Hi I am thinking of becoming a trucker. In 14 years of driving I have never been in a wreck and got one ticket when I was 19 for speeding. I consider myself a very safe driver and think I could do well. I am now turning 30 and need a new career. I was laid off in August from a job in the sub prime Mortgage industry. Since then I have been searching for the right job. I do need to be home every night do to the fact my wife travels for work almost every month and we have lots of animals that need to be fed and such. Nevada has been hit hard by the recent economic conditions. I lost a 100K + a year job and my house which I put over 80K down on is now worth less than I owe. Add that to the fact my credit cards are maxed and I am in a real tight spot here. I understand I will not be making half as much as I did but I would like to find something paying 15-16 bucks an hour so I can keep my power on. All the jobs I have seen in the past 6 months have been 10 dollars an hour or less which has led me to think about trucking. A local school said they would help me with job placement. What is my best option? I would even be willing to get a class B licence and do delivery for soda, bread, ect.

It will be extremely difficult to find a local job with no experience, home every night, and making 50K a year. They are all possible, but not all at once your first year unless you win the job jackpot.

Bro, look realistically at like 11-14 an hour. It is possible to drive local with limited experience. Go for your Class A. You will not regret it. Class B is for people who don't really try hard enough....jk LOL! You will have overtime driving a local route and if you find it, stick with it. Especially as a newbie (like myself). Best of luck to you.

If you do decide to go to trucking school, I heard that some of the dirt haulers in Reno will hire someone just out of school. Try Granite. And look at some of the other dirt haulers, get the names off the doors. Also, concrete season is coming up, and they use a lot of drivers. My husband drives local here, in Reno, and I have been long haul for quite a while. I got of the road a year or so ago, and I am afraid to look for a job, I will get hired immediatly. LOL

Also, Knight and Swift have terminals here, and will train you. Check them out before you sign up for a school. Good luck!

A lot of folks have stories like yours of late. 100K job and the good life today. Sidewalk naps and dumpster diving tomorrow.

I don't know if you'll like driving, especially if you go OTR. You may be too proud to do that. What a fall it would be. So, what I would do if I were you is see if I could get into a union trucking outfit, assuming you even get into trucking. You'll spend some time (6 months to a year) proving yourself on a dock or working inside before being given the keys. After you actually get the driving job, you'll be set. I don't know you from Adam, but I don't think you'll like non-union OTR trucking. I didn't see many people like you doing the OTR gig when I drove. Those I did see weren't doing it for long.

__________________
--Paved Dudley--

Yeah I drive a Swift truck
And that means one thing
It means she's slow
It's a typical company truck
It's just all show and no go

I'm gettin' passed by Yella
And even Overnite
I'm gettin' passed by ever' body in sight
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight

No, my hometown's nowhere in sight
And if you think I'm pissed off
You're right
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight


Love pissing off those trucking company insiders.

There's a couple of LTL companies there that might have jobs. Viking, Anderson and Sons, and a couple of others will hire for local delivery. But look where you live, Reno. Not the high paying job city like the others. If you land a local job for more than $10 an hour you're lucky. If you can relocate go south the money is much better. But then you'll have to put up with all the crap that Vegas has to offer unless you go to Boulder City.

The Hauler of Gas called it. Viking would be a good outfit. Viking pulls doubles, which may or may not be an issue. Understand some boys don't like pushing and pulling the dollies around by hand at drop and hook time. You may not, either.

If I were going south to Vegas, I'd see about getting into a heavy EQ school down there. I nearly went with one of those back in the late 90s. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Learn to drive a D-9 and live happily ever after. At least that's the theory.

Good luck.

__________________
--Paved Dudley--

Yeah I drive a Swift truck
And that means one thing
It means she's slow
It's a typical company truck
It's just all show and no go

I'm gettin' passed by Yella
And even Overnite
I'm gettin' passed by ever' body in sight
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight

No, my hometown's nowhere in sight
And if you think I'm pissed off
You're right
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight


Love pissing off those trucking company insiders.

Im not to proud to as a trucker. What I am to proud to do is work on a dock like a slave in extreme weather conditions. I did that for a few months out of high school and quickly learned how much it sucked. I will go filp burgers before I work on a dock. Union not hiring already checked. As far as not being able to make over 15 an hour Reno pays 9-10 bucks an hour to work fast food. I just saw an ad for Pepsi paying 19.24. as a driver. Most class B jobs I see pay 13-16. Also have seen night runs from Reno to Sacramento home every moring, that would work. Framing pays upwards of 25 an hour but again thats horrible work. I feel if I learn this skill I can stick it out for a while till the economy picks back up. Just need a skill to fall back on to be able to bring home 500 bucks a week. Can't move because my wife makes good money and great benifits.

I didn't know that Las Vegas has a heavy equipment school. I left there in 2000 and there wasn't one then. But if there is that's the ticket.

There was a heavy eq school there six months ago. Well, at least that's what the website claimed. Might just be an office, though. Maybe the school itself is outside of Vegas somewhere. I'd go to this school WAY before I'd go to a truck driving school again.

[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

Check 'em out.

__________________
--Paved Dudley--

Yeah I drive a Swift truck
And that means one thing
It means she's slow
It's a typical company truck
It's just all show and no go

I'm gettin' passed by Yella
And even Overnite
I'm gettin' passed by ever' body in sight
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight

No, my hometown's nowhere in sight
And if you think I'm pissed off
You're right
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight


Love pissing off those trucking company insiders.