Truck N Things

Mike (Truck N Things - trucknthings.com) went to school for social media marketing at Madison College, then looked at the money, entry-level marketing jobs paying $40,000 to $50,000 versus truckers pulling six figures, and changed course. He talks with Michael Lombard about getting his CDL in 2015 alongside his dad, and how the whole family followed: mom, dad, and brother all ended up driving. He walks through starting on flatbed at System Transport out of Spokane, bouncing through JB Hunt, intermodal and Home Depot flatbed in Chicago, and PODS work, before landing at a Chicago-area carrier as a 1099 contractor on percentage pay, which he prefers, the kind of split where a single 300-mile load can pay $4,500. He and Lombard get into the 1099-versus-W2 debate that lights up his content, why his wife's health insurance is what makes 1099 work for him, and the rhythm he runs now: grind two months, then take two or three weeks off, plus a long family vacation every year, this year a full month in Orlando. On parking, he is candid about sleeping on the shoulder when he had to, a storm south of Dallas, police now knocking door to door, and finding Truck Parking Club when the I-40 rest areas were closed and the Pro and TA outside Albuquerque were packed, booking a spot near the airport instead. His advice for new drivers: put in your two years at a mega, then find a small family company and actually read their drivers' pay statements, and above all, truck your way and make it fun.Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/h3YiuOiS_-UUse code trucknthings for $20 off your next booking.List your space or find parking at truckparkingclub.com