How to make money in trucking....????

Discussion in 'Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here' started by jrsytrucker, Mar 24, 2013.

  1. The Challenger

    The Challenger Kinghunter

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    Apply at South Easten Freight Lines. They are always hiring for the dock or drivers. They do have programs for student drivers. A driver told me that you do yard duty for six months before going to city or linehaul. Might be worth looking into.
     
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  3. pattyj

    pattyj Road Train Member

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    Running team I don't know how one can make money.I mean you're paid 10 cents less at least then a solo driver are'nt you.My boyfriend and I was going to team but I changed my mind.What trucking pays is a huge slap in the face anyway but its a double whammy for teams.Far as making money on the road,im sure you already know by now some weeks are worse then othersTrucking I would say is the poor mans profession and always will be.How many rich drivers do you know?
     
  4. Autocar

    Autocar Road Train Member

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    Actually, I know a few that could be considered wealthy. However, they did not spend their careers hauling corn flakes.
     
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  5. Voyager1968

    Voyager1968 Road Train Member

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    Try Calex. They are based in PA, but do a lot of running into the southeast and Florida. There are few drivers on with them now that live in central and south Florida. They may not have a need for a driver based down there right now, but it never hurts to try...and you at least get your application in for when they do need a driver. They aren't the best company out there, but they are FAR from being the worst. With one year behind the wheel you do qualify for them, at least as of the time of their last employment advertisement.

    Good luck and I hope things work out for you!
     
  6. billyduke

    billyduke Bobtail Member

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    jrsytrucker,

    There is still good money to be made in this industry. Unfortunately, US Xpress ain't it! In fact, I don't think there is a good company that pays by the mile. I would avoid any company that constantly has to advertise. You have to ask yourself why they advertise. Seems to me they can't keep drivers but I'm sure you already knew that.

    Why don't you try looking for a good local company. I work for Airgas here in Southern California. I made almost 70k last year and I was home almost every night with weekends off. I think that's still good money.
     
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  7. duckdiver

    duckdiver Road Train Member

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    You need to find a niche. You will never make money just driving a van or reefer. I make about 1300 a week but I throw freight one day a week. Theres also tankers, heavy haul, flat etc.
     
  8. newbie driver

    newbie driver Light Load Member

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    yeah, they really screw team drivers, Most companies do not have the freight to keep teams rolling. And they pay you LESS to haul freight that pays them MORE. I would never even consider driving team unless I could find my own freight to haul.
     
  9. Epmtrucks

    Epmtrucks Medium Load Member

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    Define rich. Is .75 taxable decent? An ignorant nation will never be free! TJ
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2013
  10. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    I'd like to make a comment regarding team versus solo driving. I had my CDL back in 1977 and drove a couple years, then let it expire after getting into an entirely different career. I just got my CDL again with the help of my owner/operator brother and started driving team with him two months ago. Now we are looking to split up. When he was running solo his weekly income was about $1200-1400, now it's dropped to about $900.

    You CAN'T double your miles when driving as a team. If you split the day into two 12 hour shifts then it is impossible to achieve the same amount of miles that you can when driving solo. Add to this any layovers or other down time (waiting for loads or unloads) and it really eats into income. My first month I had six reset days (Off Duty) because of scheduling or lack of loads (like getting back to home base in LA area on a Saturday but waiting for a Monday delivery appointment).

    It's true that driving team means poor sleep. The truck is moving, often violently. Sleeping on the top bunk is impossible, we take turns sleeping in the bottom bunk because the motion in the top bunk is amplified going over bumps. I've thought long and hard how to rig up a hammock system with shock absorbers for sleeping in a moving truck (like they do on some sailing ships). We treat our fuel stops like racing pit stops, trying to minimize time when the wheels aren't moving.

    Bottom line is we have found that team driving isn't mutually beneficial for us. He's looking for another company to lease his truck and I'm looking for a "newbie" position as a company driver. Look's like the dream of brothers together on the road hasn't panned out, but at least I've got my CDL back and looking to start working up the chain toward leasing and possibly getting to owner/operator in the future myself.
     
  11. Fiddle Sticks

    Fiddle Sticks Light Load Member

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    Chicagoland
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    Lepton1 brings up another factor of team driving after the main point of not getting quality sleep--that team driving is either a cut in pay, or in my instance, relentless. My trainer actually chewed me out for taking to long to take a nature call. Evidently, he would rather put a diaper on me and have me smell stinky than waste five minutes.
     
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2013
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