How much Can I make trucking

if you know nothing about the industry it would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire however if you have enough resources (cash reserves) and plenty of contacts in the transport industry it may work out, perhaps your best off driving for someone else for 18 months or so get a feel for the industry before taking on such a huge responsibility.

 

More power to ya' brother.
Don't fall for the "Well, you have no experience so you'll fail" bee ess.
Driving as a company driver in a company truck is such a low paying job that you're destined to fail at that as well... just like almost everybody else. Thats the reason drivers leave this industry within the first 6 months of learning this fact on their own.
Buy your own truck; maybe it will work out. If not, the worst that will happen is that you have a repo on your credit report.
Not all that terrible and maybe even worth the risk if it all works out.

 

Check out auto transport if you are healthy enough to load/unload vehicles. The start up cost will probably be a fraction of what you would pay for a tractor/semi combo and they stay pretty busy year around. If things don't work out, and you get a good deal on the truck and trailer it would be conceivable to lose little or no money after resale.

It's the poor man's way of going O/O from day one, plenty of flexibility to boot with all of the brokers out there. That's what I would do with 50k right now, I only have a few months experience working for a broker back in the day, but I know it's a legit way to earn quick with way less start up $$ from talking to the guys actually delivering the vehicles with their own equipment.

 

Yea, I got a good job working on the computer from
Home too

 

i know this post is a little old but $25k? how in the heck do you make so little driving? this year im on track to make $54-56K, 2nd year BUT all local driving, no OTR. i only drive 100-120 miles per day doing a farm pickup route for walton milk hauling, so i go from farm to farm and pickup milk. today $200 and only 8-1/2 hours, in my car heading home.

i would agree this industry is FAR from perfect AND being an owner op isnt always a wise move..... especially first year driver, you are likely better off as a company driver. if my truck breaks i call the shop...... im on the side of the road broke, fix it..... no expense incurred by me. this only happened once since i have worked there, and it was only a radiator hose. still it's not my problem or expense.

some people here have said i dont make a whole lot BUT $1k per week is allot more then $25K per year, if i made that little, i too would have quit.

 

Listen to this guy one accident could cost you your career. Trucks break down you lose money but if you must.. learn flatbed and do specialzed stuff. Good money in it but very little loads. Honestly ive talked to a few owner ops that done it for decades. After everything 40k average. Which is low since you can bring home gross 3k a week. Then taxes. But trucks are expensive to fix fuel gets higher n higher. Youd be better off company id say. You could get lucky. All the stress solitude and crazy drivers though will test you. You may think i got this. Go run company or better yet lease a truck from carrier youll taste owner op ut still be able to walk away. Buy a truck especially with a loan. Ugh. Ohh you say ill get a used one with 600k miles for 35k. More maintence. Although to be honest money isnt everything. Some people love trucking i do ita harder than most jobs and stressful but a beautiful sunny day with scenery beats any job indoors to me. Though with good comes bad like nyc jersey

 

Do not buy your own truck for at least one year. Let someone else pay for your mistakes for at least a year.

 

Ha ha !

 

Don't buy a truck, invest the money , teach others to turn wrenches, open your own shop and keep regular hours.