it is possible to earn a decent living driving. as mentioned there are lots of ways not to tho. i was lucky enuf to get 2 years in with a good company as a new driver. there are some real good companies out there that hire rookies. i am involved in a lease purchase program now. so far it is working, but, like any small business it is a lot more work than driving as a company driver. i am enjoying myself tho. a learning experience. there are more ripoff l/p companies than legit ones. also yeah the l/p is set up to benifit the company rather than a driver. it is a business. my company has quite a few drivers pay off their trucks, but we also have more who don't make it in the program. currently i make about as much as i did as a co. driver. sometimes a lot less then other times more. but i have more responsibilities. i am looking at owning this truck in a few years so that is why i stick with it. 30k first year is very possible.