Would I make a good driver?

I know a gal who owns, I think, 7 trucks. Hauls water to pools in summer. Pays drivers 10%. Drivers make $150-$225/day on the 5,000 gal trucks. She's making REAL money. Short season, but some of her trucks run year-round. Straight trucks. (Multiply those driver wages by 10 and then by 5-7 trucks running each day.) Older trucks. Lots of maintenance, but gee wilikers!! $$$

She works too hard. A real work-a-holic. Very personable. Collects cash or check on each job. (Driver responsibility.) No waiting for payment.

The reason I suggest start with school or city bus is that they train. You don't have to stay a bus driver. I know because I did that after I had let my CDL go for many years. Had to promise to substitute at least once/week for one year. Some weeks they didn't need me, too. That was great. No big $$ to a CDL mill.

The training was excellent, by the way. A way to get started.

 

I am a woman.. and, I do think you should give a little more thought to the walking across a dim lit parking lot with the eye upon you.. I understand where you are comingwith the .. weirdos everywhere... But, it a little different in trucking... Now..

Think of this.. it is 3am and you wake up and need to go to the bathroom...
In my truck.. so, I get my shoes on and make my way through the parking lot.. filled with trucks and trailers..... More often then not the shortes route from my truck to thebathroom is not the safest.. so, the long way it is..

You also, need to realize that trucking can be very stressful.. and there more then likely is at least one, if not many drivers in those trucks in the lot you are walking through who are angry.. at dispatch for crap loads, at there wife who just yelled at him cause he didn't have a good week and a bill at home can't be paid, or maybe he has been calling his girlfriend and she isn't answering.. he is miles and miles away sitting in a truck in a dark parking lot seething with frustration and angry that she is out having fun..

And yes.. there are decent men out there too..

Trucking isn't for everyone.. and certainly not for every woman.. I love it.. it has made me a stronger more independant woman... I don't think that is a bad thing... But, there are some men who don't appreciate it...

Don't rush your decision.. give it thought and time... Don't rule out starting local.. or as a bus driver.. I took a slower path... And it worked out very well for me..

 

Why not look into a community college to help get a licence? Sure you'll fork over some money up front, but you'll have a license with no strings attached. Then bang on the door of local companies with small fleets. Find something local, grind it out for a while, and after a year or so your options will be better as long as you stay out ta trouble. After six months or a year, you might look into pulling dry bulk tankers, hauling cement, fly ash or whatever. The work is easy, in fact I see a lot of females doing it. Its can be a dirty job though, but with the right company the pay is pretty nice and most times you can be home every day/ night. I get home daily, drive a new truck/ trailer and make around 60k a year. Last year I drove 95000 miles for $58000. Not a bad way to make a living if you ask me. As far as would you make a good driver, well that depends on how bad you want it. I think being a good driver is someone wh vuo never stops asking questions and is willing to learn on a continuing basis. And above all, is careful behind the wheel.. Good luck

 

I bet you will love trucking. Just make sure not to go to any mega carriers like Swift, Schneider, Cr England, etc. They are so well known and they know it so they pay the least amount of money as possible. Look for great companies that pay well. What state do you live in? BTW trucking is the easiest job ever I have no idea what people are talking about when they say that it is so hard. I get an assignment, drive there, back in the door, get my paperwork, put in empty call, get another assignment, go to sleep. Not hard.

 

This alone makes you NOT A GOOD CANADITE to be an OTR Driver...

 

The good news is that you sound like I did in that you wanted to become a truck driver and not just doing it as a last ditch effort for money like most people I know who hate it. Yeah I love it, just two days ago I was actually in the Alpine Mountain Ski Resort in Canada! While other tourists were paying a lot of money to visit that beautiful place I was getting paid to go to it! The only thing that sucks is when I go home and only limited to what my city has to offer when I have the whole country(s) as my playground.

 

Yes,But did you actually get out and ''VISIT'' or just pass on by and ''SEE IT''.??...Big Difference...

Did you enjoy it with your loved ones.??..