Let me start by saying this – Trucking is NOT for everyone.
Nothing is.
The thing to figure out first is whether it is somthing that can work for YOU right now – or not – If it is, then it could be an amazing opportunity for you to change your life big time and to do it fast too.
On the other hand, if it isn’t right for you right now – no big deal – just keep looking until you find the right opportunity and then do what ever that thing is.
What Trucking Can Do For You
You can begin trucking in as little as 4 short weeks of basic training to get your CDL (commercial drivers license) and then another 2 or so weeks of road training to get real world experience.
After that what you do and what you earn is on you.
If you are seriously motivated and driven to succeed it is possible for you to earn 60 – 80k ($60,000 to $80,000) your first year – IF YOU ARE SERIOUSLY DRIVEN to do so. For others who are motivated but just not wanting to get after it with that much determination – the realistic first year earnings is anyywhere from about 40 – 50k or so and then it goes up from there based on your own efficiency and choices you make.
But here is a major change opportunity…
As a trucker you are going to be gone anyway, in almost all cases especially when just starting out. So why not get rid of your home?
Get rid of your car.
Get rid of your power, water, and other utilities too.
The truck is a self contained company provided RV inside the cab/sleeper with everything you need to live and most of the things you will want too. I’m not even saying you should do this forever either, but what if you did it for a year. Two or maybe even three years or so.
No bills (except your cell phone/hotspot). No utilities. No rent/mortgage payment. No car payments. No car insurance. No homeowners/renters insurance.
Cash is Leverage
You can do all kinds of things with the tons of money you will make and have. Pay off debt. Save up. Have plenty of money and plenty of time to build your online businesses from the open road.
There will be times when you are sitting at a shipper or receiver waiting to get loaded or unloaded. Instad of just sitting there get on your laptop and complete WA training, produce content, build more sites and more content and grow your business.
Then don’t go out and buy a bunch of crap with all that money! Reinvest it!
Keep growing and keep building your businesses.
Do that as long as you need to reach your goals – then make a decision. If you love trucking then you can keep on trucking as long as you choose to do so. If not you can hang it up and move on, but if you are smart and if you have used your time wisely you will have a steady income from your online business empire that is steadily still growing too. Even better, if you follow some of the other things I teach and suggest – you will also have a paid for home and paid for vehicles – never again to make a mortgage or rent payment and never make another car payment in your life!
That to me means more freedom, more independence – and a better life!
So Whats the Catch…
The biggest catch by far is that you will be gone for days and weeks at a time. If you have a family then that is going to be very difficult and this is a major reason so many people quit trucking so soon after starting it.
You also cant save all that cash if it is still flying out the window for mortgage/rent, car payments, utilities etc.
If you are single – then great! You dont have that issue.
If you have a spouse or siignificant other who is willing and able to go on the road with you, then you won’t have that problem either and you both should consider getting licensed and running as a team (much more you need to know first though!) and easily make $100k PLUS per year combined. Do get some info first before you try that.
The other catch for some is that trucking does take some time to get good at. It can be stressful and the hours are long (14 plus per day) and some people can’t handle that. Others are not well suited to it. You need self dicipline and patience – and if you dont have it you need to do somthing else for a living. Just reality.
Is it for you? Is it not for you? You decide.
Choose Your Own Course, Build a Better Life…
In the end YOU have to decide what is right and what isn’t.
Regardless of what you choose, I wish you the best in all you do in life!
Great article….life on the open road…….everytime i watch Ice Road Truckers i think I would like to try that…then I see a frozen lake that starts to crack and quickly change my mind!
The US is huge though…it is something that appeals.