Is Trucking a good job for a young, single guy?

If one isn't concerned about being home, what does it matter?
Somebody working 8 hours a day isn't being paid for the other 16.
It really comes down to where you want to be.
If a fella doesn't have the job skills to earn an equivalent income being home everyday, he might not mind staying out.
Some of us don't mind staying out anyway or we wouldn't be doing it in the first place.

As far as unloading and mechanical breakdowns,if you're not being compensated for that, you're at the wrong job.

 

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I hate to say it but that's not too far from the truth, espesially for newbies.

 

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Yada yada yada! Trucking should be for the single people only! I started back in the 70's I was single and didn't have to worry about getting home as home was where my parents lived!

First: DO NOT go to a trucking company driving school or pay big bucks to any of those driving schools you see posted! Go to a community college and pay LESS THAN $1000 for a GOOD course! Yes you might have to wait for a semester or two to get into class but that gives you time to be certain you want to be a trucker!

Second: Do NOT get engaged or find a girl friend! Then you are NOT single!
Third: when you finish school and get a driving job get rid of the apartment! Why pay rent on some place you will only see 4 or 5 days a month!
Fourth: Things WILL get better out here. recessions/depressions get better. Always have always will. If you look at the past history they happen about every 30-40 years!

When you have no bills to pay (rent and power) with no children to worry about trucking is a great job for the single person. It only starts to bite when you marry and have kids then OTR aint so pretty!

I had a blast for years before I got married! I met a lot of wonderful people all across America and I learned very early in my career that truck stops aren't places to learn about the area you are laid over in! There is always a bus stop or subway in larger towns and in this day and age you have it easier than I did to find out the fun things to do in a strange town what with cell phones and instant internet access! Me I just stumbled around and learned!

Yes there are quiet a few companies that will screw you which is why you should pay for the school out of your pocket and not get burned with indentured servitude by the likes of CR England, Swift ,TA and a host of others who after the schooling will push you into a stupid Fleece program to really screw you! You can read all about them in the Bad companies section!

Like I said go to a tech or college driving course and by the time you graduate things should be picking up out here! Just stay single long enough to save up the money you'll need for when you DO become "UN"single! LOL

Good Luck
Rollover

 

It is perfect for a young, single guy that likes adventure. Just be careful because you may stay that way (single that is). I'd do it for a while and save up for my own truck if I were your age starting out and then buy a truck straight up (no fleece deal I mean BUY your truck from a dealer and plate it yourself).

It is a job though and not quite what you may think it is but it is a pretty cool gig for the most part with a few exceptions.

 

Lot of wisdom for a young fella. Maybe I've been doing something wrong all these years because I live in a nice middle class neighborhood and thought I was living a normal life with my wife of 32 years who rightly depends on me.
True, the novelty wore off some time ago I suppose, but I take pride in my work and it has served me well.
If I was as bitter as some of the folks on here, I believe I'd have turned to another profession years ago.

 

Well, unless you're on hub miles you're not gonna get paid all the miles you drive. Both HHG and Practical Miles cut off at the post office limits of whatever metro area you're delivering/picking up from. Even if you follow the exact routes, you'll never get paid for all your miles: figure 10% out-of-route for HHG and 5-7% for Practical.

If you average 10% out-of-route...it means you end up driving a whole MONTH out of every year FOR FREEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doesn't matter.
Whether you're paid hourly, percentage, or .cpm, you are investing time into the job.
Which would you prefer?
Job A that pays a lump-sum of $1,000 but takes 40 hours to complete?
Or Job B that pays $1,000 but takes 50 hours to complete?
You are not being paid hourly on either job.
But Job A is better because it breaks down to $25.00/hr while Job B pays out $20.00/hr.

You always must figure your time into any job because your time is valuable.
TIME=MONEY, right?
Well, my time does...which is why I don't donate for it free to motor carriers and shippers/receivers.
I'm paid for every hour I'm on the job.
NO FREEBIES!!!!!!!!!

 

anyone who has the education/skills/intelligence to make $25 an hour is NOT going to drive a truck. yes, it takes a lot of hours to make the money that is advertised in the newspaper ad for a trucking job. and an OTR trucker might end up making the equivalent of $5 an hour. and yes, they should know this before signing up for school. if they DID, all the truck driving schools would be out of business by the end of the month. after you get a few years experience, and times are good (freight is good,) you might make an average of $800 a week, and put in around 90-100 hours a week. I'll let you guys figure out the math on that - keeping in mind that anything over 40 hours would be time and a half. if you can't figure it out - maybe you should learn the following phrase - "would you like to biggie size that today?"

 

Young and single ? is good for older ppl and married so yeah u single more money to yourself