r/financialindependence • u/fidgit86 • 9d ago

What do you do that you earn six figures?

It seems like a lot of people make a lot of money and it seems like I’m missing out on something. So those of you that do, whats your occupation that pays so well?

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399

u/whosname1986 9d ago

Own a trucking agency. YTD $320k.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago edited 4d ago

[deleted]

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u/MyWay_FIWay 9d ago

Which trucking sim? I wanna play.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago edited 4d ago

[deleted]

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u/Courtsey_Cow 9d ago

Euro truck simulator is really cool IMO. Living in the united states I haven't had the chance to travel Europe, and ETS is sorta like traveling lol Plus the Europeans get all the cool cabover trucks that aren't available here.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago edited 4d ago

[deleted]

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u/Stevensupercutie 9d ago

When you buy Euro Truck Sim, resist the urge to start in England right away. Any long distance bonus hauls require you to take a ferry to mainland europe and require $ and time. Most loads have that time accounted for, but its annoying and the rest of europe will be a mix of left and right hand drive. More often than not I was on the wrong side and kept getting dinged for blind spot smashes.

Oh and the in-cab customization is way more elaborate. And the DLC adds multiple countries. The later the release date of the DLC, the better and more detailed it usually is. Ibera DLC adds Spain and Portugal and is currently the highest rated/most recent, with Road to the Black Sea being second adding Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Crazy views out there. Well worth it.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago edited 4d ago

[deleted]

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u/nick99990 9d ago

Get a TrackIR to get really immersive. I've got a couple hundred hours over the years.

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u/Chengweiyingji 9d ago

Euro is very fun, but you have to be very focused. You look away for two seconds and you're veering off to the side of the road. I can't speak for the multiplayer, never tried it (my copy came from... questionable places), but just singleplayer has been great so far.

I haven't played American.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago edited 4d ago

[deleted]

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u/Chengweiyingji 9d ago

just free roam to explore without a trailer.

That's all I wanna do, but I haven't earned my way up there yet.

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u/Phartidandshidded 9d ago

RemindMe! 2 hours to watch Euro or American truck sim on Twitch, and then to buy it if I like it.

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u/RebelJustforClicks 9d ago

There's a free demo of both

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u/RebelJustforClicks 9d ago

I've got both and enjoyed ETS2 for a while but ETS2 just feels too easy after a while. The trucks are more powerful, the loads are lighter, and the dropoff locations are all huge with endless room for maneuvers.

So now I only play ATS except for occasionally.

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u/thearks 9d ago

I used to play that all the time. I'm planning to get back into it once Wyoming comes out.

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u/Chengweiyingji 9d ago

Wyoming? There'll be nothing there!

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u/ZipTie_Guy 9d ago

Wyoming is a long haul trucker's wet dream.

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u/Wo0d643 9d ago

I used to work in transportation/trucking. It is certainly possible to make a LOT of money. Most of the jobs don’t pay very well though. The people driving the trucks in general make very little for the work they do. The office staff will make ok money. Owning trucks is too much work and risk for the profit. What you want is customers.

It’s a lot of paperwork to start. You will want a brokerage license. You find companies that need their stuff moved around. Then you put that stuff on a website so truck owners can see it. You’ll want to quote the customer an amount of money that will convince a driver/owner to assume the risk of hauling the freight plus… this is the important part…. plus about 30%. This is very oversimplified but making money in this industry isn’t about doing work. It’s about taking advantage of the people who have to go work everyday to make ends meet. Basically like any job but with trucking you get right in there to directly lie and cheat people out money they should be making. Also, you need to own one truck and have it registered and all that but it doesn’t actually need to do work.

If you really want to make a lot of money you will need fairly extensive knowledge of oversize rules. Find a customer who regularly ships stuff that is just over 12ft wide and a driver that has experience with that kind of work and you two can take it to the bank. Get in good with a trustworthy escort and make even more profit.

It’s not a complicated job by any means but it’s cut throat for sure. If you do it right there is almost zero overhead and you can call just about anything a business expense. Tax evasion is directly integrated into the profit margin.

After a proof read I’ve realized I kinda just laid out how running a business works in general. Lol.

