Cold Feet, Need Advise

Even if you did make that much(probably not for the first few years)
After insurance and taxes you might have a problem paying the bills, and feed you and the wife.

 

Dirago,

I understand where your coming from. Part of your problem here is the state we live in, if it's not retail or toriust type business then it's slim picking except for construction which seems to be slowing down considerably.

As far as trucking, yeah it's little scary looking at some of these companies at what they pay. I'm not asking to get rich out of the gate, but most of these companies if you run 11 hours you'll be lucky to make $11.00 an hour. I'd be real careful with a company that only runs regional or short hauls at 28 cents a mile. A 300 mile run would only pay $84.00 and may take up 14 hr day with pickups and drops, that's less then minimum wage.

 

You will probably only average around 25 to 30 cents per mile for the first year, and this is not counting the weeks, maybe as many as 6-8, that you will either not make anything, or maybe $50.00 day while training.

If you never go home, and somehow manage to do 130k miles in a year, with newbie pay you are only looking at 32-35K a year for the first year before your road living expenses.

Freight is a little slow right now, and a lot of solo company drivers will be lucky to break 100k miles, with many not doing much better that 80k miles.

Add up your actual first year pay per mile, multiply it by 80k and see what it comes out to. Not that much. That number is a more realastic estimate of earnings.

That is if you don't get fired for one of the thousands of little things the big companies like to fire people for. Then you are really in a mess. No unemployment and a messed up DAC.

After a year with a company you will make more, but a lot of the larger companies don't want you to hang around long enough to get any large raises. It's a lot cheaper to put another trainee in for half the money.

I'm not saying there are not some places you can make that money the first year, but they are few, and hard to get on with.

Don't believe the ads boasting 60k 1st year earnings.

I don't mean to sound negative, but you seem to have a lot to lose, and there are many stories in this forum of new drivers loosing everything in their first year.

I just want you to have your eyes open and know the risk if you decide to go forward.

PS --- DON'T SIGN A TRUCK LEASE WITH ANYONE !!!

 

30K to 35K is what you can expect to make at AFS (PAM) your first year. I Have been to their headquaters in Jacksonville several times and AFS does treat their drivers better than PAM. If you do decide to go OTR, you might want to sell your bike to get rid of that payment. You are only going to be home for about 4 to 6 days a month, so you won't have much time to ride it anyway.

Most of the drivers who sign those 1 year contracts never make it through the 1st year with the company they signed up with. Some will quit, some will get fired and others will move on to better paying companies. Lets say that you start out with AFS at .28 cpm but after you get 6 months expierence, you get offered .34 cpm by a better company, it may be worth paying the fees for breaking the contract and taking the better job. You will have to do the math and see how the numbers work for you.

 

With your background in sales & mngmt, you might investigate that side of a trucking outfit. It's possible they are looking for someone to sell trucktime or maintain their sales dept.

Naturally there'll be a learning curve as you learn trucking et al. Who knows? Maybe this appeals to you?

It would be a shame to not capitalize on what you already know.

 

You could always...GASP... become a recruiter. Lord knows you don't need any trucking knowledge to become one.

If you learn just a little bit about the industry, be honest, and are a good salesperson, you may do well.

This way you could see trucking from the inside, and in a while, if you still wanted, you could go into driving with full knowledge of what to expect.

 

dirago -

we have a PnD terminal near you...

needs locals to run city...


22.20 an hour - overtime if you want - etc etc


home every night etc etc


they will hire you as a new CDL'r -

just keep your chin up