OTR Pay

Trucking is not the only job that that you are not paid for every hour away from home. Some seem to think this is an exclusive to trucking, and a used up argument. Compare what anyone here is making per hour based on every hour away from home (minimum wage in your book) and the $142 a month plus $55 hazardous duty pay I made in the Army in the early 70's, and I was away from home for months. And that was after 9 months of training and getting used for target practice by anyone with a rifle. Y'all need to broaden your vision a little. It just isn't as bad as it seems in trucking. If one thinks it is, there is a host of other job specialties they can select. But I would like to know which one of them will pay as much the first year with the little training it takes to get a CDL and get to work. Sure, trucking does not pay like being the chief orthopedic surgeon at a major hospital, but it really doesn't pay too bad when you consider the investment in training it takes to get going. If one is looking for $100K a year to start, 3 vehicles, a ranger bass boat, one month off a year, home every night, 5 digit bonuses, and such, this is not the job to try to get that. Like a blind squirrel, there are some that find a nut once in a while and get in on that real cool job situation that seem to offer everything, but it is not the norm.

 

If you have to post that question here, seeing it has been asked her about three times a day, then you are probably not going to be able to do the research to find a decent starting position.

Sorry to have to be the one to send the tough love.

Mikeeee

 

You're not going to drive 700 miles a day. That's impossible. For a good average, figure around 2500 miles a week. Also, you won't get paid every week on time as you aren't going to be able to turn in your trip packs regularly on some loads.

Example:

Your company requires trip packs to be turned in on Wednesdays to be paid the following week.

You drop a load in New Jersey on a Friday and need a reset. You get your reset done on Sunday, but no one is open. Your next load doesn't pick up until Monday afternoon and it's headed to NorCal. As a solo driver in a truck likely governed at 62 mph, you won't get to NorCal until Friday. Guess what? You aren't getting paid next week.

 

I am curious what percentage requires the hard copies of bills being sent in as opposed to faxing them with transflow or the like?

Mikeeee

 

Either or. Never heard of both.

 

We use Transflo at Pilot or Flying J . Billing has them right away .
On the mile or percentage thing percentage is better . If rates go up you automatically get a raise .
Rates on loads vary . If you are paid per mile they sure won't set your pay at the top rate .

 

The deal on starting pay is this: There are lots of companies that take on new drivers. Some start in the .27/mile range, some start in the .35 range. You just need to call. If you go down to the closest truck stop, you'll probably find a rack that has free recruiting magazines. Start with those and just start calling.

The only way that I know of to start higher than .31/mile is to find a company that pays more. And that can be done by doing your own research.

Being a new driver with no experience, there's is virtually no chance that these companies will move off of their starting pay. They don't have to.

As has been said by others, you need to get that first year or two of experience before most of the higher paying companies will hire you.

Good luck.

 

I'm not sure on this. I'd gander a guess in saying that if the company runs EOBRs they'll allow you to use transflow or some other option to scan in your trip packs. Some paper log companies might allow this, but I'm not sure.