Starting out for rookies

I hear Ya. I was in the same boat, I'm going to be 50 this year. I've spent 30 years as an auto mechanic and watched one after another of my co-workers let go because of the economy. My turn came in October of 09, I was out a year and a half. Sent out probably a hundred resumes' and never even got a call back. Nobody wants a 50 year old mechanic. One employer told me honestly that he doesn't hire older guys anymore because they are out with surgeries, doctors appointments, bad backs....etc...etc more than they're working.

Truck driving was something I always wanted to try and heard if you have a CDL you'll always have a job. I'm not looking to make a million dollars, I just want enough money to survive on. But here's how my pay breaks down so far, On average I put in a 12 hour day 7 days a week. That works out to 84 hours (not counting that we also live and sleep in the truck). My last check before taxes was just under $400. If you do the math it works out to $4.76 an hour. When I was out looking for jobs I wasn't even considering jobs that pay $8 an hour. Most of those jobs had a note on the application that read "Are you willing to work overtime"? Well, with all the overtime they would throw at me I doubt I would be putting in 84 hours a week. Let's say they made me work 10 extra hours a week (overtime on $8 an hour is $12) my check before taxes would theoretically be $440. SOOOOO, stock shelves at Ol Home Cheapo for $440 working 50 hours a week or make less than $400 a week working 84 hours???.

Right now I'm getting paid 30.5 cents per mile. If I do a run from say Chicago to Virginia it pays about $260. I may get one of them a week. The rest of the jobs are short "Relay" loads that may go 100 miles or so. It seems like I spend more time sending and receiving quallcom messages, logging my hours, writing down directions and connecting, disconnecting trailers than I do actually driving those short loads.

My trainer told me he was getting the money for the loads we were running (I was making $60 a day). Plus he got an additional $50 a day for training pay.

I would never abandon a truck somewhere, but I understand now why some guys get their first few checks and say "Forget THIS crap" and DO just walk away from their rig and take a bus home.

And speaking of making money, All day long I drive and watch cars go by me. Brand new shiny cars and trucks blazing by. Seeing the traffic out there and the quality of the "4-wheelers" on the roads you sure wouldn't know the economy is bad. Them folks look to be making a pretty good living, I wish I could join them.

 

Call JBS Carriers thats who I work for and My friends went to Stevens and talking with them they wish they went with me. Not sure on your issues but give them a call I know I get paid better then my friends and I get alot more miles.

 

Thanks, I will give them a call monday. They are actually one of a few companies I found that might give me a chance. If not, there is always a different career I can do until my record clears up. I might go to the community college here and get a degree as a diesel technician. I know a bit about cars, but I would rather work on big rigs instead. Plus I'm always up for learning how to fix something.

 

Majority of the people driving those shiny cars probably have a nice big shiny car payment. I would rather own an old junk than owe on something new.

 

im starting to think that way too

i bought a shiny truck and got the shiny payment......the truck is now 8 years old and not so shiny, but the payment sure hasnt lost its gleam

 

Yeah maybe. I can remember buying a new Ford Ranger in 1986. $213 a month. That's nothing these days but back then it drove me crazy to write that check out every month. Now I have an old F-150 and a Jeep. Bought Em both needing engine rebuilds. The price of the rebuild parts cost me less than a modern day car payment.

 

I have to agree. A lot of people just LOOK like they're well, but they're actually up to their eyeballs in debt. Some people are so enslaved to the lenders and are paying out so much in debt payments that they have nothing left over. They don't know how to "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without". If the economy ever pulls the rug out from under those people, they're going to be a in a world of hurt.

 

When I was laid off from my second to last job I got a sweet corporate severence check as well as a promise for a new job with BETTER pay....awesome!!!!!!!!!!!! But me a year Toyota Tundra with 20k miles, clean a s whistle, 5.7L V-8, awesome pipes and it hauled ###. A year later I got laid off again. Traded it in for a 2002 Camry. WOW....what a kick in teeth that was. But I did get exactly what I paid for it on trade in and the Camry is paid off. The Camry is very clean as well. 116k miles but I know this car will last me a long time till I get to by me another Tundra LOLOLOL....well, maybe not. At 15 miles per gallon on that truck, highway versus 33 miles on the Camry. May stick with the Camry. Do have a nice 2004 Yamaha V-Star 1100 which I love and will miss riding. Hey, it's not an HD but I like it!!! ^_^

 

Gotta pic somewhere of a $70k mercedes parked at a small and old SINGLE wide. How's that for priorities? Thought it was realtor or persons lawyer or something else till I rolled through about 0600 hrs and the car had all night dew. After that I watched for it each time by, and it wasn't a visitor.

 

ive heard that it is what what you make it?