Good days gone?!

As an Owner Op I net a six figure income. I have friends who work company side making high five figure incomes too. This business, like any, is what you make of it. Work smarter, not harder.

 

1500$ a week after taxes? Maybe as a trainer who gets training pay plus makes max cents per mile. My trainor with FFE was making that

 

You can. Just stick with it. There are high's and low's. More than one way to skin a cat. Believe in yourself, and surround yourself with "successful" people. There's ALOT of talkers in this industry.

 

Met a heavyhauler that didn't climb out of bed until 0800. That's insane...especially in the winter with the short days and in the summer with its afternoon heat. I've realized that even at the worst mega carrier, a driver can be successful and make decent money. It's not so much the name on the door, but the person behind the wheel.

I made mention of a heavyhaul driver because many people think that if you get into a heavyhaul gig, you're automatically going to make good money. That's NOT true. If you can roll out at 30 minutes before sunrise, and sunrise is at 0630, why are you in bed until 0800? All that weight is hard on tires, and in the summer, you see more blowouts. Start earlier and run longer on cooler asphalt. I did a stint as a roofer as a teen. We would start before sunrise and quit at noon. If we had started at 0800, we would have had to work longer periods in the heat. It's one example on how to work smarter.

Every successful driver I know of, every A Gamer, is up at 0500. Early to bed, early to rise...you know the old saying. I watch the threads, in particular, the picture thread in the flatbed section. The drivers will tell where they started from and where they finish. Every day. Every one of us face challenges, traffic, accidents,...etc, but these guys consistently hammer in the miles and run those loads. Awesome. See, one of the ways to make money is by becoming that GO TO driver. Every company has their go to drivers. Making a name as being completely realizable driver makes you valuable. Being able to problem solve and think outside the box will make you an A Gamer.

I don't care for lease purchase deals, but I have had friends who were successful at leasing. But I know that in order to be successful in leasing, you have to be a solid, consistent driver. So before even thinking about leasing and buying a truck, make sure that you are already solid and reliable as a driver.

"How will I know that I am a solid driver, Six?"

1. Minimum handholding from dispatch
2. No screw ups.
A. I overslept
B. I got a overweight ticket at the weigh station
C. I ran out of hours and the rest area was closed
D. I fueled up in the middle of the day and all of these idiots were parked on the fuel island.
E. I got a reckless. The speed limit changed, but I didn't see the sign...
F. I made a turn and forgot I had a trailer...