As a truck driver, kinda? But it gets damn old after a while. And pay is shit (when you calculate how much you work.)
But I did get to see 47 states.
Yeah, I hear the pay is like oh cool I made 100k last month and spent 90k on fuel.
Well see there’s multiple types of drivers.
Employee/company drivers drive the company’s truck. The company pays for maintenance and fuel.
Owner Ops and Lease Ops own or lease their own truck and have to pay for fuel and other expenses.
Company drivers make anywhere from $60k-80k, maybe more on the top end of the bell curve depending on speciality, market, luck. Owners it varies wildly but usually in the 6 digits, but then they have expenses and usually end up around or a bit more than company drivers total. But they also assume all the risk.
But we also work 6+ days without break (some don’t ever have days off until they go home), are away from home weeks and months at a time, have super long days, and get no overtime or wait pay.
Aren’t jobs that require you to buy your own fuel 1099 or something? Doesn’t seem worth it? What about if taxes are deducted? Does it pay better?
Eh, why not? This is something Anon can try without any long-term consequences (besides STIs, possibly). They might even find a career.
Loads of jobs would be fun like this, if you ignore there is fierce competition leading to loads of scheduling pressure, bad pay, no benefits, existential fears, health implications…
I guess those professions really would be nice if you’re already set for life and just do it for fun, taking only the best jobs, only doing it for 6-8 hours a day max and have days off… generally not giving too much of a fuck.
That’s van trailer work, and it is bullshit. Reefers and van and grocery hauling is exactly what you said. Flatdeck, wide load, grain hauling, fertilizer, etc, there’s very little to none of this. Farmers want their seed and fertilizer delivered before spring, and what they are selling delivered sometime this winter. Pays better too. Dealerships just want their cars delivered undamaged, if they’re a day late, no one cares. Days off are mandated, although you may not be home for them, true enough. I lived in a truck for 4 years and found myself able to write out a check for my house.
Is trucking as fun as it was ten years ago? I feel like there must be a lot more surveillance and rules and regulations these days.
Its the worst. You’re constantly sandwiched between employers who expect you to be on the road for a full 13 hours, and police who will slap you with huge fines or take your license if you work over those 13 hours.
Every slow car in front of you or delay at a depot compounds into a stress that eats away at you. Which side is going to win out today? Are the cops going to take my license, or is the company going to sack me for not making my delivery on time?
Are the hookers part of the contract?