Schneider Diary from the beginning.. Pay, orientation, schedule, miles, home time

Before I begin... I would like to ask that no one post on this thread. What I would like to do here is help people in the same position I was in two months ago and wondering about a life as a truck driver.

Ok, so up till now I spent about a year researching and pondering becoming a truck driver. Well let me go back further than that. In 2000, I was found guilty of possession of cannabis and like an idiot I pled guilty to it instead of getting a quality lawyer and fighting the charge. So, I got into trading stocks. At first, I was just a student and then in 2004 I beat out over 100,000 people to win a Palm Pilot in a stock trading competition with Etrade or TDameritrade. I forget which broker ran the competition. So, then I knew I was ready to start trading stocks. For the next three years I worked and hustled to get together some cash to begin trading. For anyone who knows life, you know everyone who is green at anything will make mistakes and screw up. So, between 2004 and 2007, I basically learned a lot of lessons about the stock markets and paid for those mistakes in cash.

Now I am not the quitting type at all. My children were also born in 2001 and 2004, so I was a stay at home Dad. The kinds of jobs I could get as a felon would have barely paid for day care on an infant and a toddler since neither one was in school. So, with all of my free time I studied the stock markets up till 2004, then traded with less than $3000. Needless to say I didn't get very far. I did become a kick ### father though.

Ok so, I get a couple of inheritances in 2007 totaling about $50,000. Having been poor my whole life, I bought an SUV that took a dump within 2 years and after all the repairs that weren't really done, I spent $11,000 on that. I bought my fiancé a $5400 Chrysler Concorde and then I bought a trailer in a very nice retirement community with a 17 acre lake for $20,000. That left me a little over $10,000 after spending money on my kids and things like a lawn mower, canoe, home furnishing. I took that $10,000 and used it to trade stocks some more. Then bam, the recession hit in 2009 and I basically did nothing up through 2010. Then I decided screw it, in order for me and my wife to get anywhere we needed a second start at life to do what we should have done in our early 20's... SO, I went to my miserable and lonely mother in law and sold her on letting us move in with her. I thought sharing my kids with her would be something she would appreciate. Nope !!!!... She wanted my kids all for herself and spent 4 years driving a wedge between me and my wife by constantly telling my wife negative things about me. I had turned my $10,000 into $30,000 and we were eating out 9 times a week. My oldest child was getting violin lessons from a college professor and is now in the IL State IMEA orchestra. My kids have 10 pairs of $100 shoes. My wife's jewelry collection is valued into the thousands. We bought a Lincoln, motorcycles, ATVs, an SUV, and took vacations.. M wife went back to college and graduated with a 4.0 GPA and summa ### laude. We were well on our way to financial success. But, my mother in law got inside my wife's head and defined me as a loser because I never worked like a blue collar paycheck collector.

Alright so my sociopath of a mother in law talked my wife into starting fights with me, the neighbors ended up calling dcfs and the cops. We were broken up and now I am going through a divorce, order of protection, and dealing with domestic battery charges. In addition to that, I have a felony on my record from 2000. So, no work history of any kind really, felony, and pending charges.. That is pretty much who I am.

Schneider gives me a chance !!!!....... and no matter what people have to say about this company. I would never have a chance at a high paying job anywhere else.

The head recruiter out of Edwardsville, IL talks with me and I tell him everything like a Catholic that waited 42 years to confess for the first time. I offer up my stock trading history to prove I made money trading stocks, but he doesn't need it. He picks my mind and does his human resource thing to psychoanalyze me and I guess I passed because he decided to sponsor me at my CDL School.

The terms of CDL School:
I had to pony up $500 of my own but could have differed if the CDL school person had told me of that option.
IF I went to work for Schneider after school and stayed there for 91 days my school is paid for. IF I don't work for Schneider, then I have to pay $4200 ($3700 after the first $500 deposit I made)

Now I want to stop right here... Not only did Schneider give me a chance to possibly work for them when I basically had nothing going on in life. But, they helped me get into a CDL school with only $500 down. Even if I don't work for Schneider, I still could not have got into this CDL program with a promise to pay later.

Now the recruiter told me I am not guaranteed a job. So, I applied to other companies just in case. Melton down in Tulsa, OK also wants to hire me. But, Schneider has been so kind and I am a man of my word. I passed the CDL training and got my license. I told Melton straight up what is going on and if Schneider doesn't work out I will go work for them. But, I fully intend to do Schneider right as long as I get that $45,000 a year the recruiter promised me and average 359 miles per day.

