Can you make some good money becoming a truck driver?

[Anonymous]

I have a pursuing in my life to make a good living to make enough money to become financially stable. I don’t have experience for driving just yet I’m going to get some in due time and I heard recently the jobs I could do included being a truck driver that pay well so since I’ll be a beginner starting out, how much should I start with to get more experience to make more money a week up to a year for depending how hard I would work and be able to afford a place of my own in Louisiana. Any opinions will be appreciated and help me gain a better understanding of what is considered the highest Pay and what is not.

[NamerOfStars]

Yes, but with some important caveats. Even in Illinois (one of the trickiest states to do it), it's not that hard to get a CDL, but that means that there's always someone waiting in the wings to take over for you- most trucking companies treat their drivers as a disposable resource. Some are far better, but they tend to be much more selective about who they hire. You may have to tough it out in pretty rough conditions until you can hop over to a better company- and the concern about self-driving vehicles may do a number on the market, even before they become a reality.

Secondly, you know how with some jobs, people say "It's not a job, it's a lifestyle"? With trucking, it's not a job OR a lifestyle; it's a LIFE. You drive and you sleep, and you spend a lot of non-driving awake time in truck stops, because you don't have the energy or the mobility (since the hours you can drive are limited) to go elsewhere. You'll be home maybe a day or two a month, with most long-haul jobs. Some are better- dedicated routes can have you home much more frequently, sometimes every day, but they don't pay as well.

Being an owner-operator can pay VERY well (though of course your expenses are higher), but that's essentially a total commitment, since you're losing money whenever you're not rolling.

[BeMuse]

If you want to work in Alaska I suppose...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/alaskan-trucking-fleets-promise-150k-driver-salaries-amid-drilling-boom

[Asker]

Tell me about Alaska

[BeMuse]

Cold, remote, hazardous, and lonely... But they are offering $150,000 to $170,000 a year in addition to benefits. Read the article.

[ArrowheadSW]

I know a lady who became a long haul truck driver about 3 years ago, and she has been making about 80K a year.

[Asker]

Is 80k a year considered financially stable to make good on your own

[ArrowheadSW]

Yes she makes enough to be financially stable. She can't afford a house in an expensive area, but she can afford a less expensive area.

[Adam1978]

Depends, it's one of the market that many companies tries to replace with autopilots. If they manage that part the pay will drop or the job will disappear.

[LovingJo]

Yes, but it's a lonely job.