I am 26 years old, tired of working on factories and going into the same building every day and not getting paid squat. I love driving and would love to do it for a living just not so sure about big rigs. Ive been looking for a company that has cargo vans for people to drive otr but no luck. It seems there is plenty of work for o/o's with cargo vans, should I take a leap and buy a van? Is it a financial nightmare to be an o/o of a cargo van? Are the jobs steady and plentiful? Lots of questions but all I know is I really cant do the standard 9-5 thing every time I think about what id like to do its driving...just not big rigs. Any advice and info would be greatly appreciated, also I am in sw ohio between cincy and Dayton if that helps.
Should I Take The Leap?
- Thread starter biggredj
- Start date
Murraycroexp
Veteran Expediter
Read every post on this site first. I mean EVERY!!! These guys know what they're talking about. The good and the bad. They LIVE this every day. And they SHARE their knowledge usually. Dig deep. But read FIRST!!
What makes driving a van otr much different from a big rig? As far as being able to see your family and stuff?
Also I am open to any options I may have as far as driving jobs, if I could avoid buying my own van I would prefer that at least starting off but what can I do to score a driving job otr or at least long haul preferably, without having to drive a big rig and cdl class a?
Buying a van and becoming an expedite owner/operator will allow you to not only see different buildings, but different cities and states during the week. You will still get paid squat but at least it won't be the same old same old. If money and benefits are less important than the drudgery of reporting to the daily grind 5 days a week, then expedite might be for you.
I drove big rigs for 20 years before working my way up to cargo van owner/operator. We all have to start somewhere. If you are serious about doing the cargo van thing make sure you have enough money for a hefty down payment or a cash buy without financing. If you can buy a used van for cash, if things don't work out, you can always sell it at a minimal loss.
Check on E.O. for ads from fleet owners looking for cargo van drivers. Your pay will probably be 60% of squat but you will get some valuable experience and the opportunity to see if this is right for you without a substantial investment.
Murraycroexp
Veteran Expediter
I'm thinking it might have more to do with who you're signed on with, how you are paid, how they get loads, how good a reputation they have in the shipping world & what kind of "business head" you have. Although that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Murraycroexp
Veteran Expediter
I'm thinking it might have more to do with who you're signed on with, how you are paid, how they get loads, how good a reputation they have in the shipping world & what kind of "business head" you have. Although that's just the tip of the iceberg.
paullud
Veteran Expediter
Expedite freight is not typically something you can plan your life around. It is irregular and when you are making less money being able to afford to take time off and paying to get home is rather costly at times. In a TT you have options of when you want to go home because the freight is planned and the freight lanes are far greater.
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paullud
Veteran Expediter
If you don't mind being crammed into a space smaller than a prison cell with a complete stranger then you could get a class B. The straight truck option usually works best for a team but there are some that go solo so you may want to consider that. The van is a tough way to go but with little to no debt it is certainly an option. Why are you focused on not getting a class A or B and trying to get by with the least effort possible? I hope you don't think you just drive around in a van making money, there is much, much more to it.
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Its not that I don't want to put any effort in, im at a crucial point in life but with the way things are going I cant afford schooling (for computers) and its a big risk to drop everything and go to trucking and than not be able to drive the rig. Iv'e been with a company now for 5 years and aint had a raise since day one, they just recently announced they are selling and going under and id like to find something that can make me a little bit more money that might be able to finance some other ventures I might have. And its still possible that I might go to trucking school, but that's what im on here for to ask questions and see what the best rout might be. Please don't confuse me wanting to not do trucking school as laziness, im just looking for a stepping stone and least risk and something I know ill like. Also you guys are talking like this doesn't pay squat...whats an average weeks work pay?
Murraycroexp
Veteran Expediter
That's not something anyone on here could answer accurately, universally. Ask 100 different drivers and you may actually get 300 different answers!!! LOL!!
There are just way too many factors that affect each driver differently. EE or not, truck cost, finance rate, maintenance practices, driving habits, insurance costs, eating habits, work ethic, carrier load volume, plus probably 100 more factors.
