18 year old Owner Operator

It's possible, but it's also a really bad idea. You'll be spending a lot of time idle looking for an intrastate box truck load, meanwhile you'll be dropping ~$800/wk just on insurance. That's the good news.

Fun fact: In the past 50 years, every time oil prices, adjusted for inflation, rose 50% above trend, a recession followed. Brent crude has doubled in the last year. A recession means less freight and lower rates. Meanwhile, diesel is fast approaching $8/gal. If you're buying a box truck you'll pay more than it's worth. There's a truck shortage at the moment and all trucks are selling for inflated prices. Paying top dollar for equipment and expenses when the market is offering bargain basement rates isn't a good business plan unless you're hoping for your first bankruptcy before you turn 21.

The answer is to start driving local for someone else today. Let someone else worry about paying for the diesel and the truck. Save your money. Once the recession hits full swing a lot of trucks will be available for a lot less than what you'd pay today. When you get a few years of experience under you belt your insurance will cost less than half what it would going in with 0 experience. You'd much rather put $20k/yr. into your pocket instead of Progressive's, right? You also won't be stuck running intrastate only.

Trucking is boom or bust. Today, we're headed towards a bust. That will thin the herd and reduce the number of trucks on the road until capacity matches the reduced demand for freight. Once freight volumes and rates pick up again there will be a boom until enough trucks and drivers get back on the road to meet the demand. Wouldn't you rather start being an O/O with a paid for truck, good rates and enough freight to keep you busy?

 

Never heard of it

 

Right now box freight is cheap, I just paid $1.25 per mile for moving office furniture and other palleted items and that was a short haul. The other guy who rents an office here is idling his trucks and vans because he is seeing < $1.50 rates from his customers, and he does air cargo work. His other trucks are running for appliance warehouse and auto manufacturing supply moves.

 

You can if you have the money for the insurance and are not hauling any freight that goes over state lines

 

IMHO...
A 18 year old should better go to college and then get a suit and tie job. If not very witty to read textbooks, then learn a real trade, plumbing, carpentry, even modern diesel mechanics...while you're young and can. Truckin can always wait and it will never be a profession but occupation.

 

Amazon has a lot of box truck work maybe he can start from there.


But I would say a trade school is better option if a Degree in the sciences are not.

an arts degree is worthless imho.

 

Trucking is better than sitting at a desk. Travel the USA.

 

Attend a cdl school; get a cdl.

 

You need to do a lot of checking around. Join OOIDA, they’re a good source of info. Call Insurance companies. Get some quotes. A large box Truck isn’t hard to find, at a decent price. Some research on the Trucks your considering is a must. There’s work available in Local Moving, Debris removal, Buying and selling produce. Having a Liftgate is a plus. Doing inside deliveries, Small package delivery, Business to Business Courier services, using a car for small deliveries. May need to be Bonded. Use your Imagination, find the need. Local Food Supplier Deliveries. With so many places short handed right now, there’s a lot of Opportunities that aren’t being taken. Call around. Try Local Freight Companies. Charge by the hour, with a 10 hr. Minimum, peddling freight. Specialize in difficult deliveries. There’s ways, just have to find the need. Only way to do that is to ask the questions. Don’t be shy or discouraged. Just keep asking, learning, and willing to work. Depending on your area, there’s stuff available. Furniture and appliance delivery, rental and Lease vehicle returns. Plenty of gig work delivering fast food, groceries, Uber. Drive the Amish, Lol. Get busy. It’s Literally never been easier to find work. Start somewhere. No telling where or what you’ll eventually find that works best. Start small, avoid big investments for equipment. Move up as you make money, and have a clear cut need for equipment, before buying. Be willing to change your mind, and stay flexible. Instead of trying to make a perfect plan, that will surely not go as planned.

 

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