Finally got my own truck

GROSS he only pays himself 400 a week company driver take home a 1000 week with full benefits you will never get it plus he not home but every six week what a great life he has for the hours he works he should be clearing 2K a week easy

 

Well I'm sure I could make more as a company driver too if I lived in the big city, worked nights and weekends, hand unloaded or sold my body to slavery, but I live in the country. There is no one (employee) in my town of 3000 people making $100k a year. Let alone $70 and forget the benifits. I come and go as I please and don't answer to anyone except the costumer I have on the deck. It may not be for everyone but it's what works for me in my situation. Maybe BW is in the same situation? If you live in a big city there are more opportunities for high paying employment but it comes with problems of its own.

 

It's a choice when you first start out. I clear 3k a week right now but I choose not to take much because I will not rest easy until I have a 20-50k slush fund. Cash on hand for anything that could happen to the truck. I can get most things fixed right now but I cannot replace the motor. I want to be able to do that. Once that fund is full then I can take home that money.

@BoyWander is willing to make a sacrifice to achieve his goals. Single and no family, what is there to do at home. You apparently are not willing to sacrifice like he is. That's ok, the industry needs company drivers too.

@BoyWander about the family thing, don't get depressed over it. If it is meant to happen it will. Just live your life according to your morals and build that foundation for the family so you have something strong to support you when the day comes.

 

End of the day Boy Wonder is not only getting it done, but he is kind enough to share his experience, good or bad, at the very least he is honest, and if anyone here thinks things can be done better, don't hate on him, make suggestions, but most are selfish and quick to criticize

 

"You could". Yeah, he "could" be an astronaut or a professional baseball player too. Realistically, how many company drivers make 70k with full perks? The average company driver, as best I can tell from sites like Salary and Glassdoor, is making mid 40's. So you're talking about maybe 10% of the industry and that's years on the job with select companies. Its not rational to say he shouldn't do a thing based on the salaries of a small group of people. Its not even rational to say he should quit because he isn't taking baths in $100 bills right out the gate. It takes time. There's a learning curve.

You have to consider the long term too. How long does he plan to keep the truck? Assuming he doesn't trade it in right away, he'll have very different profit margins once he doesn't have a payment anymore. He's also building his maintenance fund. Once that reaches the number he's set, that's another chunk of change back in his pocket. He's putting in the work now to have a much better quality of life later. Just like all the folks that put in time with a company at lower wages so they could make 70k with benefits on the back end. Different strokes for different folks. And as beginners on the O/O side go, @BoyWander isn't doing too shabby.

 

There's another thread I'm watching and some wag has to bag on guys netting $1,400 to $2,200 a week. Same argument. Why own your own truck when you could be making $100 k as a company driver. I told him the same thing as you did, those jobs are few and far between. Compare to what the average driver is making, and $1,400-$2,200 for being home every night is not too bad.

Boywonder is making what they call sweat equity, and it sounds like he's doing alright.

 

Yes they make 1/2, when I did it is an agent and place my load at 10-15% in my packet that was a big problem they have too keep rate up to have more available O/O when needed.

 

Thats an awesome rate. Usually WI inbound freight is about $1.2-1.5 max, unless a desperate broker calls you. WI is a very good place for outbound freight.Just last Thursday I left Milwaukee to OH for $950 on 370 miles. Usually its not less that $2 per mile even on 1000+ miles runs