Rookie/Student Looking for Advice

Keep in mind local is going to be a far fetched venture for a newb, I know it sucks but everyone has to basically pay their dues, there are those few instances where you might luck up in to a local job, but set your sights realistacally so you won't be let down. I don't live in Nashville, nor have I ever lived there, but my sister lives right in center city and I've visited on numerous occasions, I most recall a big scrap yard right in the center of everything, I believe off of 24, they seem to have operated quite a few trucks and might just be a place to start. If you have time and can afford to look in to as many options as possible, that's what I would do, I've been driving now for 7 years and have just in the past 2 found a company where I am happy and can be home every night with my wife. Simple words of advice would just be keep an open mind and realize driving is no walk in the park but can be a very rewarding career if you invest the time and the effort in to it, I know this is cliche but "driving is not a job it's a lifestyle", pretty true at the end of the day.

 

Purina has a big feed mill in Nashville and a lot of hoppers run through there . Grain haulers aren't as tough to hire on with as OTR carriers .

 

For what it's worth, sit down and do some math on estimated income vs. expenses based on over the road. A real world example for a first year driver might be something like this.

25 cents a mile X 2300 average miles per week = $575.00 Weekly Gross.

The above example might be what a recruiter will tell you and depending on the company, it's a close but somewhat generous example. More cents per miles usually means less miles per week. It's a shell game so be careful. Talk to actual drivers of the company and believe about half of what they say. Until you are living the job, you just can't comprehend the reality.

If you hire on with a company that requires you to attend their own training program, it will likely cost you a deposit and then ongoing deductions out of your paycheck. Some will also have you payback any hotel expenses. Ask lots of questions.

Another factor is what I call the "go home week". Your miles will likely be less and will reduce your average miles. In other words, a short paycheck. Also be #### clear what "home time" really means. Is it 36/48 hours from your last drop, when you arrive home, is it dates and times. ASK, ASK, ASK !

Now, deduct taxes, withholding, etc. at an average rate of about 30%. If you go Per Diem, your paycheck will look better but your annual gross amount will be smaller. 25% might be the rate for per diem. (You do your own math). Per Diem works for younger drivers but be very careful about this program and ask questions. It works for some and not for others.

Now deduct any benefit expenses like health care, dental, life, etc. Each company is different but let's say the deduction is $50.00 a week. (Adjust accordingly to what the company offers, your needs, etc).

An often not discussed and very important expense is what it cost to live on the road. This is a tough one. So, if you can live on baloney (balogna) everyday and like cold cereal, then maybe you can keep your daily food expense below $5.00 a day. Now to be honest, that's ridiculous. In the real world, you WILL burn out on eating worse then a homeless person and will eventually cave in to eating at truck stops. Maybe not every day but a decent breakfast at a chain truck stop costs you $12.00 on average. Mom n Pops are less expensive and better in most cases but are not so easy to find anymore. Eating fast food gets real old, real fast. YOUR DIET WILL SUFFER ! High sodium will jack up your blood pressure. High blood pressure will disqualify you from holding a CDL. What a vicious cycle. You body mass index will soon be a factor, etc.

So, based on a 7 day week, which is a normal work/pay week for OTR, the "bare minimum" for both groceries, sit-down-meals and misc drinks and snacks is $50.00. Some drivers will laugh at this small amount so adjust according to your eating habits.

Oh, by the way, if you have overweight tendencies now (I'm not judging here) you WILL GAIN WEIGHT. Why you ask ? Because you will either be sitting behind the wheel for 10 hours a day (if you get on with a good company) or you will just plain be sitting and going out of your mind inside a small sleeper compartment (with a bad company) but either way, the boredom will get to you and eating and snacking will creep up and add weight to you. Don't believe me ? Go to any truck stop and observe.

Picture this: Waddle from truck to fuel desk and back. I see it ever day. It just creeps up on drivers and losing weight OTR is a rare. I've never been overweight but I've gained a few pounds and I try to watch what I eat.

Now where was I ?

$575.00 Weekly Gross - Taxes = $402.50 - Benefits = $352.50 - Food/Drink/Snacks = $345.35.

So, take $345.35 - any other deductions/withholding and/or adjust for your own situation/reality and you get the idea.

If you start out with the wrong company and there are MANY, your average miles could be as low as 1500 per week. With the right company and there are FEW, you could hit a high of 2900 or slightly more but this will NOT be consistent. A few 3400 miles weeks are good but rare and you will bust your balls more than ever before to hit this high.

So, 2300 average miles per week is "really good" for a first year driver.

If your first year truck breaks down (and it will) you don't get paid in most cases. First year drivers get the hand me down trucks so don't look at the brochure. Your assigned truck will be on it's way toward being tired.

