Hello All,
I am interesting to become a truck driver.But, i am wondering about how truck drivers make money or how you feel? Are you guys happy with what you earn?I am not asking new drivers or even driving solo. How about driving with team or being owner operator. trucking job may hard for married people.

 

read through all the pages here in the OO forum and don't be afraid to search. I pay my drivers .40 cpm and they run team and have averaged 5,000 miles per week since I got them on board 1 1/2 months I split the miles between them so 2,500 x .40 cpm they left this morning and will be back in 10 days or so they could be back saturday night if they wanted and then go out again on tue but they would rather be out 10 days or so and have 3 or 4 days off in a row.

 

Very happy with what I earn, especially considering how much I work.

Today it's all about reducing cost.

 

In today's market, you'd better know what you're doing and have a good business head on you if you're going to be an owner/op. Read through the forums here and learn, absorb everything you can. There is good money to be made in this industry but you have to be smart about it. Don't think you're gonna make the truck payment and keep the house at $1.00/mile, it just aint gonna happen. There are some good companies to lease on to out there and twice as many bad ones. Get some experience under your belt as a company driver or you aren't gonna find anyone to insure you affordably with less than 2 years of experience.

 

I have always made a good living in trucking. Being away from family can be difficult for some people. Others seem to thrive. I see more spouses traveling together. In fact, my wife travels with me from time to time. There are more wives who are getting their CDL and teaming with their husbands. That can also by difficult for some couples. It isn't always easy being in such close proximity 24/7, either. Being successful in this business is much like any other. It is a matter of attitude. If you approach this industry with a positive attitude, you can do well. Starting out you will have to pay your dues. If you can tough it out for a year or two, then you should do well.

 

how much is enough?

In what other job are you asked to work 70 hours every week without overtime and be away from home for 2 weeks before you get 2-3 days off? All of this for about $50,000 if you're lucky.

Farmers work that much but they are home. And they build equity in their land.
I imagine a firefighter at a busy hall could be prety hectic.
A Soldier? Well that just sucks.

 

d%mn rank maybe you should think of a career change. and farming sucks that is why I am trucking now, I have also worked construction as a journeyman electrician I actually did that last winter when farming was done and almost starved at $20.00 an hour.

 

You were an electrician and you only got $20/hr? And you quit that job to go trucking?

 

the grass is never green on the other side. you need to cut and wet it yourself no matter were you live.

 

yep. I was working for someone else trying to get enough hours to take my masters test and open my own elcectrical contracting business but the more I thought about it I did not like that idea, the construction trades have really changed since I worked in it 15 yrs ago its very cutthroat and nasty. I know so is the trucking business.