College or trucking, what to do between 18 and 21?

Trade school. And do some AG work at the same time. Do some sort of trade that will help you when you get your own rig. Paint and body,welding, diesel mechanic.

Luck in battle.

 

I dont regret my time spent in school. Was able to learn math, used to be a weakness, now it is a strength. Learned a lot about history, physics, etc. But it hasnt done anything to help me make money unless you count what I learned about finances, passive income and compounding interest.

Being able to fix your own truck as you go, thats boss status right there. Ride... Repair... Ride again.

Go for it.

 

If someone want to learn the business of trucking Kevin Rutherford on Satellite radio has show all about making money. Some people don't like his business stuff and some do. It something you can listen and decide for yourself.

You can listen to his older and free podcast Trucking with Kevin Rutherford Online Radio by LetsTruck

Now he new deal on satellite radio he doesn't do the podcast because he has a regular weekday show 11am-2pm. If you want his show they have an app but you have pay every month to listen.

 

Traditional college where people pay thousands of dollars to learn about the 21 different generders and other leftist non-sense is a waste of your time and money anyhow, I like what ironwindow said go do oil changes and stuff it'll be alright you'll learn more doing that then anywhere else, you'll be 3 miles ahead of everyone else by the time you're done with that.

My cousin became a mechanic that way worked for a car dealership in the parts department then worked his way through the different mechanic levels now he's a buyer for a car dealership.

If you want to be a truck driver, do it because nothing else will satisfy you. That was me I wanted to be a truck driver nothing else interested me well that or train engineer lol, but I did and it's been great really I have a nice house with furniture and stuff it's worked out well for me I wouldn't want to be the rest of these people working in a cubicle or office all day they can have that world.

 

Trucking is a hard life but if you know how to work hard you can make a good living, always good to have something to fall back on though just in case you can’t stand being In the truck after a few years or wife wants you home etc etc

 

Just because you hate school, doesn’t mean you’ll hate College. Maybe you have the ability to get a degree in mechanical engineering, or some other high demand field. Maybe you don’t realize your potential, A college degree will take you further in life than Trucking. As far as the cost, Buying a used Truck and Trailer for $100k , only to make less than that in a year,like many do, isn’t so great a plan either.Something to think about, Driving a Truck can always be an option. Don’t sell yourself short, unless it’s truly all that interests you

 

Look I will give you (the op) a couple of pieces of advice.

My kids know how dangerous this business is, they seen a few of my drivers get hurt and have nothing left.

I told my kids I discourage them from making a living out of this if they don't have backups for their lives,

So my first bit of advice is today's world needs a way to get into the door for a good paying job outside of this industry. A paper that shows you went to an institution of higher learning does provide that. Go to college get something then if you want to get into this mess, go for it.

My second piece of advice is really really think about that truck. When you break down and you have your customers product on your truck, then what?

You have an older truck, it is going to be hard to find parts for it, and a bigger issue is finding someone who can work on it.

If you have the idea of going on your own, then having an older truck may be a problem.

 

If you already have that kind of money to spend on stuff you are well ahead of your peers and have the important money-saving skill needed.

When you look at statistics most 40-year-olds don't have that much expendable income that you are talking about and here you are at 21.