AS a driver, you'll make no less than $15, depending on where you live.

Also, theres special commodities divisions you can drive for.

Meh.... Can't afford that. I might go O/O for FedEx, still evaluating the feasibility.

You can be a company driver in HHG, and make more than $15.00 an hour. Depends on where you go, I have a buddy who drives a company truck and makes 36% of the linehaul, and he made over $80k last year driving their truck. You could do that for a year or so and then buy your own truck, but I wouldn't buy a truck and lease it on somewhere for less than $1.00 a mile, and expect to improve your way of lifestyle....especially if you can't make ends meet at $24.00 an hour.

I can make them meet. I just want them to keep meeting you know? I might look into United down the road....

loads
 

That I kinda disagree with, the pay (at least for me) is pretty good. I haul livestock the only thing bad about it is the long hours when loaded. As far as the loading and unloading they walk on and off... unless they are dead! Don't see too many pallets that load or unload themselves.... the loading time is generally 10 - 20 minutes, the unloading is generally 5 - 15 minutes. I don't haul for less than $3.85/mi

Gibby, you get re-loads coming back? Or, do you just run one-way? I've got a buddy out in Kansas who hauls cattle occasionally for a friend of his. Come to think of it, my truck I have now used to be owned by a cattle company out of Missouri. I've tossed the idea around, would be something cool to try out.

Don't give up your job to drive a truck - you will never match that $23-$28 an hour on a consistant basis.

Drive a truck HHG? I drive a truck right now, I'm not behind a desk. I do convenience store/foodservice distribution.

Oh and I don't care if I work more hours for more money. Hourly average doesn't concern me as much as the total I make per year.

More hours doesn't necessarily mean more money (in most cases, it means less, unless you are in some specialized field). It sounds like you have a local gig, and you would be foolish to give it up to go OTR. You won't make more. Local gigs are something to strive for - not something to give up.