Getting my CDL soon, what's this REALLY like?

Usually we get paid by the mile so more miles you drive the more money you make. We run electric log books that are hooked into the truck engine so you can only work 70 hours a week. Ha ha

Now with ELD(log books hooked to engine and GPS) some companies pay detention pay when waiting to load or unload. Usually the first hour or two you sit for free. Then you get paid by the hour my company paid $20 per hour. Even if they didn’t get paid. Some won’t pay you unless the get paid detention pay.

I would say you can drive 120,000 miles a year or 10,000 a month or 2500 a week. Just multiply the cents per mile they pay and you can see about what you will make a week or month or year. Plus any detention pay or the might pay $15 or $20 for extra stops nothing that will make a huge difference. My company paid us by the hour when truck was in shop for repairs by the hour of a day rate if it was going to be all day repair.

Parking is big problem because everyone to stop about the same time and. Some truck stop now charging/have reserved passport so you know you will have place to park. Some companies will pay for it and some won’t. It $20-25 dollars for 1 night. With ELDs you have to stop driving. So you have plan your parking location out more and start planning were you will park like 1 hour before running out of driving time. I case it full you can try somewhere else.

 

I liked reefers, flatbed, tankers all about the same.
As for waiting to load or unload, I worked for companies that paid hourly pay for all that waiting. Didn't care for waiting, but being paid to wait made it bearable.
Flatbed companies pay extra to tarp a load. For example, Melton Truck Lines pays $100.00 to tarp.
Don't know what Jones Bros. tarp pay is, but do know you're paid $100.00 extra if you cross over into Canada.

 

This company has a good reputation for new cdl school grads.
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I have worked God knows how many places in 41 years in this business. At LEAST 30. 18 in the last 27 years (when I started keeping track and putting them in a resume format). The only one I stayed at longer than 3 years is when I bought my own truck. I have been leased to one company for the last 8 years. I dont tolerate BS, and I dont tolerate being lied to. I have been some places as little as a week (less actually). Job satisfaction means more to me than money.

I wont say Ive done it all, because I havent. But I HAVE done a lot of different things. OTR isnt the only thing in trucking. And honestly, a lot of those non-OTR jobs pay a lot more than OTR. Something for you to consider.

 

Some places you go to will have appointment times you have to show up. Some will have parking if you show up early. Generally you try and show up at your appointment time, if you have one. Some places are first come first served like 7am -5pm you can show up anytime you want. Some places like Walmart distribution centers have a 2 hour window. You can arrive 1 hour early to 1 hour late. They will still unload you. Miss that 2 hour window and they will refuse to unload you and make another appointment.. The next appointment might be a day or two later.

 

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Well, when I first started (in 1984) you HAD to do 2 years OTR before ANYONE would even think of hiring you, so there wasnt a lot of choice.

But after I had a year and a half under my belt, I started running linehaul for L-T-L carriers. This is usually done at night. I am naturally nocturnal and it fit well with my personality. You start at say 10pm, run to someplace, swap trailers (either with a meet-man or at another yard) and go home.

If I ever sold my truck and went back to work, I would do Estes linehaul. They treated me good for the most part...