So, on Monday Dec 1st, I am heading for Indianapolis to begin orientation for a student driver or recent grad. Whatever you want to call me. This is what I have been told. I could have been given a free greyhound bus ticket, but I have elected to drive my own vehicle. I will be paid back for my fuel consumption in my first check after I supply a gas receipt. I am having a hotel paid for that has a kitchenette and unlimited free wifi. Unfortunately, I will be rooming with someone else whom I have never met and sleeping with my wallet.

Day 1, Tuesday dec 2, will mostly be DOT physical, a third drug test, and a physical test that will test my physical prowess. I will also need to provide all my paperwork such as DL, SS card, and DOT medical card. This is an unpaid day.

Day 2 Wed Dec 3rd, is supposed to be the first day I am on the payroll at $80 per day provided I pass all the physicals. I will be paid for all weekdays and Saturday, but not Sunday. I have no idea what they are going to want to teach me, but I have been told I will go into a simulator and they will have me experience a tire blow out or going up and down steep mountains. Basically hazardous situations but in a simulator like the Military uses to train their pilots.

After this first week, I am supposed to go over the road with a trainer for a week (5-7 days depending on logistics). I will also be paid $80 per day for that.

After the first two weeks, I am then to return to Indianapolis to finish orientation by passing some road tests and going through lectures about things like benefits.

I asked the recruiter if I need to buy a motor carriers atlas or anything like that... and I was told Schneider provides everything except a flashlight, boots, and a kingpin lock. I was required to buy the flashlight which I paid $1.50 for at Walmart and I had boots. But, I guess the kingpin lock comes out of my check.

I also got a email going over the insurance. I totally hate buying insurance and would rather challenge Obama to force me to buy insurance, but I cannot opt out of the insurance with Schneider. So, I am out $30 a week to pay for lame ### health insurance.

Schneider also does per diem too. They say I will make 32 cents per mile, but because of their per diem system I won't get taxed on 14 cents of my income but they are required by law to withhold 2 cents per mile. So essentially 2 cents per mile gets put away for taxes and I get FICA withheld on 16 cents per mile like at most jobs in America. The other 14 cents per mile is cash.

Now, the deal Schneider has with my CDL School (Midwest technical institute) is they pay $3000. $500 the day I am hired on (Dec 3rd), $500 more after 31 days, $1000 more after 61 days, and the last $1000 after 91 days. I am not forced to sign a contract, just hired on like any other job. But, my school is paid off after 91 days of employment + 30 more days for the payment to get made.

I am hiring on as a OTR Van driver... 32 cents per mile. $5000 signing bonus. The signing bonus will be paid out in portions over the course of a full year with the last $2000 being paid on my 1 year anniversary. I forget the details, but it was basically $500 after 90 days, another $500 after that, then $1000 after 6 months, $1000 after 9 months, and then the $2000 year mark.

I was also told I would average 359 miles per day... Which I totally believe because as a stock trader I totally rely on statistics and charts myself and believe the recruiter when he popped off with that number. 359 miles per day is crap, I know. That is only $107 per day if I am lucky for living in a truck 24 hours a day and being out on the road for weeks at a time. That is before taxes, before paying for a kingpin lock, or the mandatory $30 per week for health insurance. Needless to say, I think I will be lucky to see $500 a week for my first 6 months of employment in trucking.

Now, somebody I know told me of a company that can get me 3300 to 3400 miles a week and get me home every weekend once I have 6 months to a year of experience. So, while I am not going to make squat with Schneider, this company has given me an opportunity to get experience and start a career. So, the way I see it, doing 6 months to a year for Schneider is like doing time. It sucks but in the end, I am set up with a good way to make some cash for life. While others go to college or 4 years and wind up with $60,000 of student loans, my schooling is paid for by Schneider and they are giving me an internship as well. It is an internship that lasts 6 months to a year, but Caterpillar Inc. requires their interns to work for 3 years before they are hired on full time and given benefits/pension. So, for those spoiled princesses in the world that expect free foot rubs from their employer along with $10,000 an hour and personal doctors on call 24 hours a day. This company may not be for you. If you are more realistic and have a long view on life, if you understand that this first 6 months to a year is your proving grounds to test how bad you want to be a trucker... Then I think it is a good place to go. But, time will definitely give me a bonafide opinion of Schneider and trucking in general which I will post on this thread...

Oh and I chose trucking for a few reasons. I am a stock trader and a regular job makes it impossible for me to follow the markets and trade because they always want me at work when the markets are open. I am hoping that in trucking I can set my own hours to have 3 or 4 hours per weekday to see what is up. Because honestly I can make in a day what I will make at Schneider in a month.. But, trading stocks is not consistent and reliable. So, trucking will be my reliable income I need to pay bills while I grow my portfolio. Then having nothing but free time with nothing to do drives me insane. Now that I have had my kids taken away my days are freed up. Having a load to deliver and checking out the country everyday is the purpose I am hoping keeps me busy. Last but not least, I was coming of age when Smokey and the Bandit made trucking across America seem cool as hell...... So, to Buford T Justice, Up yours !! I am getting this Coors beer to the East Coast and you and your son that got left at the alter can suck my balls.