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

Pretty spot on. I do a lot of oversized so the margins are good.

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u/SirNokarma 9d ago

Did you buy a route and fleet? Curious about what path lead you there.

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

Nope. No money out of my pocket. Just started with a handful of customers and lanes and grew it over time.

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u/SirNokarma 9d ago

That's great work.

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u/ayanmosh 9d ago

How many trucks. Do you have your own drivers? Do you pick your loads?

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

All owner operators. Access to a huge network of over 60,000. I do pick my freight. I turn down freight daily.

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u/Impulsive-Optimist 9d ago

How did you get started? I’ve heard its a lucrative industry, and I’d love to tap in, but don’t know where to begin.

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u/Yangoose 9d ago

Get your CDL.

Typically a few thousand dollars for a 4-8 week course.

Get a job driving for OK pay. Be friendly and network with people in the industry. Eventually (like maybe a year) you'll get an "in" at someplace that pays well. If you decide you want to, start saving up for your own truck.

Expect trade offs like:

  1. Weird hours
  2. Working in another city hours from your home for weeks at a time.
  3. Significant overtime expectations
  4. Boring shit like "we're not ready for your truck to drop it's load yet, go sit in that line of trucks for the next 5 hours"
  5. Predatory bullshit that will bite you in the ass if you're not paying attention when you take a job.

1

u/IceJester22 9d ago

Landstar or Mason Dixon?

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

Landstar

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u/ProtonEAF 9d ago

You can send some of that freight to this aspiring broker! ^

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u/Pants_trick 9d ago

Freight has gone crazy over these last two years and it’s only going to keep going up. How is your driver situation?

1

u/whosname1986 9d ago

It’s great. There’s always a driver if the money is right.

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u/MyWay_FIWay 9d ago

How old are you? What was your background?

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u/whosname1986 9d ago
  1. Started working at 19. Grew each year or two a little higher, learning everything I could about warehousing, distribution and trucking. Managed several operations for 12 years, decided to start my own.

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u/snowDemon999 9d ago

Im thinking of getting into it. Care to share how you started?

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u/MidMDMetals 9d ago

Clearly not SWIFT.

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

Haha - nope.

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u/Slavmazon 9d ago

How’d you get started?

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

Dumb luck. Walking in a mall at 19, took a job at a candy store. It just escalated from there and turned into promotion after promotion to where I eventually learned the ins and outs of all aspects and started my own.

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u/DLTMIAR 9d ago

Dafuq?

Candy store to owning a trucking agency?

I feel like you yadda yadda'd a lil bit

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

I just kept moving up the chain every year or two. I’ve got a pretty good ability to adapt and figure things out. Best skill is problem solving. Things just kind of fell into place.

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u/Thunder__Cat 9d ago

Legit have something for you, will dm

2

u/ProtonEAF 9d ago

Broker here. I'll move whatever have!

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u/Thunder__Cat 8d ago

Can’t hurt to have a convo right? Think Pm for a call?

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u/YogurtSocks 9d ago

Like for Amazon or what kind of trucking agency? I don’t think that I understand what that means

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

Long story short - customers reach out to me to move their freight. I have a giant network of drivers. It’s really that simple. Just has taken off lately.

1

u/ElbertAlfie 9d ago

Probably a guy who has a few trucks and a couple of other drivers working with/for him.

I know a guy who solo’d a trucking company but made a deal with a friend who did the same. They’d be in the same areas and offer the other a load if they couldn’t schedule it. Another guy leased out a couple trucks under him.

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u/john133435 9d ago

How many trucks do you run?

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

I do high margin freight generally. I don’t chase the low hanging fruit. So volume isn’t my bread and butter.

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u/867-53OhNein 9d ago

But it's only August!

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

Yeah - been a good year.

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u/Absolemdacatapilla 9d ago

Really? Here in western europe margins are super tight, and competition is lethal.

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u/Accomplished-Bad3380 9d ago

Many trucks, not just one.

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u/jonp1 9d ago

Any worries about AI-driven trucks taking over the industry?

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u/Accomplished-Bad3380 9d ago

They can't even get AI cars to not crash. We're a bit away from that, for now.

