Latest / The Side Hustle Career Podcast with Fexingo: Second Income, Freelancing While Employed / How a Truck Driver Built a 14K Side Hustle in Fleet Safety Training
Transcript
- Lucas: So, Luna, have you ever thought about the fact that every single product in a store arrived there on a truck? I mean, we talk about supply chains all the time, but the people driving those trucks are the backbone. And one of them found a way to turn that experience into a pretty serious side hustle. Luna: I've heard of drivers doing things like blogging or vlogging, but a safety training business? That's different. How's that work? Lucas: Well, meet Marcus. He's a long-haul truck driver with about 12 years on the road. He's not a former safety manager or a corporate trainer. He just noticed a problem. Small and mid-sized trucking fleets — the ones with maybe 10 to 50 trucks — they can't afford the big safety consulting firms. Those cost tens of thousands. So they often end up with, frankly, subpar safety programs, or they just wing it. Luna: That's a pretty dangerous game, especially with all the federal regulations and compliance stuff. Lucas: Exactly. DOT compliance, hours of service, load securement, all that. And Marcus realized he had a huge advantage. He'd actually done the job, driven in all conditions, dealt with the paperwork, survived the audits. So he started building a side business teaching other drivers and fleets how to be safer and more compliant. And I'm not talking about a few hundred bucks here and there. Last month, he cleared about 14,000 dollars. Luna: Fourteen thousand a month? From safety training? That's wild. What does he actually sell? Lucas: So, his main product is a training program that he runs both in-person and online. He's got a curriculum he designed himself, covering everything from defensive driving techniques to how to properly fill out logbooks. He even does mock audits to get fleets ready for the real thing. And he packages all of that into monthly retainers, where he's essentially their ongoing safety advisor. That's what gives him the recurring income. Luna: Recurring is the key. So he's not just doing a one-off workshop and then hoping they come back, right? Lucas: Right. The retainers are the core. He has about ten fleet clients on a monthly retainer, each paying anywhere from 800 to 1,500 dollars. Plus, he does occasional one-off safety audits for a flat fee. So it adds up. Luna: And how did he get his first client? Was it just cold calling? Because that takes a lot of nerve. Lucas: Actually, no. He told me his first client came from a truck stop. He was grabbing coffee and heard two fleet managers complaining about an audit they'd just failed. He struck up a conversation, gave them a couple of tips on the spot, and one of them asked if he could teach his whole team. That was his first contract, worth about 2,000 dollars for a day-long training session. Luna: That's a great story. So it really was about being in the right place at the right time, but also recognizing the opportunity. Lucas: Exactly. And after that, he didn't just sit back. He built a simple website, started posting on a couple of trucking forums, and got a few more clients through word of mouth. Fleet owners talk to each other, especially when they're at the same loading docks. Within six months, he had enough recurring revenue to think about doing this full-time. But he's held off on that, for now at least. Luna: Why do you think he's holding off? Lucas: He says he likes the security of his full-time salary. His side hustle is already earning him an extra 14 grand a month, but his day job gives him health insurance, a pension, and the kind of stability that's hard to give up. He's considering going independent in the next couple of years, but he wants to build up a bigger cushion first. Luna: That's a smart move. And I've got to say, if we've helped you think through your own career or side hustle decisions, we're really glad. And if you've found that valuable, supporting the show is easy — you can buy me a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's the whole ask. It keeps us independent and ad-free, so we can keep bringing you these stories. Lucas: Yeah, no pressure at all. But it does make a difference if you can. Now, back to Marcus. So how does he actually deliver the training? That's the part I find interesting, because he's not a tech guy. Luna: Right, I was wondering about that. Does he do it all in person, or is there a digital component? Lucas: He does both. For his local clients, he'll drive out to their facility and do a half-day workshop in person. That's what he's most comfortable with. But he also built a simple online course using a tool like Teachable. That's for fleets that are scattered across the country, or for clients who just want the basics covered without him having to travel. The online course is a bit cheaper, but it still brings in a few thousand a month, and it's pretty hands-off after he recorded it once. Luna: So the online course is almost like passive income. He records it once, then it just sits there and sells. That's clever. Lucas: Exactly. And he made sure to update it every year to stay current with regulations, but other than that, it's mostly set and forget. That's actually one of the big lessons from Marcus's story: you don't need to be a tech expert to create a digital product. You just need to know your topic and be willing to put in the upfront work. Luna: And that's a lesson that applies way beyond trucking. I mean, anyone with years of experience in a specific industry could do something similar. You just have to find the pain point and package your knowledge. Lucas: Totally. And Marcus is a great example of that. He didn't have a degree in education or a background in business. He just looked at his industry, saw a gap, and filled it. That's the essence of a good side hustle. Luna: So what's the takeaway for our listeners? I mean, not everyone is a truck driver, but we all have a job that has some kind of specialized knowledge. Lucas: The takeaway is to look at your own industry with fresh eyes. What are the recurring problems? What do people complain about? What do you know how to do that others don't? And then, is there a way to turn that into a training program, a consultancy, or even just a downloadable guide? Marcus's story shows that it's possible to build a five-figure side income from what you already know. Luna: And the fact that he's still doing it while working full-time is proof that you don't have to quit your day job to start. You can test the waters, build your client base, and then decide if you want to make the leap. Lucas: Right. And one more thing he mentioned that I think is important: he sets aside time every week specifically for his side hustle. He's not just winging it. He treats it like a second job, with dedicated hours. Even if it's just a few hours after a long shift, he's consistent, and that consistency is what got him to 14k. Luna: Consistency and a clear focus on solving a real problem. That's a formula that's hard to beat. Lucas: Absolutely. So if you're thinking about starting a side hustle, take a page from Marcus's book. Find a niche you know inside out, build a simple product or service, and get out there and talk to people. You might be surprised at how quickly it catches on. Luna: And who knows, maybe you'll be the next success story we're telling on this show. Thanks for listening, everyone.