How secure are trucking jobs and how easy is it for new driver to get job?

H.O. Wolding is dry van and hires new cdl school grads.
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H. O. Wolding Trucking Services
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H. O. Wolding Trucking Services With over 80 years in the transportation industry.

 

Millis Transfer has their own cdl school.
5 Convenient School Locations – Lodging Included:

• Hamilton, Ohio
• Cartersville, Georgia
• Richfield, Wisconsin
• Burleson, Texas
• Eden, North Carolina

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Millis Transfer - Getting It There Since 1936
Millis Transfer - Getting It There Since 1936

• Cdl-A School
  Millis Students Start at $0.43 per mile And Now Receive a 1 CPM Raise Every Quarter -
  
  
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Not necessarily true. If you want to come out of pocket with 6-8 grand for 3 weeks of school, that is your choice. Once hired by a company you will need to go with a trainer for 6-8 weeks. You should stay with your first company for at least one year anyways. I went the Company Sponsored route with Swift 5 years ago. No regrets. I cost me $1950.00. $37.50 per week payroll deduction for 13 months. ZERO INTEREST! Be very careful with most private schools, they will offer "financing" with PAYDAY LOAN RATES. You may not be obligated to one company for 1 year, but you may be obligated to that rip off finance company for much longer than that!

 

I started in this business at 56 years old, I'll be 61 next week. It is treating me very well. I got into this rat race to build up a retirement. I choose to live in my truck and run for 11-12 weeks at a stretch, take 12-14 days off and do it again. One advantage for me is that I get close to $20,000 per year of my income paid as per diem due to being on the road for such long stretches of time. Works for me. May not work well for others. Good luck!

 

Lots of positive posts on here about USA Truck which is dry van.
Steer clear of dedicated accounts with Dollar General/Dollar Tree, etc; plenty of reasons why no company can keep drivers on those accounts.
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TMC has a good reputation as far as pay goes. Seems to be one of those 'love it or hate it' companies. Probably worth checking into though. As with any company of any size, there's drivers that do well and some that are never happy.

 

TMC Transportation - Flatbed Trucking, Hauling & Shipping ...
Flatbed Trucking, Hauling & Shipping Carrier | TMC Transportation
TMC Transportation Company is a leader in North America's flatbed trucking and logistics services.

 

Your allowed to drive 11 hrs. Out of 14 hrs maximum on duty. So if everything goes right, 11 hrs x 65 mph. Theoretically you could drive 715 miles in a shift. Followed by a 10 hr. break. The problem nowadays, is losing time loading or unloading. If over 3 hrs spent, it cuts into your 11 hrs available. Since you need to stop at 14 hrs after starting the day. Basically once you move the Truck, the 14 hr. clock starts running. Total hrs available is 60 hrs. in 7 days. Usually City work runs on that schedule. Road work operates on a 70 hrs in 8 days revolving clock. Taking a 34hr. break after any amount of work, at or before the 70 hr. in 8 day limit, resets your available hrs. to 70 again. For example you can work 8.75 hrs. a day, and never run out of hours. Or you could work as much as possible, in 6.5-7 days, take 34 hrs off and have 70 available again. Different combinations to fit your schedule. I’d say 2500 miles a week on overall average is realistic. So 2500 x .40 cpm to start, would be $1000 gross. .50 cpm, $1250 gross, and so on. Local work, 12 hrs a day, punching a clock, 5 days a week, pays 70 hrs with OT. So $20 an hr grosses $1400. Not a bad deal, compared to some Jobs. A couple/ few yrs experience pays more. Good Luck. Never too old. A friend of mine had to quit at 84 yrs. old. Insurance wouldn’t cover him. Even so, that had to do with the Company’s policy. Nothings written in stone. You’ll have no problem finding a job. EVER.

 

About the per diem. The trucking industry has it's own unique per diem pay schedule. As a Company Driver, $68.00 per day is what my company pays whenever I am more than 150 miles from home. It is not on top of my mileage pay but rather "taken out of my weekly mileage pay. At my age it will not affect my Social Security check at all showing a lower gross income.
As far as how much you work......it was explained pretty well above. I usually average about 3200-3400 miles per week at $.051 per mile. OTR mileage pay is " Performance based" so to speak. More miles=More money. I am usually on duty/ driving between 10-11 hours per day. 10-12 hours off between drive shifts. I am out here for the money, therefore, I strive to turn as many safe and legal miles as possible every week. I'm making a nice living.