I can only work local or one week on and one week off

I'll check them out. Thanks

 

@Lincoln Hawk 79
Drive Freymiller – Freymiller Truck Driving Opportunities and Recruiting (drive4freymiller.com)
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@Lincoln Hawk 79
May Trucking Company – Performance. Reliability. Leadership.
May Trucking Company is committed to improving the lives of our drivers and their families by providing top-notch equipment, great benefits, superior pay, and efficient operations. …

 

Why?

 

Isn't that the goal eventually ? Being your own boss and such.

 

Majority of truckers don't want to be an owner-operator.
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Not really. Some drivers want that, or at least they think they do until they try it, but most just want to earn a decent living without a boss standing over their shoulders and coworkers all around them. Most drivers who try owner operator fail, and even many of the ones who "succeed" still end up quitting when they realize "success" isn't worth the cost.

Honestly, I don't know why anyone who doesn't already own their own truck at this point would buy one unless they're team driving with a spouse/relative. You can't compete directly against all the big companies out there for solo freight. You'll never be able to run a 600 mile load for Walmart cheaper than Swift can, but you and a codriver can run a 2,000 mile load faster.

As a side note, if someone asked you why drivers make more than lower paid workers do, what would you think the answer is?

 

I think everything is different for everybody, location where you live also. For example port of LA/LB is the #1 port in the country. I live 50min away from there, most of the trucks that I see on the road don't have big mega names on them that haul containers. A lot of freight comes in from there, that has to be an advantage.

I'm 45yo, I'm not looking to make $100k a year. Just a used day cab, doesn't have to be the latest of the latest, couple trips a day to the port and back. Shouldn't be impossible to do. I'm not saying that it is easy, not by far. I've still have a lot to figure out.
It's not for tomorrow anyway.

I also have some experience in maintenance that involves trucks. I did an apprenticeship as a service tech for a big trucking company in Europe (where I'm from) through my school, and also a diploma automotive tech and commercial vehicles but never pursued a career in that.
I know how to change oil and replace brake shoes and grease bearings and fifth wheels that's for sure
But no US brands of trucks but MAN, DAF, Iveco, Mercedes and Renault.
Not that that would help me a whole lot when stranded somewhere over here I guess.

I went to work for Ford at a plant, clean job, better pay but then 9/11 happened and... bye bye job

In a worst case scenario a person can always go back to work for a company.

Did you ever see that video on YT on muthatruckers about the guy that started his own company within 20 days or so after getting his cdl? wild stuff. Don't know what to think of that.

 

Best of luck to you. I really mean that. Just keep something in mind about being a local driver. The reason we make more than retail/fast-food workers is only in small part because we know how to do something they don't. The biggest reason is because we do far more of our work than they do of theirs. They work 40 hour weeks, we work 70 hour weeks. It's really that simple.

If Walmart needs 120 hours of work at a particular position, they'll hire 3 employees to divide it up. There are enough people willing and able to do that job so they don't have to pay overtime to get the work done. In trucking, they get 2 drivers to split those 120 hours and pay the time and a half after 40 because there aren't enough of us to cap our hours and still do what they need done.

When you really think about it, the true value of a CDL isn't so much that it means we're capable of doing what others can't, it's that the government says nobody without one is allowed to do what we can. That little piece of plastic means we only have to compete against others with the same piece of plastic for all that paid work sitting out there. But we still have to get out there and do ALL THAT WORK. There are no shortcuts.

 

Thank you. I really appreciate your input and thoughts.
You're right about the competition being the ones that hold that same piece of plastic. But that goes for a lot of jobs.

Anyways, getting this license was an achievement in itself for me being a foreigner. Never thought that was going to happen. I wonder how people do it that don't or barely speak English working the logs and dispatch, reading bill of lading etc.. , no offence. It's hard enough as it is. English not being my native language either. I did all the written tests in English not that my language was in any of the options.