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u/hutacars 28M, 62% SR, FIRE 2032 8d ago

“Are you worried about making more profit?”

1

u/jonp1 8d ago

Maybe, maybe not. Pricing barriers may put the competitive advantage in the largest companies that can pull together the most capital for new equipment / fleet acquisitions; which could squeeze out a lot of smaller operations pretty quickly.

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u/hutacars 28M, 62% SR, FIRE 2032 8d ago

But OP isn’t an owner operator, so he’d be controlling thousands of AI trucks and not paying for drivers.

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u/jonp1 8d ago

The point is that AI trucks will cost money… A lot of money… If OP is drawing $300k in salary, he’s likely a mid-tier operator… Right now that’s something he should be really proud of, but the point is that top-tier mega logistics companies will be able to buy the AI fleets at-scale. So mid-size and small operations will struggle to compete. Therefore, it’s not just the drivers who will be impacted.

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u/hutacars 28M, 62% SR, FIRE 2032 8d ago

If OP is drawing $300k in salary, he’s likely a mid-tier operator

Except again, OP states that he is not a “mid tier operator.” He’s essentially a broker. His business model might change a bit, but should otherwise increase revenue. (Frankly, I’m surprised truck brokering isn’t auto-bid already.)

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

Nope. Will always need a person.

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u/streetMD 9d ago

How many trucks? How long have you been doing it?

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

Have access to about 60,000 trucks (several networks). Been managing fleets for 12 years, started my own agency 3 years ago.

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u/streetMD 9d ago

Ahhh. I see. I was thinking you owned a small fleet. You manage a GIANT one.

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

No not necessarily. I have ACCESS to a giant fleet. I myself am a one man operation. No employees. I handle about 40 loads a week.

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u/streetMD 9d ago

Dumb question. But are you a broker / dispatcher?

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

I’m all of that. I’m a salesman, quoter, broker, dispatcher, all of it. Imagine running a big company - you have employees that do each part. Well I’m the company. I do each part. I’ve just got it down to a T to where I can handle all of it.

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u/Duckbilling 9d ago

Something oversized needs to go somewhere? You call this guy. He goes on his computer, opens a web app, sends an email, makes a call, profit.

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

Ding ding ding. Main thing is to know what equipment to use, cost of everything involved - all the inner workings. You pay for the knowledge and experience. Takes ten minutes to clear a grand - but you spend 12 years learning all that.

1

u/dabigmon 9d ago

Do you mean like a 3PL?

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

No, not a 3 PL. 3 PLs are my biggest customers though.

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u/El_Scorcher 9d ago

You’re a broker?

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

I own a brokerage, but basically.

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u/Heydanu 9d ago

Large flat bed or cargo van courier?

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

Van, platform (flat/step) and out of gauge.

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u/Content_Sloth 9d ago

In profit?

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u/whosname1986 9d ago

Yes, in profit.

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u/IshootstuffwithCanon 9d ago

You must be my husband. Same same.

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u/num2005 9d ago

profit or revenue?

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u/MuttleyDastardly 9d ago

What’s a trucking agency?

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u/Logical-Signature541 9d ago

How can one start that ?

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u/JuicyCut 9d ago

This guy trucks.

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u/TheBlacktom 9d ago

Revenue or profit?

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u/yogIE2021 7d ago

How to get into trucking business? Invest money in a business or start from scratch? I have 100k on the sideline

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u/whosname1986 7d ago

Loaded question. I think in order to make money on anything, you need to be knowledgeable about it. So if you know it like I do, I’d start my own. If you don’t know anything about it, I’d stay away. One of my first bosses said to me, “Know how to make a small fortune in trucking? Start with a large one.” If you don’t take the time to learn it all, you can lose that money very quickly. I spent 12 years learning all aspects of the industry - not just a section. So I was well suited to start my own operation.

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u/yogIE2021 7d ago

Thanks. So start with a company, learn and then start your own in 3-5 years

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u/whosname1986 6d ago

Start your own when you’re comfortable with what you know. Could be 3-5 years, could be more. You start when you’re confident.

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u/yogIE2021 5d ago

Thanks