I used to run the miles myself before I moved over into the insurance side of the industry, so I’ve seen this from both angles. When you’re in the driver’s seat, everybody hypes the checks and the gross pay. What nobody really warns you about is how fast the bleed eats it all up. Fuel feels like you’re working just to feed the pump. Insurance…especially if you’ve got your own authority is a straight-up gut punch, running twelve to twenty grand a year for one truck if you’re new. Add factoring taking their slice, repairs hitting at the worst time, DOT filings and fees, and brokers sitting on your money for thirty days, and suddenly that “good week” doesn’t look so good anymore.

From the insurance side, I can tell you a lot of these costs aren’t just made up numbers…lawsuits, rising repair costs, and stricter compliance rules keep pushing premiums higher. But from the driver’s side, it feels like you’re carrying the whole weight of the system on your back while everyone else takes a cut. That’s why so many new guys get crushed in their first year.

If you’re jumping in, don’t just focus on the gross pay the load board flashes at you. Focus on what’s left after the bleed. The drivers who make it long term are the ones who treat this like a business from day one instead of just a driving job. Just throwing my two cents out there based on what I’ve seen . Stay safe out there yall 🫡