Note : Read bold for the main points.
I'm 21 years of age, do great in solitude, can't stand other people, clear-headed, can entertain myself (I can think of many ways to rig something up for entertainment whilst driving), am resourceful, have a brain, know what I want (buy some land so I can #### off from society), and am looking for some mentors that have been in this industry to guide me and help me become successful in this trucking journey. I can't offer much now, but perhaps in the future can invite you to my maybe baby empire of dirt and show you some gratitude with beer, good food and company. Plan is to establish an agroecological system that maintains itself designed for human integration as part of the ecology so that I won't have many if any living expenses, other than property taxes and all that jazz, but otherwise will harvest my own energy, water, food, etc..
I'm not looking to get rich quick, nor to get rich really, I just want to make decent money for my time and do something that I somewhat enjoy and have some control over so that I can make my main goal a reality, which is to own land that I can work on and turn into a ####ing paradise and provide for a woman who can bear me some children. Currently I work at a warehouse, I got a raise few days ago, I think that puts me at $16/hour, not sure, the guy didn't specify. I'm in good shape but actively working out to get stronger because until recently I didn't work out so I was a bit of a wimp.
Oh, I'm in Los Angeles, California.
I don't have any responsibilities, family, bills, etc.. Work I can drop at any time, they're a bunch of degenerates anyway so the faster I get out of there the better for my psyche, but am saving up for CDL class and what not, since I've been reading that costs a pretty penny, but that's why I'm here, there's a lot of information out there and a lot of warnings from drivers on all the BS and it's a tad overwhelming, so I'm trying to reach out to those who have had success and failures, who have learned from experience, for a bit of mentorship in doing this properly and efficiently. I want to waste as little time possible and get to earning well as fast as possible, whatever that takes. I want to invest time in this industry and establish myself well, to earn well, as quickly as possible.
Like I said I have virtually no responsibilities and I am dedicated to my goals, so I don't mind not going home, hell, I don't want to go home, I want to find a new home, away from the degeneracy that is the city.
I have about $1300 in my checkings at the moment, and will be earning about $1000 bi-weekly at my current job (I haven't been frugal, but am dropping all that and saving up religiously from now on.) My only expenses will be food, gas, car insurance, so I can expect to have the money for the CDL fairly quickly. I have a 764 FICO Score, because my bank opened a credit account without my permission almost 4 years ago now, and it has been making payments of $0 ever since, so that's lovely, but either way it does me no good I don't think without any real history, which is something I will start working on soon so that I can lease a truck eventually.
Anyway, I understand first step is CDL, but I want to hear opinions / guidance on how to best go about getting it, paying for school, paid CDL training jobs, other options, etc.. Best sources to learn from and what not, I want to know what I'm getting into and be prepared for it. What school to choose? Why? What makes one the most money? I made friends with a driver not that long ago, who was stuck on the road who was the one that introduced me to trucking as an option. He drove a flatbed, was an owner operator, leased his truck for 58k if I remember correctly, and claimed he was making $2k +- weekly. I have his number and will likely contact him to see if he can offer advice on how to get started since our conversation was cut short, but aye, if anyone is willing to offer some guidance and managed to get through all of my writing, I'd really appreciate it. MY first step is reaching out to people for help and guidance before I make any moves. My record is clean, I've had my Drivers L. for about half a year now (started late), no arrests or anything like that.
Looking for Advice: Getting into Trucking
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Botagy, Jun 11, 2018.
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No 1 its a great idea to pay your own way so your cdl is yours and yours alone.
No 2 while companies like Stevens, Crete, etc are great places to gain experience most people dont see them as a retirement job
No 3 getting into specialized; tanker, flatbed, oversize etc is where most people make out the best, money wise.
No 4 do research on ttr theres a lot of good info on here on almost anything trucking related if you care to take the time to find it.Lepton1, Bean Jr., Dino soar and 1 other person Thank this. -
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Is that bank Wells Fargo by chance maybe?
Get out of it. No one should be opening *&^% without you knowing about.
HOWEVER. I personally could care less about credit, medical bills destroyed mine. It wont be the first time. Your 764 score is most valuable. Highest in Country is about 800 or so. Late in trucking I carried about that much in credit myself on score walk onto anything or any place snap fingers and people fall over themselves to sign papers. ugh.
You will learn to save excellent. Not only you save for school cash out only yourself you will save what you think you need two months ahead plus get home money by any mode transportation privately at any time from anywhere in the USA at a moment's notice.
And you will continue to save some more after trucking one load at a time. When it rains you save. Because next week there isnt any work maybe for a while. Feast and famine.
Mind your expenses out there carefully and maybe by 35 years old you sould have enough saved up in that bank (Not that one but a credit union etc) to pick a land somewhere in the USA you like very much and build your own home forever outright.
If you are really fortunate to make it that far and with twice what you need for land and house to make you set, you buy a truck and go 1099, just make sure Dear Uncle Sam is getting is cut in taxes every three months with it.
At some point into your 50's health may fail and you will be put to pasture. So save for that.
If you think LA has BS now, wait until you come east. HA. -
Aye he does, he lives in a gated community, with a wife and six children. I'd say he's doing pretty good. If memory serves me good, he works 4 days of the week, is with his kids and wife 3 days, if nothing goes wrong, which at the time I met him something did go wrong and he missed his kids soccer game giving me the opportunity to have come accross the unlucky fella and learn about this great opportunity to make money.x1Heavy Thanks this. -
A word to the wise. Being an owner/op entails a lot more than just driving a truck and watching the money roll in.
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Aye it's Wells Fargo, haha! Will closing the account with them remove my credit score? I'm completely ignorant about this stuff at the moment. Also is the score alone worth anything? I thought it had to be accompanied by good legitamte history, whereas mine is only payments of $0 for 4 years.
I figured if I could start earning $1.5 ~ $2k a week I could easily pay off a home/property with at least 10 acres +. I've looked through a couple listings and prospects look good. $100-150k homes with land that look decent enough, climate is ideal, topography, soil, water sources, etc.. and being in remote areas they tend to go for less, so I get more for the buck. I of course would need to save more than just for the property itself, I would need equipment and plants, animals, to purchase. Initial costs to establish life on the land and get the self sufficiency going reliably. I think if I go hard I can do all that by 30~35, perhaps ealier, I haven't done the math. I don't need or want much. Land, work I enjoy which would be on the land, and a woman. Trucking would be a means to an end. -
It doesn't matter what your ulterior motives are, this requires more than an attitude of its just a job.
By the way, a credit score is meaningless, it is a commercial loan you need, and it takes more than just getting a CDL and buying a truck. When you start the venture, you will need a back up plan, a serious bank account with more than four (better six) months of operating expenses and a breakdown fund - ALL before you even buy the truck. Then when you look, you spend $1000 checking it out, it ain't like buying a car, where you just take it for a test drive, you do Due Diligence with the ones you may buy and be ready to reject one or all of them if they are not up to a road worthy standard. -
Around how much is 4-6 months of op. expenses + breakdown fund? Roughly.
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