Im not sure if this is in the right place or not but i have a question. I am only 19, have my Class A but nobody will hire me because im too young and even the local guys running tri-axles or just local runs with a straight truck wont even look at me. But my neighbor has a trucking company with about 12-15 trucks and told me about an opportunity about a short run that’s coming up out of a warehouse he hauls out of. Its 400 miles round trip leaves at 6:30pm sunday-thursday. He turned me on to the idea about maybe renting a truck of the warehouse because they have and account with enterprise and its only a under CDL straight truck that’s needed for the haul. So i could rent one off of them, and he told me that the last trucks he rented from them were like $90 a day for the truck. We figure i could get about 10mpg and at $5 a gallon that’s $200 so that’s $300 in expenses. He told me the last guy that did the run they paid $500. So if i got that that would leave $200. But is this worth it? Another thing is does insurance come with a rented truck, for example is it already in the rental price or can i get some kind of insurance through them because that’s the only part im really worried about because im not sure if anyone will insure me. My neighbor even tried to get me on one of his runs with a straight truck but his insurance said not till im 21. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Nate

 

I don't think anyone will rent a truck to someone under 21. If you can do it some way I would go for it. Doesn't matter how much you make, your getting some real world experience so if you can make it happen, go for it.

 

Most truck rental companies have a flat rate plus mileage charge. For instance, I rented a truck a few months ago when one of my trucks broke down. They charged a flat rate per day plus so much a mile. I don't recall the exact breakdown, but it cost about $800 for the week. I had my own insurance. They can either furnish the insurance or you can. It is usually cheaper to have your own insurance. Most will require you to have a CDL and be of minimum age. I think you will find that most require you to be at least 21. The best thing is to check with a few rental companies. If a U-Haul truck will work, they may be a little more liberal with their rental terms since they primarily deal in household goods and individuals.

 

Not sure if you're still watching the board, but I noticed you're from Pittsburgh. If you just want something steady that'll get you started, you can try Don Farr Moving on Buttermilk Hollow in West Mifflin (by the county airport). I'm pretty sure that they will hire just about anybody, especially with the summer months coming. As a driver, you'll be the one in charge of loading the truck. Hours might be longer than normal. I recall having two 14 hour days in a row, but I was bringing in about $300 - $400 a week as a laborer making $7.50 an hour. BOL

 

As someone who started very young like yourself I feel for you, you want get out there and drive but age is a huge roadblock, even at 21 you will have a tough time. There are other things to look into with this haul like what they require as far as insurance, authority ect. Maybe your neighbor with the 10-15 trucks can help you rent the truck and run under his authority. If you can do it without laying all the risk on him it could be a start