hey, I'm 21 and I plan on going to trucking school after I graduate from college. I don't plan on making a career out of it I just want to do some traveling and I've always thought trucking was really cool. I'm also hoping it will allow me to save enough money to travel around europe for a couple years afterwards. Assuming my expenses were as low as they could possibly be, i have no family to support, no student loans, and I am very low maintainence how much could i expect to save after taxes if I drove for 2 years? What are the main expenses a non O/O driver has? Thanks
Your expenses for being a company driver will consist of your food items primarily. If your a smoker that will take a big chunk out of your pocket too. You can save through buying a cooler and eating in the truck rather than spending money on fast food restaraunts or in the truck stops which are pretty high. Be sure to stock up when your at home on your groceries about a weeks worth at a time. A box or 2 of cereal, some english muffins, bagels, a small loaf of dark bread such as wheat, rye, or pumpernickel. A small jar of jelly, a mid size jar of peanut butter, maybe a jar of marshmallow fluff. Bring some fruits like a couple of bananas, apples, oranges, or pears. Check to see if your employer will let you install an inverter on the truck. If they do then purchase (minimum) a 1500 watt. This will enable you to buy a small microwave and a toaster oven. Other drivers will do coffee pots and sandwich makers but those use much less power and many can be purchased with a cigarette lighter plug. The point of the above is to "save" as much money as you can. Frugal drivers can get by on less than 50.00 per week through eating carefully, healthy, and CHEAPLY. As for your earnings potential that is really dependant upon you, the pay rate you are at, the company you work for, and the freight availablity. That said you should be able to earn 35 grand your first year as a truck driver. This is based upon 2500 miles per week, at .28 cpm, for 50 weeks. It all depends on you and how disciplined you are in regard to saving money. Lots of drivers get bored on the road and buy snacks and play the cherry master machines in the truckstops or blow their money in the arcades. If they are stuck somewhere waiting for a delivery appointment or layed over they have a tendency to "spend money." If you get bored easily then I suggest getting a membership at your local library. Borrow a few books of your choosing and read them at your leisure. If reading is not your "cup of tea" then you can borrow audio books and even movies from your public library. If you have a laptop then you can surf the net, play games, communicate with your friends and family, and watch movies all in the comfort of your truck (provided you have a wireless air card). Stay out of the casinos. Chances are you will lose. Remember the house always wins in the end. I work much too hard for my money so I elect to keep mine and they can keep theirs. Good luck!
