Is Trucking Right For Me?? With a Twist..

Well, give it a shot as a team and see how it goes. It's going to be like a professional marriage so there will be compromise and some give and take. hopefully equally on both sides of the team. I wouldn't buy a truck yet until you know this is going to work out. I mean what if you bought a truck and 3 months later you two have a huge friendship-ending fight? Plus you're new to the business so I don't think buying a truck is a smart idea at this time. Learn the business and the ins and outs and see if it's a good fit for you two before seriously deciding on going owner-operator.

 

Don't go out and buy a truck.. You both would need to go get your CDL and get hired on with a training company and after training would be able to team. They will not lease your truck on without experience.

 

You'll get a better feel for it once you are on your trainers truck.
You'll see just how small that cab can be. Adding a large dog to that space doesn't seem like the best thing for either the team or the dog.

 

My brother, a number of years back, went through a divorce and broken heart and felt the same way. Me, I've wanted to drive a truck since I was a child in the 70's, He used to scoff at me, but he felt the need to get away.

He hired on to a company, went through their school and drove for a little over a year with them, but then he had had enough. He had been gone long enough to purge the feelings and was ready to get on with his life which did not really include trucking.

This is an emotional time for you I am sure, I would suggest following the same course my brother did. Give it a try and reevaluate in a year or so. Give it a try, see if it really is a lifestyle you want for yourself. You may find it is, or you may find, like he did that he was ready to return to his normal life.

 

If your goal is to buy a truck then once you get in a truck with your friend buy a notebook and keep track of all expenses on your truck. It will help you to evaluate the profit potential of actually owning a truck. If you two can team for a year or two before deciding whether to buy a truck or not, then you will be able to make a much more informed decision. After a year or two of teaming together you will also know if you still want to buy a truck together or go your separate ways. It may be that you will each want to buy your own truck or you may both want to stay company drivers. But, you will never know if it is really what you want to do until you try. In any case, I would leave the dog at home. Some carriers will allow pets in the truck, but many have size restrictions. It isn't something you want to do in a team environment. Something to keep in mind is that there are shippers who also don't allow pets on their property. Making it a condition of your employment with a carrier, you will limit your options as to which carriers you may be able to work or at a later date, lease your truck, should you decide that is the way to go.

 

Either team with the dog or a co driver...not both. If you aren't gonna buy a truck (not recommended as a newbie anyway) I don't know how easy it would be for you to find a company that will allow a large pet in their truck. You will be severely limiting your options. Its a tough choice because a dog is family...but I feel you are better off teaming with somebody you at least know and see if you can learn the ropes and if this is the career for you.