Costs Of Living - Starting Out

Does anyone know if I will be able to afford food on the road AND a nearly $1000 per month living expense for rent/utilities during my first few months as a driver? I have been trying to rent out my apartment, but after going through three months of people who have flaked out on me or people who I just do not trust in my apartment, I do not think I am going to find anyone. I am also locked into a lease until the end of the year (Dec. 2015) and I do not want to wait to start trucking until next year. Therefore, I have no choice but to keep my apartment. Savings are not very important to me during the 1st year, I just want to be able to pay my rent. Can anyone let me know if that is possible with a little over a $1,000 bill? Especially within the first 3 - 6 months of driving?

I also plan on having a crock pot/slow cooker in my truck once I go solo so that should cut down on the costs for food.

My monthly expenses are $840 dollars. I pay that and live on the road and can save about $1000 per month after both. I do that with pretty careless spending on the road. I'd like to be more frugal and cook in the truck more and whatnot and save closer $1500 per month.

Experiences may vary on earnings depending on company, division, dispatcher and a million other different things, but the answer is yes.

Look at it this way: Figure twenty bucks a day is a pretty comfortable number for feeding and taking care of yourself on the road. That plus your expenses would mean netting $1600 per month, or $400 per week. If you're finding that you can't net $400 per week as a new solo driver, something is wrong somewhere.

Okay, well that sounds realistic since I have been reading that most trainees get paid at lease $400 per week. I have a question though, you said you can save about $1,000 per month. How long have you been driving? What did you make for your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd month driving? Also, if you feel comfortable saying, who do you drive for?

I guess that last question might be a little personal. Not sure if you feel comfortable answering that, but, I am curious to know how much you made during your 1st - 3rd month's driving.

I'm flatbed at Prime in my 2nd month solo. I've been grossing about $1100 per week on average since being solo. During training I grossed a minimum of $700 per week, but usually a little more.

I'm flatbed at Prime in my 2nd month solo. I've been grossing about $1100 per week on average since being solo. During training I grossed a minimum of $700 per week, but usually a little more.

........maybe I should have went to prime ..... lol I can't complain yet, I'm still in training.

I'm flatbed at Prime in my 2nd month solo. I've been grossing about $1100 per week on average since being solo. During training I grossed a minimum of $700 per week, but usually a little more.

Okay, this could explain why you are making enough to cover all of your expenses. I heard that flatbed trucking pays much more than dry van , box, or refrigerated. I have considered applying for flatbed but I am afraid I might not be able to do it because I'm a girl. Not that I would be prissy or not do my work or anything. What I mean is, I just want to stay within my realistic limitations.

Perhaps if I have bills to pay, flatbed trucking might be the way to go. Can you please provide some insight on how hard it is? And honestly, do you think the average girl could do the job? When I say the average girl, I'm asking you to consider a girl on the weaker side not a girl on the stronger side. Obviously, a very athletic girl who is 6' tall might be able to do it. How about the other ones? Do you think this is realistic?

... I heard that flatbed trucking pays much more than dry van , box, or refrigerated. I have considered applying for flatbed but I am afraid I might not be able to do it because I'm a girl. Not that I would be prissy or not do my work or anything. What I mean is, I just want to stay within my realistic limitations.

Flatbed girl:

AllieKnight.com

Daily 20 minute shows on YouTube.

(Can't make a real link for some reason. Just copy/paste)

I think our reefer division drivers should do as well. They make .03 CPM more than I do with their lightweight bonus factored in. I get tarp pays, but I also pay $86 bucks per week for my flatbed equipment which kind of offsets it.

I've been running easily over 2,500 miles per week since the day I started solo. I don't know if that's the norm at Prime for all new solo drivers, or if I just got lucky and got a good dispatcher who trusted me off the bat. A reefer driver who runs the same miles I do though would make just much.

But also, there's no reason a woman in decent shape couldn't do flatbed. I find it to be more mentally exhausting just figuring out how to secure and tarp everything properly than I find it physically exhausting.

... I heard that flatbed trucking pays much more than dry van , box, or refrigerated. I have considered applying for flatbed but I am afraid I might not be able to do it because I'm a girl. Not that I would be prissy or not do my work or anything. What I mean is, I just want to stay within my realistic limitations.

Flatbed girl:

AllieKnight.com

Daily 20 minute shows on YouTube.

(Can't make a real link for some reason. Just copy/paste)

Dang, she's a flatbedder?! I never knew that and I've watched dozens of her videos. That's awesome.

Admire changed companies around February.