Should I even get into trucking?

Unless you absolutely have your heart set on it and you really want to be a "truck driver" my suggestion would be to stay put. Sounds like the job you have now is steady and most likely going to pay more than being a truck driver. Anyways welcome to the forum.

 

Ok first and foremost my advice is this. Find a way to use your accounting degree that doesn't involve having sit in an office listening to ladies gossip all day. Those situations exist, the trick is to find them or make them and then get yourself into them as quickly as possible. You've already got the degree so it would be best to find a way to use it if you can.

Ok now that we have that out of the way, $41.6k/yr and you put 60k/yr on your own vehicle to do it? Lots of guys are telling you to stay put but I can tell you that you'd have to pay me a lot more than $41k to put that kind of mileage on my own vehicle. That really doesn't seem like a very good deal to me.

Trucking isn't always everything its cracked up to be, but it seems as though you're already at least somewhat aware of that. Having done both, I personally think trucking is a lot like professional aviation in the sense that most people won't really know whether or not they're cut out for the lifestyle until they actually get out in the trenches and do it for a while.

Therefore my advice to those considering a career change to professional aviation is often the same advice I give to those considering a career change to trucking. Don't worry so much about where/how you're going to start out in your career. Instead, figure out where you think you'd like to end up in the career and then plot a course that will get you there as efficiently at possible.

IOW you need to go in assuming that the first two years or so are going to suck (be happy, with aviation its the first ten years that suck). They might not suck, but its best to assume that they will. So what you want to figure out is where you want to end up after those first two years are in the can. Want to drive local and be home every night? Want to be regional or OTR? Want to own the truck or ten trucks or just work for a company? Want to make a reasonable living or end up with something closer to a six figure income? These are the questions you need to answer first. Once you do that, it will be easier to map out an efficient stratagy to get you where you want to end up.

But honestly, I'd go back and read the first paragraph I wrote again. That's really the best advice I could give anyone in your position.

 

Drew, jgremlin raises a good point about the use of your personal vehicle. You would also need to factor in the long-term costs of tires, brakes, repairs and maintenance, replacement vehicles, etc. to see how much you are really making over the years. It seems most of the companies that want you to use your own car are getting a pretty good deal (for them). And is this use of your personal vehicle for business OK with your insurance company?
I suppose it is getting harder to find a company with a few straight trucks and a few road semis, the kind of company where you start small and move into the big trucks over time. But there may be a few such companies left.
And if you like to drive, and make deliveries, and be home every night, you could probably find a job driving a delivery truck local (theirs, not yours). You may not even need a class A license.

Another thought - If you can at least keep the door open for you to use your degree (work for somebody during the tax season, find some contract work, take some courses to stay on top of things, teach at a community college or business school), you will have something to fall back on if you can no longer do physical work easily.

Of course, if your heart is set on OTR trucking, then you have to do it. At least you will know when you are being shortchanged LOL.

Good luck. Keep us "posted".

 

A Swift driver who averages 2200 miles per week is a lazy Swift driver. When I was company, I averaged 2800. Now that I am an independent contractor, subtracting the time I've taken off for home time, I'm averaging roughly 3K/week. Anyone who is not getting the miles is not being proactive about it. If you show Swift you're willing to work, they will work you.

Since you haven't been in this industry and have only the information you've read on a computer web site, I would appreciate you waiting until you have personal experience with Swift, or any other company, for that matter, before stating something you do not know to be factual. A driver who consistently averages 2200 miles won't have a permanent job with Swift. That paltry number of miles will not pay for the bills that truck generates. No company is in business to lose money.

Should you get your CDL and drive truck? With such an elitist attitude already formed, I doubt you'd be able to find a company to work for. Most of the small companies require experience and most of the companies you can get that experience with are beneath your talent and time in the industry. (Note sarcasm)

So just skip all that. Go buy a truck now, teach yourself how too drive it, obtain your own running authority and do it all yourself. If you are able to get out from under it when you realize you maybe need to learn a few things before being judgmental about someone else's company and if you still have a clean driving record...and you can prove your recent driving experience, call Swift. They might put you in a truck-if you haven't gotten too many tickets for log book,weight and equipment issues, that is.

 

It is permitted to ignor certain posters on here, if you'd choose to !!!

Just converse with those that you want to !!

 

Not really. Depends on the driver and the company. Mavericks avg for new drivers used to be 52.5 a year. I also know of a new driver that got a furniture gig and he made 50 his 1st year. On avg I would say that 30- 40 is normal, not excessive.

 

Ive held almost every job you can think of, and yeah (a desk job was one) i thought along the same lines a few years back should i? I did because trucking runs in my family, which helped fuel my decision. Ive never been the suit and tie kinda guy ive always been the roll up my sleeves guy, kept to myself but gave advice when needed. I say give it a shot, try and find a low income school that will help get your CDL thats what i did, i only paid $150 bucks. That way if you have a change of heart i did'nt cost much but you gained a CDL from it.