I work in a factory,earning @38000.I am concidering driving a truck what can I make? w/orwo/ a drive partner?
Asked by Chisholm
I am 31 years old and have to get out of this factory.I am a very hard worker and self sufficiant.I want to make as much money as I can over a 5 year period.I may have a friend to partner driving with,he is in the same boat.I know that we could keep the truck running almost constantly if it would pay off in the end.Please give as many details about the trucking life as possible.What steps should I take?I have heard that if you can push yourself, you can make great money.Is this true?I have an excellent driving record,does that matter?Please give me the bottum line on this info. thank you.

Best Answer:
Ok, first off you can go 2 routes, you can enroll in a driving school (about 2 weeks and costs about $1500) and get your CDL and then pitch yourself to companies. Or you can start applying at companies which train drivers. In the latter you are looking at not having to pay for your liscense however you might have a contract you have to fulfill. You can figure that you will get paid about 1/4-1/3 of the shipping price. This translates into about 30-44 cents a mile. Now you can only technically drive 12 hours a day. A typical trucker can bring in right at 50,000 a year. It makes excellent money, however you are looking at time spent away from friends and family and living on the road and in your truck. Some trucking companies focus on giving you a larger slice of the pie however expect you to be gone longer. Other companies allow you to be home more however you make less. There is real money to be made as an owner operator. If you get to that stage, a truck will run you around $150,000 or so, and you will team up with a clearing house. The clearing house will give you 80% or so of the total shipping charge and will keep 20% fee. This translates into about 1.25-1.75 a mile. But keep in mind that you will have to pay for truck repairs, gas, insurance, and upkeep, plus make a profit. My advice would be to sign on with a company get them to pay for your school, work on the road a while, see if you like it. Since you are usually paid either by the mile or per the trip you can figure on doubling the money with a fellow driver. And if you like it and it works then think about owning your own truck.