08/13/2026
I put $1,100 worth of diesel in my truck this morning.
And before I even pulled away from the pump, somebody online was telling me truck drivers make “easy money.”
My name is Frank. I’m 56, and I’ve been an owner-operator for 24 years.
People see the rate on a load and think that’s what goes into my pocket.
They don’t see the fuel.
Insurance.
Maintenance.
Tires.
Truck payments.
Permits.
Or the repair bill waiting for you when something decides to break 900 miles from home.
Last week, I hauled a load that paid what looked like good money.
Then I bought diesel.
Two days later, I needed a tire replaced.
By the time I paid my expenses, that “big paycheck” looked a whole lot smaller.
This morning, I was standing at the fuel island watching the numbers climb higher and higher.
$400.
$700.
$900.
Then past $1,000.
I just stood there holding the nozzle.
Because what else are you supposed to do?
The truck doesn’t move without fuel.
And if the truck doesn’t move, I don’t get paid.
Twenty-four years ago, I thought owning my own truck meant freedom.
Some days it does.
Other days it feels like owning a small business that happens to travel 600 miles a day.
I finished fueling, climbed back into the cab, and started the engine.
Another load.
Another highway.
Another bill waiting somewhere down the road.
That’s trucking.
The money people talk about sounds great until you see what it costs to keep that truck moving.
