Why do some on the forum say that truckers don't make more than a fast food worker

I agree Amiller, really makes you question is it worth it.

 

Often when a truckers salary is broken down to a per hours worked including all aspects of the job it equates to the hourly wage of a fast food worker.

 

Ah... that's because there are some folks driving for serious BFI's who are lucky to have enough money for ramen noodles once a day.

 

well you are right amiller. that is exactly why i first got into trucking. we live in burnt out industrial wasteland hell, and though i got a degree, i was stupid enough to major in theater. you cannot support a family on a fast food salary which will max out IF YOU ARE LUCKY at 20k, usually significantly less. trucking darn well better be WAY better than 20k, if you are making under 30k you are doing something wrong, or you are with the wrong company, or,most likely, both. 1st year should be closer to 40k than 30k, and after that you should be closer to 50k than 40k. but you give up a lot in return. otr, you are out living in a little metal box 24/7 for 2-5 weeks or more at a time, talking to your family on the phone, missing holidays and major events with them. and at some point during all that down time, you start figuring what the hourly rate really is, because every other job youve had paid by the hour. you figure it at the 70 hours of logged working per 8 days....pretty darn good that way. you figure it at the REAL working time of 85-90 hours per 8 days, pretty bad. you figure it at the "on call trapped in a metal box 24/7" and its pitiful. you make valid points, but human nature is to compare what youve got to what you had, and what youve dreamed. hopefully it measures up better than what you had, but rarely does it approach the "what you dreamed" bar. those that say its worse than fast food should really not be doing it. they have a bad attitude toward trucking, maybe for very good reasons, and it will take a large miracle for them to ever be happy doing it. but those in trucking often have few choices, because of the bad circumstances they had and/or bad choices they made earlier in life. and like you said...fast food will never be a viable option for those who want anything more than well below poverty. but you are also leaving out the danger. as a trucker, you "will always have a job" until the day you make a mistake. an error in judgement at mcdonalds will at worst earn you a stern talking to. an error in judgement as a trucker (accident) can earn you complete unhireability for several years, living with having hurt or killed someone, or even your own death. most wont admit it, but sometimes it doesnt even take an error in judgment. some things are beyond your control. fate follows you around a blind corner traveling 55-70 mph to that overturned truck ahead and - poof - youre done. or, and this was the worst i saw, a tornado decides to pick up your truck flip it over and smash it upside down on the road. that truck was maybe 4 feet tall as i passed it. truck pancake so to speak. trucking is a good job, and for some a great lifestyle. but for some its a horrible lifestyle, and the less happy you are, the more inclined you will be to see it in the worst possible light.

 

Yeah but Will a fast food restaurant let you work 70hrs a week? Didn't think so...