Is first job with Canada Cartage a good choice?

Back in the mid 2000's new drivers could survive on $875 but not in todays times. My suggestion would be try to obtain experience with either a Local or OTR company for at least 6 month to 1 year. After that apply to unionized ones (if the current company isn't giving any raise incentives once you have experience under your belt). Pepsi, Fastfreight, UPS etc. Are All unionized companies that start drivers around $22/Hr to $25/Hr ) Depending on their Collective Agreements usually establishing driver to full wages within a year or in tiers to over $30/hr now a days. Trust me? A lot of these bigger unionized trucking companies are becoming desperate for 'Good Drivers' whiles once most get in they've gotten the lowest turnover rate compared to non unionized companies because they pay top dollar with union protection. Yes, the politics suck but once you do your job your can earn well over $90k/annually.

 

It would honestly be better to work local doing 5 ton or food service; then Canada Cartage.

Like @Canadianhauler21 said, ERB/KDac is the best bet, so do whatever you have to, to get in with them.

 

Just a heads up I’ve been with kriska for 9 years all city local working 5pm finishing from 3 am - 5 am . I’ve only done local work so I cant really help u too much on the Otr side but I can tell u we have really slow times like right now . From January- feb/March it can be really slow , All of January I’ve had a day off with no pay every week . Trucks and trailers are all new internationals LT ,dispatchers and all the other staff have been great to work with I have never had any problems and I’ve been here since 2012 . Biggest issue I see is the work load I make $22 a hr for all drive time even if I have to take a load to our head terminal in Prescott. Local drivers get OT after 9 hrs $33 a hr . Hope it helps u out a little , I have heard some Otr guys make $100k a year but they basically live in their trucks . Most otr guys are making $60k plus .local we take a hit to our pay check best I have made is $60k . I know I should be making more since I’ve been driving since 08 but these guys treat u like a person and not a truck number and don’t bug u as long as u don’t screw up so I’m having a hard time leaving for just a few more $$$$

 

I have posted in the past, that some guys at ERB and IHaul made 100k. That is no longer the case. No one can make 100k OTR as a company driver (outside of Heavy Haul, Oversize, Super B or Specialized Tanker).

Even the hardest runners I know, like Trucker Ray, Vedder OTR food grade guys, and specialty reefer LTL (Fish) are not doing 100k Company now. Way to much ########, the parking crisis, slow trucks, ELDs, retarded dispatch, safety out the ###, and the big one; EXPENSES!

If you’re making 60k a year, and not putting out 500-800/mo to live on the road, you’re actually ahead!

That job you’ve got is pretty sweet, fight anyone to the death who tries to take it away.

 

Thanks for the positive feedback to be honest I’ve been a little depressed lately thinking I’m ripping myself off . U read all these comments on YouTube of drivers with 1 year experience claiming to make 80k a year . I was thinking to myself what hell iam I doing I have 13 years in and only making 55-60k a year . Crazy as this sounds I really do like working for kriska imagine a mega carrier. I go in do my job and no one bugs me and overtime after 9 hrs almost unheard of

 

Youtube is full of liars and ############, most last 1-2 years and disappear into bankruptcy. You’re doing good man, enjoy your life and being in a stable job; that isn’t in an office or warehouse or construction site. Being home and happy, is worth more than money.

 

soon enough, the way things are going, we'll all be home and happy, farting around on UBI

YouTube, haha.

 

Erb doesn't hire new drivers, they need minimum 6 months to 1 year depending if it's local/regional or OTR. I was gonna work for them till I found out that they have in cab driver facing cameras. They say it only triggers during an "event" such as hard braking and such. If I wanted to be watched by a camera while I work I would have just stayed with my office job. They pay pretty good tho.

 

Go work at Challenger and run local. Guys are home every night and "claim" to make $ 70,000.