Arrow; How Can You Not Make Money There?

$680 a week.... otay!

$100 - 300 of that is eats, depending on how much you eat, and how you eat. If you eat in a truck stop 3 meals a day, every day. You just shot a little over $300 out of your $680 before tax paycheck.

Actual bring home in this scenerio, about $250 a week.

You're not going to be seeing many attractions, once you pay your bills at this rate of pay. Matter of fact, you're not going to be seeing much at all. Except that steering wheel.

$680 a week, is a local job....period.

See my signature tag on my OTR thoughts.

 

very true on the food costs. but if you get your self one of them fridge's that fit in your truck and get some real food, you can eat for less then $50/week if you dont over eat. shoot, even get yourself one of them coleman propane stoves to go in your truck and you can have hot food to. you dont always have to eat bologne and pop tarts to eat cheap, get your self an steak once in a while, some potatoe's, and some rice or something. you may not have alot of room in your sleeper after you get your self an few things, but, you will defenitly save money.

as for the 2k mile week. it really isnt worth the trouble, you dont get to see much but us routes, and interstates while on the road. ofc some of the interstates out west can be pretty, but you will fly past them so fast you wont get a chance to really enjoy it... and dont dare stop cause your load is probably getting close to its drop schedule time. I would buy your self some post cards when you get to the truck stops. but 2k miles a week isnt nothing, 3k miles is alot better, and thats if you follow the speed limit signs to a 'T'. I have been passed by cops in ohio going 65mph, when that time comes and you just want to get home, you will be willing to pay an ticket if it gets you home 5-6hr's earlier then you should. ;P

as for arrow, I dont know much about them. im just a rookie my self. I havent been on the road for 40 yrs. like many drivers. but I would look and compair arrow with other carriers first.

 

I started with Arrow 9/13/01, yea. fun, That was a fun flight from Houston to Tulsa, I worked Houston, Texas Regional. at that time we tarped 95% of loads, tarp pay was $20.00. one time I set at a truck stop all weekend to find out my pick up was canceled, only to dead head 140 miles for free, after 6 mounts I transferred to the Van dept. And was very happy. my driver mgr. was cool, as a van driver I gave 110% to cover loads, And every 3rd Friday I was rolling into Houston, I had a family emergency and had to come off the road, If they still had a van div. I would go back, I just don't like skateboards. more to the point I hate tarps. anyway that's my 2 cents.

 

After 20 years years or more when you have no back left, bad legs and cant get any other job you will probley wish you had paid a little more attention to these post. GOOD LUCK.

 

What is it with people bashing us flat bedders??? Is it that there is more work with it??? I have done everything from van to refer to tanker .... I am running flatbed now ... yea there is more work involved but it keeps ya from getting so big that you cant fit behind the wheel

Every job out there has it ups and downs .... just the way of life .... the company that I am running with is one of the better ones that I have worked with .... here your NOT a number but a person .... cant say that for alot of them out there

Looking at either lease or o/o within a year with this company .... best place that i have been and will run the skateboard till i retire .... especially seeing some of the van "drivers" on the road nowadays

 

How bout maybe workin for a livin and being happy? In theroy is different from reality.Get your Ducks-in,A-row.Or your a mennace to the motoring public.A danger to sciocitey.Lean tword being a nuclear scientist if your intrested in money.I knowed alot of better men than you'ins who trucked 35+accident ect. perfect years and I NEVER heard a single person EVER accuse them of being rich and to the contrary there life was a meger existance and then they died.I do encourage all to at a minum learn some Trade.Butt do not come back on some strike line 20years from now saying how deprived you are with your miniunm qualifications.In reality Arrow drivers are Ignored,underpaid,overworked.and for good reason.Arrow is the same as the rest of the bunch.And you will tarp and bleed for free Driver.Happy Motoring!

 

As with most things in life, It is what you make it, I did not become a truck driver to get rich, as long as I can pay my bills, take my wife and kids to a movie, in short as long as I'm not worried about paying my rent, or food, or if my lights are going to be cut off, I'm happy. I have a nice truck, big ### motorcycle, And a nice apt. Like they say, "Life is not getting what you want, but wanting what you got."
Some people just can't be happy, I took a year off the road and worked as a dispatcher, it was an eye opener, you would see the same drivers that raise hell about being worked to hard, Come back yelling there going to drag up if they don't get more miles, after you cut back on there miles. you just can't make some people happy.
As for flat Beds, there are good points, It's easy to keep an eye on your load, it's easy for the scale house to see you are empty and get the wave through. you don't do allot of backing up, If you do it's easy to see over a flat bed in a tight spot. To me the big thing was Tarps, trying to tarp a load in high winds, add rain & snow. Or a mixed up load with 3 or 4 stops. you start thinking all this for $25.00. Not fun.

 

I know I've only been driving for less than a year but I quickly learned the amount of hours you have available does not dictate the amount of hours you will be driving (for money). And then there is the "BAD WEEK".
That's all I feel I have the right to speak on. My hope is that that will change over the rest of my working life. I've made the decision to go this way and I do not give up easily.

 

I've worked for Arrow for about 8 months,and for the most part am satisfied with the company. It took me a few months to really learn the ropes,and get comfortable,being new to trucking. I think that if you apply yourself and dont complain Arrow will treat you right in the long run. I make .36 per mile and have gotten layover,safety,Canada pay as you have described. My paychecks weren't that great at first,around 600 per week,but now I seem to make 900-1100 per week take home.
I've enjoyed the challenges of flatbedding,and wouldn't have it any other way.I've read some other posts here saying flatbed work is too hard,having to deal with tarps,chains and straps. When i see the condition of some of the van drivers I run across,the little bit of hard work that you do in flatbed is a blessing to me,as I sure dont want to turn into a human blimp with a gimp like so many others.

 

Most people get into trucking for one reason or another, "Big trucks look cool", or "It's the only way I'll ever get to see the U.S." etc. the great thing about trucking, Is there is so much to chose from. where do you want to drive? what do you want to drive? what kind of trailer do you want to pull? It all comes down to what works for you. I have seen drivers go from flatbeds to 53ft dry van that could not back up a trailer to save there lives, or got scared because they could not see over there load. on the flip side I've seen a dry van hauler have hell because the flat bed was shorter and did not turn like a 53 ft. trailer. I have pulled everything. But I like Haz-Mat tankers. And I know drivers that you can't pay enough to drive down the road with 9,000 gal. of something that could wipe out a small town. In the end it comes down to what do you like to haul.