How much can I save up as a 22 year old trucker if I live on the road?

Honestly, you should stay in school if you really want that masters degree. these days, you can work full time and take post graduate courses at night or online all the way to the degree. That will work out better for you financially over your lifetime than trying to drive a truck for a living in the interregnum so you can be debt free when you go back to school. The cost you are missing is that, by delaying your return to school, you are also delaying your entry into the masters level marketplace. If you are genuinely tired of school, take only one or two classes initially or take a job in your desired field. As others have pointed out, trucking should be approached as a professional choice, not as a job. You've already made it clear that your choice of profession lies elsewhere. A few more years of ramen and tap water won't bother you much when you end up as one of these people who think the sheer size and opulence of your vehicle entitles you to be one of the reasons our job is so dangerous.

 

I put $3k in my savings account every month, however I am not 22.

 

Focus on the pay, not the size of the company. Just because a company is small doesn't mean the pay is better or the company is better; that's a myth some people have that are bitter about life or believe gossip or made bad decisions and took the first job offer without researching.
Put your location on your profile so we know the hiring area you live in.
You can start your first trucking job making $30K or $60K, but much depends on the hiring area you live in.

 

#### little.

At 22 my weekly budget was 200, that included everything. There was a additional 200 ready to go at all times each month in addition to savings of 2000 plus dollars cash.

ANY money not spent each week was added to savings. THAT is strictly for being able to keep trucking with a reasonable amount of food, fluids and strength as well as tolls, hygene etc.

Fast forward to today's as of 2001 for us. When you are a team and you do not buy retail truckstop food and cook, eat and so on making one little walmart stop per month carefully spending less than what you made last month you will begin to save money.

That year Bin Laden destroyed the payroll company and killed the people who cut our paychecks, we had close to 14K in savings out of a gross income of 65K and it was enough to tide us over for 6 weeks until payroll began to flow again in addition to a almost 10K room rebuild in our home. All of that was possible due to savings at that time.

A form of savings was having the company deduct 100 dollars each week for Federal Withholding and 75 dollars each week for State withholding. That forces them to put that money to the Uncle Sam and the State for ME to claim at tax refund time. They will not be able to use this money to claw back from any loans, charges or accident damage I may or may not have done recently that pay period. That results in a quite a good once a year refill of general savings and positions as necessary against big bills to stay debt free. There are times that paycheck was 0.00 due to the withholding, but we continue on and follow up to make sure all loads are paid for.

That was then. Today they pay instantly when you hook onto a load or report loaded and rolling on satellite, Result is a direct deposit minus all taxes etc sent directly to you at that moment on the satellite, you can then run your trip as a business careful to keep your costs as low as possible until delivery.

 

I currently save or invest about $2400 per month. I spent my first 3.5 years paying off all my debt, living in the truck and minimizing expenses to accomplish that goal as fast as possible. I thought I would relax once I was out of debt, but now I've decided to save up and pay cash for my first rental property. Anyway it can be done. This job can be stressful but there's nothing like a bank account full of cash to take the edge off. Your pay will be low at first but everyone's got to pay their dues. And you might be able to work side hustles on the road, if you have any digital nomad talents like writing, coding, or whatever.

 

Figure a grand a week for pay. You know your expenses. Don't eat everyday at truckstops go to the grocery store and be frugal. It'll add up quick till you get married and she'll spend it anyway

 

Marriage? nah i prefer a ###### mancave with a stocked fridge, big ### tv with all the channels and a dog laying on my lap to keep me company.

 

I currently spend about 300 per week living on the road, but consider that I also smoke and haven't begun making any real attempt to eat cheaply or hold money back as I am on someone else's truck and don't want to take up too much space. That's going to have to change here quick and in a hurry, but let's say you make 2500-3000 per month. Even eating like a pig as I have, you would still be able to bank 1500 or so per month that you would then have for later. Just remember to buy yourself something nice every now and then. Or if you have the time and you are in a big city, go see the sights. Same goes for being stuck out in Utah, in the mountains. Really anywhere you get a chance to get out of the truck, do that.

Also, go flatbed

 

That's doable, but only if you get hired a company that runs you well and doesn't waste your time. What I just wrote does NOT mean take a job with the bottom-feeding company and you can't help but make as much money as you want. Your pay, and most importantly your ability to stay in the industry more than 1 year, depends VERY VERY much on getting hired at a better company that has freight and keeps you moving. For some reason new drivers interpret EVERYTHING as "1 company is the same as every other company" and then jump at the first offer at Screw You Trucking, Inc.

 

No dog ever said "screw it I've got a better offer. I'm taking half your stuff." No dog ever grew up into a teenager.