Which Branch Of Trucking Sounds Right For Me? And Other Questions.

Hello everyone, this is my first post on the forums. I have spent the past few days reading tons of posts and Brett's book to get a better idea of what life as a truck driver would be like. Trucking Truth has been an invaluable asset and I am very grateful for the kind, knowledgeable people who post here (MUCH more constructive than any other forum I've ever visited - on ANY topic!) I have been accepted into one the the major company's truck driving school programs, but before I make the commitment I would love to get some personal advice that may/may not be unique to my situation. I am also currently interviewing for other jobs more related to my degree. So first a little background on myself:

I am a recent college graduate with a degree in Finance. My ultimate career goals involve starting my own business in a field unrelated to trucking. However, I have debts from college to pay first, and over the next 2-3 years plan to work hard to pay those and save a decent amount of money to put into my startup. So my SHORT TERM goal is to work very hard for a few years then leave whatever job it is I have..

With this in mind, I was a student transit bus operator in college (Class B) and enjoyed my full-time job driving buses. While I know it is completely different from trucking, I have found that I enjoy 8+ hours behind a wheel. I also have zero family obligations, and don't plan on having any for the next 5 years or so. I also thoroughly enjoy traveling, and keeping my own company. These are the personality traits that have led me to look into trucking.

Other facts: I am located in Central Texas. Most thoughtful responses include qualifiers about getting "burned out" if you try and run too hard. I have no family that will miss me if I am away for long stretches (except parents lol), and I am not worried about sustaining a 10+ year trucking career. However, I do like the idea of once I have my Class A it is mine to keep, and trucking seems like an easy enough industry to bounce back into after a 5 year absence if my business doesn't quite work out.

MY QUESTIONS TO THE WISE:

1) Salary - What could one reasonably hope to make in their first 2 years? Not worrying about burn out or home time. Or put another way, how likely is it to have the potential to average $45,000 first year and $55,000 second year or more? Most conservative estimates put first year in the $35,000 range. This would just be too low for what I am looking for unfortunately. *mentioned figures are BEFORE tax. GROSS income*

2) Which type of freight/company would be best to leverage my willingness to work my tail off? I see Prime has a high CPM for beginners, but are there maybe other companies with lower CPM, that if I put in the hours, could make more due to less waiting time, longer hauls, etc.?

I know what I am asking for is all rather hypothetical, but mainly what I'm trying to gauge is if the answers are "yeah, you could make that much, but you'll be miserable in doing it!" or if it's more of "what you're asking for just isn't realistic, don't get your hopes up and I would try something else if I was you, you'll be disappointed if you set your earning expectations that high"

Sorry for the long post, but any advice is welcome! Thanks!

Welcome aboard!

TK inquired:

1) Salary - What could one reasonably hope to make in their first 2 years? Not worrying about burn out or home time. Or put another way, how likely is it to have the potential to average $45,000 first year and $55,000 second year or more? Most conservative estimates put first year in the $35,000 range. This would just be too low for what I am looking for unfortunately. *mentioned figures are BEFORE tax. GROSS income*

Averaging 45k your first year is a stretch. High 30s is more realistic because you need to factor in training time pay which is lower than when you are solo and also absorbing the initial learning curve. 50k your second year depending on the company, whether OTR , Regional , or Dedicated is a more realistic figure. My second full year on a dedicated account, working 6 days per week (between 62-68 hrs.), I grossed a tad over 52k.

2) Which type of freight/company would be best to leverage my willingness to work my tail off? I see Prime has a high CPM for beginners, but are there maybe other companies with lower CPM, that if I put in the hours, could make more due to less waiting time, longer hauls, etc.?

Not sure if you reviewed these links:

Trucking Companies

How To Choose A Company

The majority of your first year is basically a paid apprenticeship. You are learning the "ropes" of the job. All of the companies included in the above links are good companies for entry level drivers. As you prove yourself to the dispatcher (or driver managers) you will build the trust necessary for getting the longer runs. Wait time is something typically outside of our control and varies depending on who the shipper/receiver is, how busy they are, and the priority of your load. You need to chose the company that fits your needs and best prepares you for this career.

Welcome aboard!

TK inquired:

1) Salary - What could one reasonably hope to make in their first 2 years? Not worrying about burn out or home time. Or put another way, how likely is it to have the potential to average $45,000 first year and $55,000 second year or more? Most conservative estimates put first year in the $35,000 range. This would just be too low for what I am looking for unfortunately. *mentioned figures are BEFORE tax. GROSS income*

Averaging 45k your first year is a stretch. High 30s is more realistic because you need to factor in training time pay which is lower than when you are solo and also absorbing the initial learning curve. 50k your second year depending on the company, whether OTR , Regional , or Dedicated is a more realistic figure. My second full year on a dedicated account, working 6 days per week (between 62-68 hrs.), I grossed a tad over 52k.

