fine.

I go to work to have a good time, pour some concrete and make some money. You just gotta let the bs go. You can’t get mad at every person who nearly sideswipes you on their phone. Just don’t even move and if they hit you it’s on them. It’s not worth stressing over or you’ll be miserable.

 

yes but expect to make 500 to 750 a week as a contractor,with long wait times 14hrs 5 days per week ,newbies get trampled in trucking

 

Part of the biggest problem with home for a trucker, OTR or local is that there is a certain amount of Meanie Bear coming home. Over tired, cranky, non human until get some sleep. Preferably away from chores, honeydo this do that, crying kids and god only knows what imagined or real crisis are invading the dear hearth and home.

It's part of making sure that trucker is able to rest a moment and have the correct mind to go back out again and be safe doing it. At the same time, part of the home time is strictly for the wife, kids or whatever inside that house, nothing else until it's time to go. It will have to be short, sweet and tide everyone until you get back.

 

If you have good credit ,buy a good truck after 2 years and get newbed for 2 years, you could expect to clear 1800,-3500 per week, but you will be responsible for truck,maintanence, payment,you will be home almost everyday ,sleeping with no family time on weekdays and off weekends if you dont want to clear over 2800,but sometimes it takes 6 days to clear 1800,it just depends ,every company has ####ty freight,my dispatcher says this ,sometimes your the bug sometimes your the windshield,as a newb you are the windshield everyday,me,every otherday