Hey guys i'm new here and was hoping some of you could help me out. I'm a junior in college right now studying philosophy, it's a very good very expensive school and everyone thinks i'm crazy for wanting to be a truck...well screw them. I want to see the country, i love time alone, i think it's a great way to save money, i love driving and have had a very clean record. I am not looking for a career, just an experience for 2-3 years. I plan on spending the next couple years before i graduate college planning this out and i figure this is the best place to start. A few questions i have now are, what is life really like for a trucker? I've heard that it can be a pretty unhealthy life style physically. I'm very active and workout and run a lot, will i still be able to stay fit and healthy? What kind of salary can i expect, i would be working as much as possible, and since i don't and wont have kids or a wife i'm not worried about being away from home. Are there companys where i could drive all over the country or is it mainly regionalized, i would rather drive all around but would be fine with just staying west of the mississippi. How many hours is a typical work day and how does it work in terms of routes, what time of day you're driving, and time sensitive shipments. Is there anything part-time i can do over the next two years to gain experience in order to increase starting slaray when i become full time, such as summer work, i have about 4 months off? have a very wealthy brother who would probably be willing to buy mw my own truck, is it worth it only driving for three years, can i do that as an inexperienced driver? Finally which companies should i be looking at, big ones like shneider or smaller outfits. Don't feel obligated to answer all these questions even just answering one would be great. thanks scott
I know what you mean about being able to save money and do this while not having kids or a family to get home too. My husband and I don't have kids yet and right now we have been living with my in-laws, so we don't have rent or any other bills except for car payment and student loans, so we should be able to save up some money. That is our plan anyway. I have been in college but I am putting things on hold to do this trucking for a while. Honestly, I didn't know for sure what I really wanted to major in anyway. I have changed my major a dozen or so times and was going to go for nursing but that really was only for the money, not because I love it and I am told that isn't a good reason to do it. Anyway to answer some of your questions. This is mainly just from what I have heard since I am not out there yet. But I would say that getting your own truck would not be worth it. They say that you really need at lease 5 years experience before you get your own truck anyway, because you need the experience to run your own business which is what you are doing when you have your own truck. There is alot to learn out there and it takes time. If you really want to get into trucking then by all means I say do it. You do not have to committ for life. But find a good school, pay for it yourself and then look at some of the better companies out there. Stay away from Swift! You will probably do best going OTR and since that is what you really want, that would be best in your situation. Go out on the road for a few years, see the country, save some money, then go home. That is basically my plan too, but I have a feeling I am going to love it so much that I won't want to quit!!
Sarpedon, glad to hear you have a plan in place. And if you want to truck, then I wouldn't worry about what anyone else had to say either. As for getting your own truck, I woudl tell you NO. Like Sassy said, being an Owner Operator (O/O) is about running a business, and you should have at least two years' experience before going this route. And, most insurance cos. won't insure you without enough exp. anyways. As for OTR/Regional, seeing as you live in Jersey, if you were willing to drive/stay on the east coast, you could make better money (on average) than running OTR, and get home more often (if you so choose). However, these jobs usually require some experience to get, so you will most likely have to run OTR for at least a year (or more). But, since you are looking to get out there and see this beautiful country, then you should go OTR. To your point about staying in shape, since you are serious about it, you should be able to find a way to work out, even with the irregular schedule OTR drivers keep. And once you are issued you own (company) truck, you can equip it with a fridge, and then carry fresh fruits and do some of your own cooking, saving you some moolah and fat. The workday of an OTR driver can be very irregular, some days you will be up to deliver at 0500, then shutdown for the rest of the day to pickup around midnight and run and deliver for 0800 the next morning. Or you could get several days where you sleep at night and deliver (and reload) during the day. Whew, I need a break! Hope this helps, there is lot more to cover but I know more folks here will chime in.
thanks a lot so far. One more question, what is the deal with just starting out and getting your own company truck, and benefits and steady pay? I want to be making money and trucking around by myself, how long will that take?
After you've already gone to trucking school (typically a month long or so) you can expect to be with a trainer for 3-6 weeks. While you are with your driver trainer, you can expect a salary of around $300-$400/wk. before taxes. Once you've been trained, you will then be a first seat driver and have your own truck.
