New CDL-A graduate, Can't find work ANYWHERE.

Even tho you're in the truck 24 hrs, just figure the on duty time. Either plan on sticking with it til things get better. Or bail now and learn I.T.

 

I just received a similar offer from the same Orange company, though the cpm was slightly higher. It's discouraging to say the least, but that's just how it is.

Where are you training and when do you start?

 

Oh China! How could you!
Below is more like it.

You should apply with the Mega's who train people from the start. Get people their license. They still will hire you with a license. Looks to me this is your only choice right now.

 

You're 100% right, this is pretty much the only option.

I've been seeing all of those ads on Craigslist, ZipRecruiter, and Indeed claiming they're looking for drivers and No Experience is Okay, then when you actually get to their application or their website, it says that 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, hell some even say 3 years of experience is required. When you apply anyway, they respond with a hateful attitude because you're ultimately wasting their time. I live in a huge city with a pretty significant transportation industry and there's nothing that doesn't require experience.

Even the LTL's that generally offer the "Dock to Driver" positions have nothing available here.

My advice to anyone out there that may be reading this and are on the fence about getting a CDL, if you have a family, responsibility, and can't afford to take a cut in pay, don't bother.

I got my CDL in 2020 during COVID with the intent of going OTR but my wife got sick and we have four kids, so I put it off and got into box trucks. After she got better, we decided that it'd be better to wait a couple years until they got a little older and a little more self dependent, and now, I can't afford to leave the job I have because going to a mega for .42cpm with $12/hr "on duty pay" is going to be a massive pay cut.

I'm not complaining, it is what it is... but at this point, I wish I'd have saved my $4,000 and went to welding school or mechanic school instead.

 

Yeah.

 

I found my two best jobs on Craigslist. One I'm technically still at. He's holding the job for me. It's my run. He will hold it a long time if needed. It very well could be needed if I manage to live through this. Go back Oct. 2026 if all goes well. Best job I ever had.
I realized the above could be confusing. Somebody might be interested in what's happening with me. Even though it's off topic. I am 65 now. Always wanted to drive till i'm 70.
https://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/threads/update.2521851/

Congrats on finding something. You know, it's not easy right now. Things should pick up starting this summer. Should go good the next 4 years.

 

It’s password protected.

 

To Politics? It's easy to find out the password is; thickskin.
They have to have the password because of the talk that goes on in there.

 

Oh that's a politics thread, I didn't know lol, why put a password though.

 

Oof, .40 cpm in 2025. Yeah, knowing what I know now and having been there and done that, no way in hell would I run for those peanut wages. I went OTR at a mega at .46-.48cpm or so back in like 2019.

After all the covid inflation and how expensive everything is? Yeah #### all that ####. I felt cheated back then. You're just existing to live in a truck and pay bills and live paycheck to paycheck. East coast regional on top of that? Good luck even getting 2000 miles a week as a new driver and for a mega. Running lower 48 reefer back when I did OTR it was like pulling teeth to get over 2k miles a week. And that was turning on my 10s and running nights and knowing what I was doing.

2k miles a week at .40cpm is 800 bucks before taxes. You might take home 650. And let's be real, 5 days on the East coast, home back home? You ain't getting 400 miles a day unless it is on dedicated accounts. Likely I'd say 250-350 daily at somewhere like Schneider and East coast. I wouldn't be surprised at 500 dollars a week take home being a regular occurrence.

2k dollars a month to live on? Maybe in a refrigerator box in West Virginia. This industry is circling the drain.