Starting Own Trucking Authority......No CDL

If you want to jump in and make a small fortune, start with a large fortune. I am an O/O leased onto a mega with my own, paid-for truck and it can be a tough go. I would not recommend it to anyone with zero experience driving.

Got it.

It may be more realistic to just start driving for a large company and get experience first.

Victor you're gonna have to realize how critical productivity is in this job. It is a performance based income. Rookie drivers just have a hard time breaking into the really great money that's available to the street smart experienced drivers. I see it all the time. Many rookie drivers give up long before they get the hang of things. Some of them never "get it" and settle for making half of their potential.

Personally it took me about four years to really get my stride out here. I'm a top producer now getting plenty of special treatment and excellent wages. That takes time, and a really strong track record of over performing your dispatcher's expectations. That is not easy, nor will it happen quickly. There is a lot more to this than most people realize.

The potential for success is here for anyone to capitalize on, but the reality is that only about 4 or 5% of the people who try it truly go on to a successful career. That's how tough it is. There are literally thousands of new drivers starting this career each month, and literally that many bailing out at the same time.

Just for the sake of illustration I'm going to show you my pay stub this week. It was a typical week for me (3,300 miles), but it would be an unheard of week for most new drivers.

I work really crazy hours and love what I do. Eighty hour weeks are very common for me, and I really only go home for a couple of days each month. My point in all this is to help you realize the commitment involved in this career. You can't get to the top levels of pay without proving you are worth it. We don't have salaries, we only get paid for what we accomplish. That can be a blessing or a curse depending on your ability to make things happen out here. If you do this you'd better be prepared for a lean year and a half, and if you screw up some equipment you may be finished. It's not easy, but it is rewarding.

I can't say I'm that ambitious.

If I can make 70k a year, I'm good........I really am. Of course, that is largely because I have a family so our circumstances may differ.

Understand a 34 hour break at home is NOT a normal persons "weekend off". it means you just put in 14 hours then need to drive home. Then you sleep, get up eat, shower see.family and then sleep again to get rested for your next week. and drive back to the terminal. Your 34 break starts from when you parked the truck and ends when you return.

just a thought.

That was helpful to know.

Thanks.

That is not to say you can't find weekends off, but some jobs are 34 breaks and newbies do not realize how little time that can be.

Even with 4 days home.per month, i usually sleep the first day, do laundry and shop for the truck groceries the second day, hang with my bro and sis on day 3 and 4 and back on road.

What concerns me is this, you said:

I can't say I'm that ambitious. If I can make 70k a year, I'm good........I really am.

With this statement, not only do you show your ignorance of trucking, but you are assuming we are just handed money for nothing. The average first year pay is like $40,000 to $50,000.

Yes making $70,000 is certainly possible, but it IS for the ambitious. I made $72k my second year, but i think $48k ish the first. It takes determination and perseverence. It takes commitment and communication. You need to call customers to move appointments up, you need to sleep at customers and sometimes get rushed showers. Many days are 14 hours long. it is work. and perhaps you need to re read what you wrote. Maybe you didnt mean to sound that way

When you posted your numbers for investment and cash on hand, my jaw dropped and i chuckled. I thought you were a troll too. There is no way whatsoever that amount combined would be enough to set up a company. Now you are assuming you can get top driver pay with no ambition?

This is not an industry for the flippant. Most drivers don't last through training, so the comment "If I can make 70k a year, I'm good........I really am." This is not only overconfident, but belittles the hard work we put in.

You might be better off just moving your family to a cheaper area than to jump into a competitive industry with no ambition.

sorry, im blunt, but well meaning.

Honestly, given your situation I can't imagine you getting started in trucking as a business owner. I love the idea of Linehaul for you considering your family situation. But it's highly unlikely you're going to get anywhere as a business owner in a commodity industry requiring huge capital expenditures and managing so many complexities.

If you wanted to drive and could find a job that was an upgrade in salary over where you're at I'd say consider that and then invest anything you'd like to invest in the stock market. That is a much safer, easier route to go than plopping down a massive pile of cash and going all-in on a commodity business like trucking, especially with no experience and no advantages going for you.

Could?

I can't say I've seen or read anywhere that truckers make less than 60k a year; regional or otherwise.

Unless you meant that it's hard to find a trucking job in general.

I have some in the stock market now, but not much. Sort of expecting a bit of a drop in our economy coming and so holding back.

Thanks.

I can't say I've seen or read anywhere that truckers make less than 60k a year; regional or otherwise.

Misconception and lack of knowledge in the industry. Qualified drivers with experience will make that.

heres some real numbers for you:

some dry van start at 35cpm at 125,000 miles per year, that is

125,000 x .35 equals $43,750

My company pays on the higher end for reefer new drivers at 44cpm for a full size truck and 49cpm for a lightweight with very limited living space.

44cpm x 125,000 equals $55,000

49cpm x 125,000 equals $61,250

there are bonuses.....but since that is average miles, you could run a lot less since you are not ambitious.

Now experienced drivers with clean records and no accidents can find 55cpm or more. That would put you around $67,000 plus bonuses.

Victor, you have to realize when you see salary numbers advertised by trucking companies they are showing you what experienced drivers are making. Very few rookies muster up the kind of stuff to bring in 60k their first year. It's usually 40 - 50k, maybe a little more if they're really catching on. That's why I mentioned earlier that you need to be prepared for your first year and a half to be pretty lean.

Heres examples of new driver pay. Big Scott with CFI dry van

First Year Rookie Pay at CFI

Heres mine at Prime

My Prime Rookie Pay

Unless you meant that it's hard to find a trucking job in general

yes this is true too. Prime brings in 250 students per week. 75% are sent home by the end of the first week.

My class had 76 on Monday, only 20 were left by Friday. I think 14 got their CDL. i think 8 made it the 2 months of training. only 4 were left a year later.

this is hard, and not something you jump into.

Just out of curiosity how much money do you plan on "investing" and how much will you have on hand for when it is needed?

8-10K invested

15k on hand.

Your plan thus far would be an excellent way to quickly lose your 25k. Very little potential upside. I have been a business owner for all but 3 of the last 40 years and owned a 100 vehicle local fleet for 15. I can assure you that you should not do what you've outlined thus far...you'll only lose your money and then some. Don't do it.