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Usually the owner-drivers make $100k because they own the truck and pay the loan, buy gas, buy insurance, maintain it
Trucks do not run on *gas* and out of any revenue that is made comes the expenses that have to be paid. Unfortunately some months are negative profit for an owner-operator because they had to sit for 2 weeks while their $15,000.00 repair was being completed. If those wheels are not rolling there is no revenue being made.
This is not an industry for everyone, even short term.
Do you understand that you cannot get a CDL with some medications that you take?
Do you understand that you still have to deal with customers day after day?
Do you understand that you will not be able to *sight see* while driving?
From what you have written you have no idea what the real world of trucking is like and I urge you to
find a different path to walk down.
That's one of the main reasons I am giving him 6 months before he washes out. He's got the wrong ideas about the industry.
I know a number of owner/operators and most of them tell they would be better off just driving for someone else. But these are guys with entrepreneurial personalities who like being their own boss and would not have it any other way. They would rather sit at home furloughed for awhile than work for someone else.
I know a number of owner/operators and most of them tell they would be better off just driving for someone else. But these are guys with entrepreneurial personalities who like being their own boss and would not have it any other way. They would rather sit at home furloughed for awhile than work for someone else.
My son loves to drive, but hated dealing with dispatchers when he was a company employee. He much prefers being his own boss.
I was always under the impression that most truckers stay in the 40k-50k range forever.
I'm currently trying to get on with either a foodservice(delivering cases to fastfood restaurants) or a line-haul(hooking to two trailers, going 200-300 miles out, and then heading back to home terminal) trucking position at this point. Long hours with those, but from the drivers I've talked to, the $80k-$100k is actually possible in those lines of trucking.
Another line of hauling to consider is getting into hauling fuel to the gas stations. Usually shift work and guaranteed days off depending on the company you're hauling the fuel for.
Foodgrade tanking and general freight trucking are the jokes in this line of work. Pay never really goes beyond $48k/year and then you'll also have inconsistent periods of work.
I'm ready to jump out of this as soon as I get the go-ahead from wherever else I applied to. Been doing this type of work, off and on, for several years and it's time to stop taking these paycuts like a normal thing.
There are only a handful of very niche jobs that actually make good money and/or have good hours. Most work around the clock for many weeks at a time either driving or sleeping in their cabs making peanuts and then you get to take a couple days off and do it all over again. This industry wouldn't have such a high turnover rate if the jobs where actually good.
Its a terrible industry to be in for almost all unless you are one of those very, very fortunate few working the very top jobs.
Do you understand that you cannot get a CDL with some medications that you take?
Do you understand that you still have to deal with customers day after day?
Do you understand that you will not be able to *sight see* while driving?
From what you have written you have no idea what the real world of trucking is like and I urge you to
find a different path to walk down.
On the first part, couldn't agree more. Insulin and high blood pressure meds have this unfortunate side effect of turning someone with a job into a guy holding signs on the freeway entrance ramp.
As for the second part, one would only have to deal with iffy customers for a short time until they could find their way onto a dedicated route where the behavior is more predictable. Surprises are garbage and while they can't be totally eliminated, we all have the power to mitigate them to a degree.
The third part could be a mixed bag. I carried my bicycle on the truck when I was long-haul and minded my time whenever I stopped some place. Unless there was a real need to get the given load there earlier than normal(ie,. outracing a storm, giving myself time for known construction/traffic/etc.,) I wasn't going to be kissing up to the dispatcher and making an attempt to score myself some extra brownie points for more work.
There are only a handful of very niche jobs that actually make good money and/or have good hours. Most work around the clock for many weeks at a time either driving or sleeping in their cabs making peanuts and then you get to take a couple days off and do it all over again. This industry wouldn't have such a high turnover rate if the jobs where actually good.
Its a terrible industry to be in for almost all unless you are one of those very, very fortunate few working the very top jobs.
Not entirely true, if one is an owner/operator and one knows the business well, one is able to find the perfect place for themselves, have benefits, good pay and as much home time as they want.
It all depends on the individual and how they handle the business part of the industry.
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