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Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by hogwyld92, Oct 24, 2010.

  1. Oct 24, 2010 #1
    hogwyld92

    hogwyld92 Bobtail Member

    3
    0
    Oct 24, 2010
    slidell, LA
    0
    Hello everyone. I have a few questions if anyone can give me some advice.
    I am 51 years old and have been self employed for the past 30 years. My wife has taken over our business and that has left me to pursue a new direction. I have had a life long interest in trucks and driving.
    My goal is to get my CDL and drive a Semi Dump truck. I live in the New Orleans area and there seems to be a lot of work for dump trucks available. I have a background as a heavy equipment operator so I know a little about dump trucks and construction sites but no professional driving experience.
    I want to own my own truck, I am very partial to being my own boss.
    So, is this something worth pursuing? I'm not looking to get rich, so my expectations are pretty reasonable.
    Any direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
     
    hogwyld92, Oct 24, 2010
    hogwyld92, Oct 24, 2010
    #1
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  3. Oct 24, 2010 #2
    Rerun8963

    Rerun8963 Road Train Member

    3,917
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    Mar 30, 2006
    ova-hereee
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    well, you say the wife has taken over the business, so i'll surmise you DO HAVE business knowledge. you say you were a heavy equipment operator, so you have some knowledge in that as well. you say that you want to be a owner of a dump truck. given what knowledge you DO HAVE, i'd say go for it. i would highly recommend a class A CDL though. it'll cost more (in training) but i think that in the construction/dump business, you might actually find a class A more useful.

    usually i try to discourage a wannabe from buying a truck, but in your case, i think you'll have the knowledge to make it all happen......and of course, you do realize, it's going to be LONG days into nights in the dump business......
     
    Rerun8963, Oct 24, 2010
    Rerun8963, Oct 24, 2010
    #2
  4. Oct 24, 2010 #3
    GasHauler

    GasHauler Master FMCSA Interpreter

    6,257
    4,365
    Oct 23, 2005
    Vegas/Jersey
    0
    I too was trained in both fields. I'd much rather run a D-8 or D-9 all day than drive but I made more driving with the company I ended up at. You should know drivers out there that own their truck so I would recommend that you talk with them. Maybe you can find an owner that would be willing to help you out. Check your local community college for a school and go for a class A CDL. I'm sure it will help with insurance when the time comes. Your best bet is to use the resources you have and get some help to get you going in the right direction. I know in Las Vegas the drivers that pulled 2 40 foot belly dumps made real good money. They were up around $20 an hour back in 1995.
     
    GasHauler, Oct 24, 2010
    GasHauler, Oct 24, 2010
    #3
  5. Oct 25, 2010 #4
    hogwyld92

    hogwyld92 Bobtail Member

    3
    0
    Oct 24, 2010
    slidell, LA
    0
    Thanks for the encouragement and advice.
    So far there is a local gravel pit that has some possibilities. This has given me the chance to crunch numbers.
    Any opinions? Approximate 24 ton load at $12.00 a ton and a 235 mile round trip from pit to concrete plant. That's about a $1.23 per mile. I estimated about 4 hours round trip which would give me about $59.00 per hour.
    This would make it pretty tough to make ends meet.
    So, is this the average I would be expecting out there or keep searching?
    Thanks again...
     
    hogwyld92, Oct 25, 2010
    hogwyld92, Oct 25, 2010
    #4
  7. Oct 25, 2010 #5
    lil may

    lil may Road Train Member

    1,302
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    May 25, 2009
    0
    Best of Luck to you
     
    lil may, Oct 25, 2010
    lil may, Oct 25, 2010
    #5
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