There are variables in a truck driver’s life that can affect his or her monthly income. A lot of successful drivers have found ways to navigate the variance in income with forward thinking. Some months may be more lean than others, but if you’re planning and budgeting for the future, it can help take some of the potential volatility out of it.
“Sometimes freight pay really well and you’re doing a lot of miles,” said Arrow Truck Sales’ Jason Church. “Setting money back is tough to do sometimes.”
“Planning for the future is a really big key and something that’s hard to do,” he said.
The intermingling of personal and truck finances can make things difficult at times, but planning ahead to maintain your unit is crucial, says Church. “When your tires are wearing thin, and the check engine light is on. You do need to keep up the equipment so you can lean on it. That’s what makes your money.”
Proactivity with maintenance can help save money – especially if you’ve purchased a used commercial vehicle. “Waiting too long to make a repair typically can snowball into something much worse – and very costly,” says Church. “Consistently putting a little money back (is important). A used truck will break. A used truck has used truck problems.”
You can watch the full episode of the Successful Driver podcast with Jason Church here: