please help me out!

[jugbutt]

I hope this doesn't upset anyone but I need help with this.

I have been wanting to get into this field of work for along time and i have read this form up and down so here goes.

OK I don't have a cdl but i will be studying for it for the next 5 weeks. I am taking time off with my son and then when he goes home it's on.
I been thinking about driving for someone else and then after I learn the ropes get my own.

Now I want to go to a 1ton van when I get one.

Ok back to driving for someone.

1. Does those vans have sleeper or bunks in them?

2.How much money will I need to get by on til the checks start coming in?

3. Will I be able to get a job with a new CDL in wallet ? (meaning only having them less than a couple months)

4. would I be better off taking my fitness test and all first and then start applying?

5. should i wait and go to the Expo. in Wilmington,oh before I put all my pennies in the pot!??

See I worked shutdowns and made good money and coming up this Fall they will have a outage at the Powerplant where the wife work ( She is Corpotate Saftey there) I will make around $2400.00 a week and then could put a good down payment on a good Van after the job is over!

Let me back up ! What I'm getting at is learning with a fleetowner and go from there!!!!!!

Help me Guys and Gals you know the boat that I'm in some has been there some hasn't please help me make the right moves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[jjoerger]

Drive for a fleet owner first and learn what this business is all about.
I wouldn't buy an airplane if I didn't know how to fly.

 

[jugbutt]

Drive for a fleet owner first and learn what this business is all about.
I wouldn't buy an airplane if I didn't know how to fly.

I agree but does fleet owners take one newbies that doesn't know the ropes? or do they work with them.

 

[chefdennis]

Don't expect to make enough money to help out at home while driving for someone else...at a 60/40 spilt with you getting 60 and paying for fuel/gas...for the most part it will take all but about 10% to operate the van......so you take $60 0f each $100 the load pays...they load 50% on your comdata card and the owner pays you the remaining 105 at settlement time....not a bunch there to make ends meet.....

Driving for someone else is good, don't get me wrong, but with a cargo van, with having a good downpayment, setting yourself up with a reserve of a few thousand and then following a good business plan, you can make decent money, and if you find out this isn't for you, unloading the van isn't that big a deal....

Oh you had also better be ready to run and and run and run some more...no matter how you do it...don't plan on being home every weekend...you can, but you won't last 6 months out here if you try to do it that way.....

 

[xiggi]

You do not need a cdl to drive a van for the majority of companies out here. There are several good companies who do not require them. There is one of the big boys who does require one that I would personally never drive for again, they just have way to many vans out there to compete with. It is not helpful to deliver a load only to find out you are waiting for your next load behind 12 or 14 other vans. Now some people make that company work for them but most of those have been driving for an extended time and have learned how to make it work.

 

[greg334]

Why drive for a van owner when you can get vans so cheap?

I would not drive for a van owner. I was a van owner and became more of a hassle than anything else. It didn't pay in the long run.

If you are inclined to try this out, then go for it.

Get the biggest van you can find (GMC/Chev 3500 extended or a Ford E350 extended) and set it up. Outside of a few hundred in etrack and plywood, there is some money for signage and Qualcomm which most of the companies will take out of your settlement.