Seeing career advice for 3rd year

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by t_v, Feb 13, 2018.

  1. t_v

    t_v Light Load Member

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    Dec 15, 2016
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    I'm wrapping up my 1st year driving OTR for a "starter company", & looking forward to moving up the pay scale. Every trucker I've spoken with says to stick with it for 2 years & a lot more options will open up. Sounds good to me. I love this career.

    I'm not interested in home time. I go out for months on end without even thinking about it. In fact, one of the things I'm looking for in my next employer is one who will basically let me live in the truck, like I do now.

    I don't have a family, so my home terminal can be anywhere. I'd prefer it be a state with no (or very low) income tax.

    I don't have any extra endorsements right now, but I'm pretty smart & healthy, so it shouldn't be a problem to get whatever I need.

    I like exercise & I'm not afraid of bad weather. So flatbedding is something I'm considering.

    I guess I'm looking for advice on what types of trucking I should look into for the future. Something that gets me out of this bottom tier & into good money. My credit's not the best & I have student loan debt, so getting my own truck is out of the question for right now.

    Any insight is appreciated.
    (EDIT: I forgot to mention I have 2 tickets on my record. Both happened during my 1st month. At the exact same weigh station, for the exact same thing. I left my tandems all the way back. That won't happen agai... I learned my lesson. No accidents.)
    (EDIT: I meant to call this post "SEEKING career advice..." not "Seeing career advice..." But I am starting to see some good advice)
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2018
    Reason for edit: forgot to mention
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  3. Puppage

    Puppage Road Train Member

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    I hope you get a great job. Sounds like they'll be getting a dedicated driver.
     
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  4. carhaulerjeff

    carhaulerjeff Light Load Member

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    try carhaulin it’s about the only thing that u can make money doing anymore
     
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  5. sevenmph

    sevenmph Road Train Member

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    Although I agree that more doors could probably open after year two, you can do better than a starter company after year one.
     
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  6. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    Money is good when you keep expenses below income. That should not be too difficult in your case.

    Many drivers (Including myself) have vices and sometimes those vices cost more than what income there is.

    As long you focus on building a savings off every load delivered, you WILL and ARE successful. Dog Food all the way to Jet Engines etc and beyond. (I ran out of Alpo near Allentown, I think on the west side... always breaking down 48 pallets into 105 plus small wood or something silly.. for free...)

    Myself I can do any trucking. Its fun. Except Dry Van. I get lazy and neglectful just slamming a door and winding gear on yet another potato chip load. Bleah. Nothing against dry van. Its me that I need to provide something like Flatbedding or something where I can feast on the details of a load that has to be done right. Medicine is my niche out of Memphis with a reefer, it's dry van at 60 degrees cooled or heated depending on season. But because it's a million dollars plus and there are a awful lot of predators in that City who will slit my throat in a minute if they ever realized what is in that thing.... things become a bit more... exciting for lack of a better word for me.

    Back to those potato chips.

    Have you seen the herd of small delivery vans pull up behind a grocery store early in the morning? Stood with the people hustling and stressing to get those chips on the shelf RIGHT NOW as if we are passing ammo to fight enemy in war? HA... it's potato chips. They need to slow down and enjoy the morning. All that stress and running about over nothing but money makes em a dead scrooge.
     
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  7. t_v

    t_v Light Load Member

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    Dec 15, 2016
    Detroit
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    I thought about that, but it seems like most of the trucks are daycabs. Am I mistaken about that?
     
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  8. oldtrucker66

    oldtrucker66 Light Load Member

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    How much can a good driver make hauling cars? (working legally)

     
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  9. oldtrucker66

    oldtrucker66 Light Load Member

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    As @Chinatown hasn't asked you yet, where do you live now? Even though you are free to move, where you live now determines your hiring area.

    Also, how much money do you want to make?

     
  10. t_v

    t_v Light Load Member

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    Dec 15, 2016
    Detroit
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    Right now I'm out of Michigan. Detroit area. I'd like to make about 60k, but more is fine of course
     
  11. oldtrucker66

    oldtrucker66 Light Load Member

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    You may want to update your avatar to include your location.

    You can easily make 60k hauling tankers. Get your Tanker & Hazmat endorsements. Get a FAST card and a TWIC card.
    Even if you don't want to pull tankers, some dry van companies require both endorsements. (Why? Because they haul enough liquids in 55 gallon drums and IBC totes their drivers need the endorsements.)
     
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