Just kidding.... I will post as I go through orientation to give a detailed account of it all in this little blog.

 

BTW, Schneider is full blown corporate... When I told the Schneider recruiter I had put in other applications in case they didn't hire me he threatened me twice to pull my sponsorship. So, I am going into Schneider expecting to be treated like a dog that is easily replaced.. I intend to leave my pride at the door and be their peon for 6 months to a year and see if I can get a better job when time comes.

Like I said... I believe this is a testing ground. I am not going to get paid squat. I am going to have my check raped before I even get it. I expect to have corporate dictators riding my ### on a daily basis to prompt to talk back. It is going to suck... But, if I hang on I hope there is that 42 cent per mile, no forced health insurance, 3300-3400 miles per week, home on the weekends, mom and pop company out there to hopefully land a good job with and bring home $74,000 a year.... and no I am not telling anyone what company that is... I am not guaranteed a job there at all. I am just hoping and praying there is an opening when I get my experience.

But, for those of you out there thinking of trucking... I watched this website for a year and information was hard to find. So, I ill do my best to put it all into this one blog.

Schneider pays 32 cents per mile for OTR van drivers. It will increase to 34 cents after 90 days and trickle up over a year to 39 cents per mile if I stay that long. No HAZMAT and no TWIC card required at this time. Everyone has to have the tanker endorsement now because DOT requires crap like bleach in gallon jugs to be considered portable cargo containers. Even Melton and their flatbeds require tanker endorsement now.

But, just understand this if you are a new driver entering this profession.... A company like Schneider isn't paying for your sacrificing being home. They are taking on risk by hiring stooges like me that have never driven a truck or been away from home for long periods of time. They are paying to train me and paying people to train me. They are putting their reputation on the line that I will deliver their cargo safe and secure when I haven't proven to anyone I can do it. So, for that I am no going to get paid crap. If you have marketable skills, a good education on paper, a strong employment history, and highly value yourself in the labor force... Take some time to think about what is going to be expected from you and know it isn't going to pay much at all in the beginning.

I had a conference call with 14 other people. about 5 of them were late and kept interrupting the guy doing the talking. I fully expect that the recruiter in Edwardsville, IL has the stats on how many of us will make it and how many will fail in the fist 3 months. According to my CDL training school, only 66% of their students actually got hired on with a trucking company and lasted more than a month. Which is about how many 5 people are out of 14.

So if you are considering a life as a trucker ask yourself these questions.... how attached are you to your family, friends, and lifestyle ?... Are you willing to work for essentially free over a year ? Will you marriage survive if you are gone ?... Does your family or personal finances allow you 6 months to a year of not making much more than minimum wage ? Can you survive in a very corporate atmosphere where your employer treats you like an ignorant child in slave chains and threatens you on a daily basis to weed you out ? Because Schneider has new students passing through every week and it never ends. They will use 52 different drivers to get 52 weeks worth of cargo delivered. They know you aren't staying one way or another... They won't hesitate to reject you before you reject them and move on to a higher paying job..

 

yeah, I have crunched the numbers, freightwipper... at 359 miles daily average, even with pay increases it isn't doable. But, like I said. I have been a stock trader for a long time. I have learned a lot and the one thing I am flexible on is the cash. As long as I can get online and do my trading, and be home once a month to get the mail and make my court dates, I am good. Fortunately, having money provides me options.

My plan is to replenish the cash my wife got me for and power save a ton of cash. After Schneider I am hoping to get a better job and retire in the Philippines in about 5 to 7 years after the next recession presents great buying opportunities to get in on some stocks. Till then I am just going to day trade and make what I can driving a truck.

Here is something to consider that I will share with you all... In 2009, Ford Motor Company sold for as little as $1.00 per share.... Ford has hit over $15 a share since then. That means a $100,000 turns into $1.5 million and about $1 million after taxes. That is 20 years of making $50,000 annually after taxes. There is a recession about every 10 years...

Once you know how the business cycle affects things like real estate and stock prices, working as a truck driver is only a temporary thing.. I don't have to be a truck driver to get through life, but I have a ton of free time and a desire to try it out. Maybe I fall in love with it and do it for life because it brings me happiness... Maybe I quit after two weeks and pay off the CDL school myself...

Time will tell and this blog will record it all.