So you could probably, as a solo, make somewhere between $0 and $10,000 pet week. But NO, it will NOT average $5K a week. Just because I hit $5,375 ONE week last year doesn't mean I will ever be able again.
Controlling costs is very important. But you DO have to spend it to make it.
paullud
Veteran Expediter
If you are trying to avoid risk and need money then stay away from the vans, I believe they have the worst risk vs reward potential. A ST has less risk and more reward than a van plus there is more downtime than a TT to work on your side projects. The transportation industry in general can be tough and you should expect to pay your dues which breaks thousands of drivers every year. This is not to discourage you from driving but just an honest opinion. I stopped driving and thought it was going to be great working 40 hours, 5 days a week, and being home every night but I couldn't deal with it because I love driving TT. I may attempt to leave again but you will quickly find no matter what you drive the industry becomes who you are and being home doesn't feel right.
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I dont look at it as discouraging everything has its ups and downs, but I think it would be more up than doing the crap jobs and putting up with a lot of the stuff I have over the last few years. Ok so this straight truck deal, what is it and what do you haul with that? How do you go about getting a license and is it much different than class a? Are there a lot of jobs where u dont have to be a o/o?
paullud
Veteran Expediter
You drive a truck with the box attached so there is no trailer. The freight will vary from expedited freight to smaller regular freight shipments but you have much better earning potential than a van. The way you get a license can vary depending on your situation and can include renting a truck or a school which will be cheaper than a class A, some get theirs in a few days. There are plenty of jobs where you will be an independent contractor driving someone else's truck.
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intransit
Seasoned Expediter
To the original poster...
Just speaking from experience about going into T/T driving, it's really a lifestyle adjustment and so much more than driving. Driving a T/T for a company takes a lot of commitment and acting like their puppet, if you will. They say go here, you have to go there. They say go to point B, you go to point B. They blow up your phone while you're sleeping, you're expected to answer. I have learned that there isn't much freedom on the road as long as you are driving for someone else.
Now I completely understand not wanting to buy your own vehicle just yet because that does have some risk, but the reward would be you are your own boss. Don't let the trucking companies fool you into thinking you are your own boss, because as long as you drive for someone else you are far from being free. Just because you don't have a boss looking over your shoulder while driving doesn't mean they aren't still there. Driving T/T is a big responsibility and I wanted to get away from it because of that-- too much stress n headache. That's why I too am considering cargo van because at least you can take the van anywhere you want. In a T/T you are heavily restricted based on height and weight and space. Can't just pull into any parking lot. You make one wrong turn you're in a bad situation. But definitely go for T/T if you have a passion to want to do it, that's how I ended up in it.
Just speaking from experience about going into T/T driving, it's really a lifestyle adjustment and so much more than driving. Driving a T/T for a company takes a lot of commitment and acting like their puppet, if you will. They say go here, you have to go there. They say go to point B, you go to point B. They blow up your phone while you're sleeping, you're expected to answer. I have learned that there isn't much freedom on the road as long as you are driving for someone else.
Now I completely understand not wanting to buy your own vehicle just yet because that does have some risk, but the reward would be you are your own boss. Don't let the trucking companies fool you into thinking you are your own boss, because as long as you drive for someone else you are far from being free. Just because you don't have a boss looking over your shoulder while driving doesn't mean they aren't still there. Driving T/T is a big responsibility and I wanted to get away from it because of that-- too much stress n headache. That's why I too am considering cargo van because at least you can take the van anywhere you want. In a T/T you are heavily restricted based on height and weight and space. Can't just pull into any parking lot. You make one wrong turn you're in a bad situation. But definitely go for T/T if you have a passion to want to do it, that's how I ended up in it.
Murraycroexp
Veteran Expediter
amen, brother!!!
paullud
Veteran Expediter
Do you realize it is the same thing when you own your own vehicle and lease on with someone? It is the nature of the business, freight goes from point A to point B and you have to do it the way the customer wants.
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I would go to school first. Computers are here to stay and expediters come and go like rain and that is the truth. You can buy a van and insurance and you will need at least 3 months of expense money because stuff breaks down out here. There are school loans vs 12k to 30k dollars for a van,plus 200 a month for insurance, and about 12oo a month for gas if your lucky.