Team's post here, PLZ!

like is it pretty well thought out or unorganized? like for instance ... do they strictly stick to plan A no matter the circumstances?

 

Hello All.
My wife and I are both training to earn our CDLs and will soon complete our PSD phase through Prime.
We're in our mid thirties, have no children, and are doing this to earn as much as we can in a 5-10 year period(depending on how we feel as things progress).
We'll be driving reefer and have no real need to go home. We'll enjoy our time off when it comes, no question about it. But, really, we just want to run and make money.
What I'm concerned, and curious, about is the earning discrepancy between lease and company for a married team.
My trainer is lease, and he talks it up like we'd be making a mistake to go company. But I also read and hear all of this advice to steer clear.
I'd love to hear what married teams think of both options.

 

Do not do a lease, especially being new and in our current economy. Even in a good economy leases are a financial trap to the people leasing the vehicle.
You and your wife have too many things to learn with out the burden of paying for someone else’s vehicle, paying for their fuel, maintenance, insurance, etc, etc, under the guise that it’s your business.

On top of that you’ll have a relationship to maintain. My husband and I will be married 20 years in July. He’s been driving 5 years I came on board 4 years ago. We have a good relationship, but there are many stressing times. You will be living in a box for long periods of times. You will be going to new places all the time. All shippers/receivers have different procedures and policies even the same companies are different from one place to the other, this includes military bases. The roads are different in different areas of the country which may not seem like a problem, but if you are not familiar with say Dallas and how frontage roads work it can be challenging. There nothing like being in the northeast and trying to find a shipper in the middle of a village on tiny roads where there are truck restrictions everywhere. There nothing like getting into an argument and slamming the curtain shut. Then you have to learn to drive in different weather conditions and different terrain.

Learn the ropes as company drivers. If you like it in about 2 years ( you don’t have to stay at the same company for 2 years but a minimum of 1 year is recommended) and with a down payment and decent credit you can buy your OWN truck and get your own authority or lease onto a company. 20 percent is what you usually have to put down but somehow we managed to get a 10 percent down payment on a used truck.

NO company has your best interest in mind. Some are better than others. Take everything they say with a grain of salt.

Good luck!

P.S. After a while you will get tired of being passed by evey other vehicle on the road, unless you will be one of those mysteriously fast Prime trucks that can go 64 1/2 mph.

 

Btw, I am no expert. Every day there seems to be something new.

We were on a dedicated route for almost two years which was a good learning experience for me since we got the run early in my career, but it got real boring.

I do enjoy the job for the most part, and the new experiences but you definitely need a good relationship.

The hardest part of the job is all the other people on the road. Be safe and protect yourself.

Good luck again!

 

What it all boils down to (for me) is one thing: how much money will I make if I work there? The answer: LTL pays the big bucks! Company drivers earning O/O salaries (without the obvious overhead expenses).

I currently team with Estes. Your first year, you and you wife will make $100k each, if not more. Especially if you two love living out on the road. Either way, you’ll both need one year experience or more, plus three endorsements. Pulling doubles isn’t hard, neither is placarded hazmat. Don’t let that stuff scare you away from a high paying career.

 

You do realize thread is 8 years old?

 

I got responses within a day.
So...

 

Pays the same?

 

I would look at R&L Carriers.