For the last several years, I've been working two jobs: charter bus driver and musician. Neither exactly great money, but I've managed to pay my bills and have a little fun. However, recently both jobs have slowed down considerably (the bus driving is always seasonal anyway, and the band has booked fewer gigs because my brother got a better day job that takes more of his time), so my cash flow has turned into the occasional puddle.
So starting on Wednesday, I'll be working as a driveaway/transporter driver, which entails driving mostly new trucks, buses and RVs cross country from one of eight terminals to various destinations. Most of them are brand new, and the destinations are dealers. Anyway, I could be driving them pretty much anywhere in the continental USA.
My plan is to do this for a month or two to try it on for size (and profitability), and then if it's worth pursuing, to do it for a year or two to pay off a few credit cards and accumulate a nest egg, and then to either go back to school (hey, it's sure working for Mike!) or pursue some other actual career path.
One of the more interesting aspects of this new job is that I'm responsible for my own transportation after delivery! I'll be riding the Greyhound, renting cars, taking taxis, etc., mostly, but there will be times when I'll be somewhere with few such resources. I might be emailing the occasional SOS!
If this job turns out to be worth pursuing, I'll be getting myself a nice little tow car that I can pull behind (like you see RVs pulling), which will make all that both cheaper and easier...
Wish me luck!
Tim
4 comments:
I used to work for a driveaway company, in Las Vegas. We provided a screening services for drivers and for rental car agencies and also for private car owners who wanted their cars transported elsewhere. I used to drive them, occasionally, and would pick up a rental car to return to LV. I later used a private person's car to return to LV from NYC (he wanted it taken to Sun City, AZ). I used a rental deadhead to complet the loop. You might check for these resources.
Yeah, I will definitely check out car driveaway as an option for traveling between jobs. The odds are that most of my deliveries won't be in the places where folks want to send their cars from or to, but even if I only get one or two, that'll be money saved!
Good luck, Tim! I know you'll be great at it, and hopefully, will pay off those bills post-haste. Will you still get to play with the band at all?
Tim, I have been driving for 4+ yrs and the only reason I'm still doing it is because I also work for an airline. There is too much deadheading involved otherwise. I know people are going to disagree but you have to stay on the road for extremely long periods in between loads if you tow. I live in the Memphis area, if you need a ride or some help close by, let me know ......Bill
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