2) Which type of freight/company would be best to leverage my willingness to work my tail off? I see Prime has a high CPM for beginners, but are there maybe other companies with lower CPM, that if I put in the hours, could make more due to less waiting time, longer hauls, etc.?

Not sure if you reviewed these links:

Trucking Companies

How To Choose A Company

The majority of your first year is basically a paid apprenticeship. You are learning the "ropes" of the job. All of the companies included in the above links are good companies for entry level drivers. As you prove yourself to the dispatcher (or driver managers) you will build the trust necessary for getting the longer runs. Wait time is something typically outside of our control and varies depending on who the shipper/receiver is, how busy they are, and the priority of your load. You need to chose the company that fits your needs and best prepares you for this career.

Having owned and operated a couple of businesses, I offer the following;

1. To start a business it is usually helpful to have experience in that business. Ergo, you may want to work in that field instead of driving a truck.

2. Since you plan to work a few years to pay off student debt and need to make more than $30k/year could you go into a corporate job which will have benefits and gain experience that may be useful in your eventual business?

3. Since you're willing to drive, maybe you're willing to relocate which opens up many many opportunities.

4. Truck driving to accomplish your stated objectives seems a challenge at best. HOWEVER, trucking companies also need good people in other positions, for which a finance degree might be more relatable.

Good luck!

I would also point out that while it is not generally recommended for new drivers due to the added difficulty when trucking is already hard when you're new, IF you absolutely need to make as much money as possible right from the start and you are absolutely willing to work your arse off to do so, flatbedding may be an option since it generally pays more than van or reefer , but make no mistake you WILL work hard for that extra pay and it will be extra tough with you being new to trucking in general. Also Prime but perhaps other companies do pay extra still for driving a "lightweight" truck which saves them money on fuel costs but also means you have less living space in your truck. I think its a good option for someone in your situation though.

Another thing which I am reluctant to mention because most people will think its crazy, but I myself am looking into, is AFTER you have a couple years OTR trucking experience, if you really want to make as much as possible as fast as possible in trucking, you could look into getting into ice road trucking in the northern territories of Canada. Its very grueling, dangerous, extreme conditions (can be 60 degrees below zero and blizzard conditions at times), BUT I like a good challenge and you can make what would be a year's salary for a normal trucker in about 8-10 weeks (one season) of ice road trucking. Then you could still do normal trucking the rest of the year and basically double your money. They are also always looking to hire more drivers because its very high turnover, as most people bail out within their first season because they can't handle it. I stress that this is only something to consider AFTER you've been OTR for a couple years, and you really love crazy adventures and immense challenges like that, and aren't afraid of extreme cold and high danger.

If you'd rather play it safe though, do dry van or reefer your first year, then get into flatbedding or tankers.

In any case, good luck in your journey! :)

Late to the party on this thread, but I have another angle for you to consider, TK. I'm assuming you got the degree in finance for a reason, and that you plan to use those skills in whatever business you plan to start. I would highly recommend looking for a job in that field right away. Much of what you learned will be solidified by actually working in that field, making your future venture more likely to succeed.

Also, it will be easier to get on at a company that will provide that actual further hands-on training in finance right out of college than it will be a few years out. Many companies look for recent grads and pay decent money to new recruits fresh from college because they figure they have an opportunity to build their bench and train you their way while you're new to the field. You will likely get a different reception if you come to them with a few years of driving after college. Recruiters will definitely want you to explain that, and so will interviewers.

Now, if you're set on trucking, go for it, but based on past experience, your odds of getting the experience you need to do what you really want to do for the long term are better now than they will be in a few years if it involves using those finance skills. Trucking isn't the only business where rookies have a rough start. The world of corporate management has different rules but some of the same basic principles apply. It's like you just got your CDL for handling corporate finances and then wander off to do something else for a few years, thinking you can just jump back in. Nope, corporations have something similar to refresher training for drivers. They just don't call it by that name.

The old rule was "director by 30, VP by 40, corporate officer by 50, shot at CEO by 55." That may be slightly different now, and again it may not apply at all if you have some great idea for a new business, but please consider using that hard-earned degree for a couple of years before changing course into trucking as a lark or a way to quickly pay off debt. You'll easily make as much or more in a big company with benefits.

The old rule was "director by 30, VP by 40, corporate officer by 50, shot at CEO by 55." That may be slightly different now, and again it may not apply at all if you have some great idea for a new business, but please consider using that hard-earned degree for a couple of years before changing course into trucking as a lark or a way to quickly pay off debt. You'll easily make as much or more in a big company with benefits.

Why would you shoot at a CEO by the time you are 55? Want his job? But if you must, the best place to find them is at the lounge.

Thank you everyone for the thoughtful responses! I am still mulling my decisions. This has certainly given me more to think about.