Career change to TrUcKiNg......

That depends on what your version of "okay money wise" is. I don't think you're going to be as okay as you think you might be with the company you have chosen to go with. I'm speaking from the experiences of close personal friends of mine who went with Werner outta school. Non of them made it a year with the company. Most of them didn't last over 90 days. They weren't making enough money. I'd recomment PAM Transport outta Tontitown, AR. They've got a 3 week school and 4 week OTR training. Search the threads for PAM on this forum to see what I've said about them. Not to mention the fact that PAM with do a shared tuition with you in which you will only have to pay a very small percentage (less than $1000) of your CDL school costs in exchange for a year long commitment with the company. Some people on this forum advise against the commitment deal, but it worked just fine for me. PAM held up their end of the deal and so did I.

As for the per diem, it's good in the sense that you bring home more money, which might be helpful if you do go with Werner, however you will get less $ back at the end of the year. It's possible that you might even have to pay in, just depending on how you do your taxes.

 

It only makes it appear that you are bringing home more money. That is an illusion. You still are making XX dollars but you are paying taxes on less of that amount.....You can pay the IRS now.....or later...........

 

Exactly. I was on it for a very short time with PAM. They had this thing on their website where it showed your potential pay with the perdiem. One column said potential saving/loses with perdiem, the other was for actual. Well, the potential savings for me originally was something like 2500 bucks. That's nothin' to sneeze at, so I gave it a whirl. Long story short, by the time I stopped the perdiem, my actual savings/loses had dropped from $2500 to $125. Not to mention those 8 weeks in which I took the per diem shorted my tax refund by about $800

 

Ok roomtang, it will effect your taxes at the end of the year because WITH IT YOU WILL HAVE A SMALLER RETURN CHECK IE: LESS MONEY.
WITHOUT IT YOU WILL HAVE A BIGGER RETURN CHECK IE: MORE MONEY......OK. that is the system you can ask over &over if you like but nobody ( AT LEAST THE ONE'S YOU DON'T WANT TO ANSWER) will tell any different. As far as trying it out for a while go ahead,you have to make your own decision, Just make sure you can get out of it when you want to IE: GET IT IN WRITING. And after you decide you don't want it, make sure you get A WRITTEN FORM OF RELEASE, A leter or have them send it over the qual-comm. so you at least have prof. Which leads me to another point ANYTIME YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SOMTHING BY YOUR COMANY, HAVE THEM SEND YOU A MESG.OVER THE QUAL-COM. ESPECIAY IF IT IS AT DRIVER EXPENCE. YOU WILL LEARN THAT COMPANIES WILL TRY TO WIGGLE THERE WAY OUT OF ANYTHING. basicaly if you go through a toll that is not covered by your company( YOU WILL) or pay to get scalled at a truck stop, You beter make sure you have permission to> by having a mesg. on the qual com or you will never see that money again.

You are doing the right thing by asking, but eveybody here is telling you the same thing. so learn to take the advice they are giving.

Good luck, you will be just fine.

 

how much do you think you brought in, at your first year with PAM? and is there such a thing as home time? can you still make good money and be home at all?

 

With PAM? Surely you jest..................PAM is one of the worst companies in the country.........

 

From what i'm understanding about pier diem it is a living expense for everyday necessities.....Do companies pay for hotels sometimes accassionly, never? Is there such a job in trucking where your home everyday? Do truckers find themselves at the homeless shelter accepting a free meal, shower? Do the companies pay for the gas? Whats the deal with the waystation? do you have to be weighed evertime the waystation is open? Do you have to pay if the truck is over loaded? or do you pay regardless? I'm looking into a trucking career, sorry for the dumb questions, just trying to get a feel for the career...How long before you can buy a new car/take a vacation.....5yrs?

 

Scarecrow said PAM got him started any better trucking companies to start?

 

Yes that is per diam. compaines sometime pay for hotels but mostof the time you pay for it and the get reimbrused for it.
Yes you can get a job where you are home daily(i have one)but they are hard to find
I grossed $73.000 last year( this will not happen a soon as jump in a truck you have to pay your do's, I can't say i have ever been to a homeless shelter.
Yes companies pay for fuel(NOT GAS), unless you own your truck then you pay for most of it, if not all.
Yes you have to weigh everytime they are open,and yes you paybig $$$$$
if over weight.
a far as buying a new car, it depend's on you. you could buy one your first day out if you wanted to.
I think most compaines ofer one week vacation after one year-so on
good luck!