I know this question has probably been asked a 1000 times but here lately in these times how much have you 1st year truckers (vans) made?

I'm 45 years old I work in a papermill but I just don't have any confidence left in the future of this place.

Well, not sure how many folks will answer you, but I will. And unfortunately I'll be brutally honest about it.

In the first six months of running this year, I was doing pretty damn good. I am a company driver and through the first six months I cleared nearly 35k and was on target to top 50-60k.

However, since September freight has dropped off like a rock. Just like the rest of the economy.

When I first started I never sat, I was constantly running. However, over the last month I've spent more time sitting than doing anything else. When I do run I run hard and the money is good, but right now it is so sporratic at times it is just down right sad.

You can make money, but the most important parts are you have to be determined and enjoy the lifestyle more than the money itself.

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TexasMike
No place like Texas ...

I think it's dependent on your company. I was cooking right along until 2 weeks ago - then *I* stopped driving. Company never let me sit more than a 34

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Keep the big doors at the back!

yep!! yuo hit it on the head. i got a msg last week about freight beingnslow co. wide but it didn;t slow down for me until this week. depends on the Co., where you r mt'd and luck of the draw!!!

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tip for new truckers: to err is human, to forgive is not D.O.T. policy.
"i've been working all week, and i'm tired and i dont wanna sleep and i wanna have fun... it's time for a good time!!!!" alan jackson

I was with Crete about 8 months and made approx 25K. Ive been with Gainey for about 3 months and have made about 7K. In about 1 month Ill reach my one year mark and will be able to get a more accurate figure.
I love to run hard and everyday would be a 500-550 mile day if I had it my way. Crete kept me going for the most part, but my time with Gainey has been in the 'slow' period.

Just wondering. That was one of the places hubby considered. Their website said the train CDL school grads but they didn't hire him based on his DAC. At the time his DAC was blank because he hadn't worked anywhere yet.

The thing I liked about them was the rider policy. From what I understand, I would have been able to ride with him and take our 19 mo old along after a certain safe driving period. We wouldn't do it often, I'm sure, but it would have been fun once or twice.

The company he's with now will only let him take the older kids or me. I can't leave the baby with anyone yet so I can't go. At least the teenagers can go and see what hubby does. I don't think my daughter will want to go more than once but she might surprise me.

I'm not allowed to pm yet. Not enough posts. Thanks LongbedGTs.

My app was denied by Crete, also. When I called to see if they received it, I was told that I was denied because of the school I had attended, but the form letter that they sent me stated that it was something on my DAC. They told me verbally that I should try again with 4 months OTR because everything else looked good. Maybe that's the only thing keeping him out of Crete. If his current gig turns out to be a lemon, he should look into them again once he's got some miles under his belt.

Hubby is in training right now but the company has had real problems getting him set up with trainers. He went to orientation and had to wait 4 days for a trainer to pick him up. Then he came home because they do training in 2 phases.

He called Wed. afternoon to see when he could get with the next trainer and they said it would be 1 or 2 days. The dispatcher sent the trainer in the opposite direction and it was Sun. evening before he could get with the trainer.

The trainer he was put with had hometime coming up that Wed. so they were going to put him in a hotel til he came back but there was a local driver trainer that he could train with for Thurs and Fri so he did that. Then he was in a hotel all weekend.

Supposed to be picked up on Sunday night but no load for his trainer so he waited around all Mon., still no load. His trainer finally told him to go talk to his dispatcher to see if they wanted him to go with a different trainer since he still didn't have a load. When hubby did that his dispatcher got a load for the trainer in 5 min. Still it didn't pick up until Tues afternoon.

I'm really concerned about him sitting at home for a week trying to get back out after hometime. I hope it gets easier once he has his own truck and he's not depending on a trainer getting close enough for him to be picked up but I'm not holding my breath. The crazy part is they keep them moving pretty good when they get out there. The problem is getting back out after being home. Is it like that at most places?

I do have to give the company credit about paying for him to stay in hotels when he has to wait. They aren't fleabag hotels either. One night they even put him up in a Holiday Inn Express. There was a plasma tv in the bathroom and a widescreen in the room itself.

We are hoping he can hang in there for at least a year and I read some posts saying freight slows down this time of year. I don't really get why it would for vans, but OK. I don't think he would want to leave before giving it 6 mo. to work out the bugs with dispatching. It's good to know that he has options before that year mark, just in case.