In addition, most OTR fleets have some kind of bonus system but not all of them are achievable in the real world. There are Safety Bonuses, Idle Bonuses, Fuel Mileage Bonuses, Milage Bonuses, etc. My advice is DON'T calculate ANY BONUS into your projected weekly pay. If (if) you do in fact receive some kind of bonus, tuck it away for an emergency. The sad reality is that by the time you do receive a bonus, you will be behind in your bills from making crappy wages with a crappy starter company. Choose wisely.

A really big factor should be your children, wife/significant other, etc. If you love them, seriously look at all your options before going OTR. If your kids are in their late teens, then it's possibly do-able but do you really want to miss their final years before going out on their own?

Little kids? No way!!!! Don't miss out. As for the female partner you leave behind, she might say she can handle you being away for long periods of time, but she is unintentionally lying. She just doesn't know, yet. OTR can and has destroyed many relationships and she WILL get VERY lonely when your gone and theirs always some douche-bag telling her what she wants to here when she is weakest.

Ya' with me here partner ????!!!!!

To be clear, I'm lucky. I started with a good OTR company so I suppose I can't complain. (Don't ask me which one either). My kids are older and I was single when I joined up. However, the trucking industry is racked with all sorts of problems, none the least are delays at shippers and receivers which will kill your average miles per week. Try a 15 hour
detention on for size and get paid squat detention time and you will understand what coming "unglued" really means. As for being paid detention time goes, forget it. It's just a recruiting tool. Don't count on it.

And then there's the reality of Hours of Service. You are allowed to be On Duty for 14 hours a day, 11 of which can be driving. HOS rules are pending review. Bringing up CSA 2010 would be like beating a new driver with a tire thumper so maybe another time.

Now, let's take a 12 hour total "on duty work day" divided by the $575.00 (7 day) weekly gross.

84 Hours on Duty (driving or otherwise) means you are making $6.85 Per Hour. This may seem ridiculous (and it is) but if you are running your ### off like you should be (and have the work ethic to do it) then this is a fair picture of what you will be facing. Your log book might show you only worked 69 hours and this is a result of how you log at the shipper/receiver due to their slow ### ########. If the OTR company has Electronic Logs you will struggle even more, and most OTR companies will have EL's real soon. The paper log will soon be something to argue about on the good 'ol CB.

We all play head games and convince ourselves we make more per average hour and some do, but some don't. I tell myself I make about $12.00 an average hour OTR but I'm still running paper logs, legally, but I know how to work it. If I was honest with myself, I would get off the road ASAP and deliver pizzas. I like driving and going broke because of it. What can I say. You get hooked.

If you really, really, really, really , want to drive a tractor-trailer, you will only hear what you want to hear. It is a honorable and needed occupation but unless you have a tremendous reserve of energy, focus and the single minded desire to starve for a year or two with the goal of making it over the hump toward a long-term career, I would just forget it.

Being alone 99% of the time should also be factored into you decision along with not being home for weeks/months at a time. Finding a place to park at 11:30 pm at night is another bundle of fun no one ever talks about just as you run out of hour and your eyeballs are falling out from being tired. Yeah, that reality is a son of gun.

It's a tough "lifestyle" as they say. There good days and bad days and days you feel like a prisoner on wheels and other days you feel like a soaring eagle. If you can't take all the insane ups and downs of the trucking industry and the crappy low pay for some serious, dangerous and potentially criminal risk-work, stay home and deliver pizza's or whatever. You will get more respect delivering pizza then you ever will delivering thousands of dollars worth of cargo. Yeah, really. Your just another no face nobody delivering more freight. Big deal !

And please, please don't drink the coolaid when it comes to this "professional driver" concept. It's a nice way to show respect to an other non-respected occupation (like janitors/sanitation engineers) and yes, some are professional. But, in my book and many others, the "professional" usually comes with a nice respectful salary and treatment. I don't know many "professionals" making $6.85 and hour eating overpriced garbage on the road and not being home every night.

Am I jaded ? No, not really. I've had it good by most standards and generally I'm happy with my first year, but I promised myself to share what I know about this Economically Depressed Trucking Industry so other wannabe drivers go into this with eyes wide open. Open your ears too. Opening mouth is optional but learn before you speak.

The reality of it is not what you think it is. Remember I said this.

DISCLAIMER: Your results will vary, I guarantee it !

 

Good post, IndianaRambler!

 

and when I speak the same truth that mr indiana just did, I'm labeled as bitter! go figure. but I think the hourly wage example you gave of $6.85 is a little high.

 

If you have your hazmat you could look in your area for a fuel wholesaler that has bobtails as well as tractor/trailers.

I know you want to put your Class A to work but you might be able to get on driving a bobtail then work into a tractor/trailer.

Just an idea to consider, hauling fuel isn't a bad way to make a living & would keep you around the house with regular days off.

 

Indiana Rambler, THAT was a really good post man, im impressed.

 

very good post, something to chew on, to ponder.Will be going to pull hoppers. Already did the otr, longest out 6 weeks, set most of the time in t/s waiting for a load.