This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
In this week's first $1,000 segment, Discover How One Retiree used his CDL experience to deliver RVs cross country, getting paid while exploring the open road. CDL means commercial driver's license, by the way. Welcome to Sadduceil School. Welcome to first $1,000. That's right.
Every Monday we look at how somebody made their first $1,000 of a new project. How did they get going? And then ultimately, what did they do beyond that? Usually much more than $1,000, but we are focused on that origin point. My name's Chris Guillebeau.
I'm so glad you're tuning in. We've got a global community of people out there doing all kinds of interesting things. Some listeners want to quit their job. They want to go all in on a side hustle or a business idea. Others are perfectly happy in their job, but they want to create financial independence or just do something that is fun, but also get paid for it.
And I think that is a wonderful goal. I think all those things actually are wonderful goals. So whatever your particular choice is, I hope that this podcast will help you. We do it every single day. Today's feature comes to us from Henry.
He is this guy who's got the RV trucking story. Let's hear the details from him. I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up. I'm Henry, a retiree who stumbled into a new hustle after years behind the wheel of semi-trucks. Since I hung up my trucking boots, I wasn't ready to sit around all day.
A friend told me about a business for RV deliveries, folks buying big travel trailers or motor homes online and needing someone with a CDL to drive them home. It sounded like an easy way to combine road trips with extra income, so I decided to give it a shot. My first gig came from a retired couple in Montana who purchased a new fifth wheel RV but couldn't haul it themselves. They found my name on a Facebook group dedicated to RV enthusiasts. For $800, I agreed to pick up the RV from a dealership in Indiana and drive it to their property in Big Sky Country.
The trip took three days and along the way I stopped at scenic overlooks and small town diners essentially a paid vacation. Another client reached out before I even finished that initial run, asking me to bring a Class C motor home from Michigan down to Florida. Once again, they paid $800 for the delivery. By the time I got back home to Louisville, I netted over $1,500 in total just from two hauls. The pay seemed straightforward.
I charged a set per mile fee plus a small daily rate for my time. Some owners handled my lodging if I had to stay overnight while others offered a flat stipend. Between the CDL experience and a clean driving record, people felt secure trusting me with their pricey RVs. I quickly set up a routine. Each job starts with scheduling.
I coordinate with the seller, verify the paperwork, then plan my route. The drive itself often takes me through beautiful parts of the country. Once I arrive, I do a quick walkthrough with the new owner showing them the basics I've learned along the way, like how to hitch or level the rig. I snap a couple pictures to confirm the RV arrived in good condition, collect my payment and then fly back home. The travel costs, of course, are paid by the client.
I'm keeping it simple by handling all the scheduling by phone or email. Over the course of a year, I've built up a small pipeline of deliveries. Some are from dealerships shipping out of state orders. Others are private sales. A handful of repeat clients who have hired me back to move their RV to a winter spot in the south or back up north for the summer.
I haven't turned this into a 40 hour a week job. I might do two or three deliveries a month depending on how I feel and how often I want to be on the road. Sometimes I'll add a personal detour if the route allows it, maybe swing by a national park or visit an old army buddy. The freedom is part of the appeal. I'm earning plenty of extra money to fund extra hobbies and family visits.
I like that I'm providing a service that leverages my experience while giving me a change of scenery. I can quit any time, but I don't want to. Thank you, Henry. I'm not a great driver myself. I don't think, I think it's a miracle I actually have a regular driver's license.
I'm pretty sure I would not qualify for a commercial one, so I'm glad that people like him are out and about on the road and also doing well for himself. So good job. Listeners, let me know what you think. I hope you found it encouraging. Remember, there's a project for you as well.
There's something you can do. You can make $1,000, and again, much more than $1,000. It's not just $1,000. That's the start. I hope the show is helpful to you in that regard.
There's all kinds of resources and notes on the website, sidehustleschool.com, and of course, new episodes drop every single morning. You can listen wherever you like. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School. From the Onward Project.
