ROEHL BOUND... June 14th... Relief and excitement!

Ditto the being expensive living on the road, I usually go thru about $140 to $160 per week, that is food, entertainment (not lot lizards), scales, coffee, soda, etc. You get the idea. In order to make decent money at this job you need to be prepared to be out 20-30 days at a time. The longer you can stay out the better your average miles per month. Go into this with both eyes open. Company recruiters are not always the best place to get good information. Goto a local truck stop go into the resteraunt and get a cup of coffee and and chat, ask questions, drivers will tell you the real deal. Good luck.

 

Take everything with a grain of salt also, if someone seem too happy or too angry with a company you can probably toss their point of view out. The guy that's going to volunteer all kinds of information either way have something to gain (and will hand you a referral card) or an axe to grind (and will tell you how they got screwed). Do your research try to make the best decision that you can and realize that there is no perfect job. Anywhere you go could make some improvements, focus on what you can change and try not to let the stuff you can't change drive you crazy (trust me on this one)

 

Thanks everyone for all the input I think trucking would be a good fit for me my kids are all grown up and my wife does not mind if I have to be out for extended periods of time I did that in another line of work years ago but in my present job in 5yrs I`ll be making a whooping $80 dollars more a week in trucking I see more potential earnings with 5yrs experience weekly expenses in a truck I get that but in my current situation I spend 100 a week in gas and tolls plus if you add my 2hrs of daily commute to the 60 hours a week that I put in trucking is looking good to me I am not looking for less hours just better pay.

 

60 hours a week is a joke. Look at the total amount of time gone from home. You aren't paid for those 60 hours, you are paid solely on productivity. When you sit # a truckstop and do a 34 hour re-set you get paid a big fat zero! When they have no freight>zero. You could get a job # the local "Quickie Mart" and couple that with your current position and you would be further ahead.

It's your call, your kids are grown up and your wife says OK. I just hope you are fully informed, that's all.

Good luck to you.

 

Thanks mgfg but remember its 60+14 commute that 74 and in my current job the hours are not set I could work 10am-9pm today 8am-5pm tomorrow so even if I wanted another job its just not possible I`m just looking a better yearly average thats all being gone and not getting paid for every single hour does not really worry me in trucking your cpm increases every year if you run 125000 a year a cent would mean $1250 raise at 40cents I only get $830 and though my overtime is consistent they are hiring more workers to eliminate the ot so my income could decrease in the future. Years ago I worked in construction some weeks I made 1500 others 500 or nothing at all like I said its the average that interest me at the end of the year.

 

You can try and talk yourself into it if you like, but most of us wouldn't leave 32k a year unless we were miserable there. Experience also tells us, that the folks who look at yearly gross when coming into truck driving get tricked into leasing way too early, and end up bankrupt.

Now, if you're miserable doing what you're doing, then all bets are off. I think most of us would agree, don't come into driving because you can. there has to be some level of "want to" there, in order to make it work.

 

Moriarty thanks for the input but the reason I`m looking for a change is because like I stated earlier the company I work is very understandably so trying to get rid of the overtime and that accounts for nearly one third of my income without it I would be in the low 20`s I drive 40 foot buses for a living so there is a level of "want to" in me for trucking It is way different but I think Its something doable for me. Now I`m only doing my research now so that I know what I am getting into when the time comes and I see the writing on the wall in my present job. Thanks

 

Your posts are amazing. I am only on page 25 but love what i am seeing thus far.
I start CDL classes in RI in July (saving money from my current job to get me through). Good luck and I'll keep reading.

 

Greetings Hindsy! I just finished reading this entire thread, and really enjoyed hearing about your journey with Roehl. Best of luck out there, and I'll be sure to keep reading about your travels. Stay safe!

 

I wonder what happened to Hindsy. Has anyone seen or heard from him lately?