I did this type of work but for only 3 months. For me, the joy was the traveling around. I didn't make enough to live off but it more than paid the expenses until the dispatcher started wasting my profits by setting up bad loads or sending me to the wrong locations. But there were plenty of others at the company who had been working for this hauler up in the NW U.S. (Oregon). Being in southern Cal, I covered most of their southern loads up into the western states like California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Montana, Idaho. I quit right before I got sent into Canada.
For swampdonkey most RV haulers are paid over $1 per mile and depended on the type of load, urgency, state commercial load fees and taxes or other factors. It might sound like a lot, but there's not that much left over to cover your own fuel (sometimes a customer paid a small fuel surcharge), lodging and food. DW traveled with me so we had higher costs, but we did this so we enjoyed each other's company while on the road. In the three months time I was typically out for 2 weeks, stayed home for 1 week, then went out for 2 weeks. The wear and tear is a lot on you and your vehicle. The worst part about the job is meeting the clients and customers who have no appreciation for what you do and what it takes and treat you like you owe them everything, but after you realize that these are usually the lower educated or capable, and that is the best job they could ever get, then you'll learn to ignore their crap and not let them get you down. People friendly, they are not.
Swampdonkey - if you have more questions, drop me an email and I can tell you a lot more. For example, you follow trucker guidelines and health requirements and work hour limits so for example you can be "on duty" no more than 80 hours a week then must take long break (there are other daily or multiday requirements to learn). Getting this timing to work out can be tough from job to job. Lots of record keeping to show the DOT you are compliant and squeezing the driving within the guidelines.
