Good morning everyone, since I'm not a driver yet but I'm strongly considering becoming one, I see a lot of different posts here between people who say trucking is getting worse because back in the days the paycheck was better, and people who say it's a great job and they're home every day / week and make good money. Like there's people saying "making 40-50k a year would be great" like it's a big deal, and then there's people saying you can make 100K in some places with LTL or things like that. So what's the truth ? What's your personal experience with trucking and do you think nowadays is it worth to become a truck driver ?I wish you all great holidays and a great day wherever you are ! :smt039
What's your opinion on trucking ?
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by klaman, Dec 21, 2014.
Page 1 of 9
-
-
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
-
For SOME, it's still a good job that works for them, but it's important to emphasize "some". For others, it's not a good fit, but they feel obligated to stay for various reasons and they remain miserable.
It can be a "lifestyle" more then a "paying job", depending on the place worked and the individual. So, "worth it to become a truck driver?" ... yes and no. It all depends on where you end up, where you want to be, what family means to you, what money means to you, and what you're willing to put up with trying to get from start to finish. ("finish" means finding a driving job you enjoy and that works for you, not you suffering for the job)bobtrucks2204, heyns57, Big Don and 5 others Thank this. -
The good-you will never be unemployed, as long as you don't screw up. The bad-very long hours away from home, many hours are unpaid if you are on cents per mile. A lot of drivers seem to develop anger issues from the lifestyle. But yes, if you survive the first year the job gets better.
klaman, "semi" retired and OPUS 7 Thank this. -
You can make an above average income in trucking. Some segments pay more than others. The reason some complain about the pay is that the don't make the effort to hone their skills or to move into a more specialized segment of the industry. Some shippers do waste our time. When you are paid mileage or percentage, you are not making money when the wheels are not turning. Many shippers have gotten better in not tying up trucks too long to load or unload. We are grossly over regulated. That is my chief complaint. Many regulations I have seen in recent years are nothing but "feel good" legislation that does little or nothing for safety.
You will spend time away from family and friends. It is a trade off, like most things in life. You can earn an above average income, but will sacrifice time at home. There are some carriers who manage to get drivers home for a day or so on weekends, but most keep drivers out for a couple of weeks before sending them home. Some people come into this business with a false notion of what the industry is like. Those who do often leave the industry after a few months. This involves a change of lifestyle that they are not familiar and may not be prepared.
The up side is that you can get into this business with minimal training. Most only require from about 2-11 weeks of training. That gives you a career that has pay as much or more than many college graduates and for a fraction of the cost. Trucking is one of the most secure careers you can pursue. As long as you don't job hop and keep your MVR and CSA scores clean, you should never have a problem finding a driving job. After only a couple of years of experience, you should be earing in the $40-50,000 range. There are segments of the industry that pay drivers in excess of $100,000, but those are not entry level positions and take several years to enter.OPUS 7, Sharmi2k, "semi" retired and 5 others Thank this. -
It may be true that trucking pay has become stagnant or even reduced over recent years. But pretty much every industry has seen stagnant wages so I'd say its a bigger picture issue than just trucking.
klaman and Flybynight041 Thank this. -
klaman, "semi" retired and Skydivedavec Thank this.
-
Those previous posts are really good.
You must be a hard worker or you won't make it. We often put in 60- or even 70-hour work weeks to get a nice paycheck. Can you do that? It's not an easy job at all.
Also stress can build up day after day, and even easy-going persons like me get short fuses. You will find out all these things if you get into the industry.
But $ will be going into your bank account. -
And I work for one of the better companies.G.Anthony, VTSharpshooter, HauntedSchizo19 and 9 others Thank this. -
klaman, "semi" retired, G.Anthony and 1 other person Thank this.
-
Trucking is like anything else, you start at low wages, prove yourself, then work your way into better wages, finding your niche along the way.bobtrucks2204, heyns57, Thediamond13 and 6 others Thank this.
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
Page 1 of 9