Poor pay

Very well said.

 

Thank you and same to you.We pretty much said the same thing,lol.Great minds think alike.

 

Almost every day there are professionals joining this forum looking for a new career; mostly IT workers but also airline pilots, professors, and a whole array of careers. You may never make what you're used to, but with planning you can still have a good career and income and benefits. The best pay right now in trucking is tanker/hazmat unless you're fortunate enough to get into an LTL company in the beginning such as Old Dominion. Absolutely must get the endorsements; tanker/hazmat, doubles-triples, TWIC, passport. Some tanker companies do hire new CDL graduates. Some flatbed companies such as TMC, Maverick, Melton Truck Lines, the annual pay is good. In other words, with the endorsements you should be able to make $50K - $65K and sometimes much more after you figure how the system works and which companies to shoot for. After 12 months the sky is the limit; many more doors open. If you go with a tanker company first, then within 12 months you probably can get a local tanker job and be home every day.

 

That should be most of what you need there to answer your questions.
Expect 25-40k first year. Get on with a good company and stay. Then 40-90k after you've been in long enough to rise to the top of the pay scale.

But you'll have to search for the good ones, and keep a shiny record.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

 

By the way - I love breaking down numbers.

If I were paid for driving AND sleeping (I team), it would be $16.50 gross - for ALL hours.

I look at it this way because I don't finish work every day and go home to my own house and bed. I'm stuck in a truck, just trying to get enough sleep to do it again.

That's 5 days out, 2 days home, 5900 miles, .6633 cpm if you'd like to check me.

I wonder how many people on min. wage would accept $15/hr , but only if they had to sleep/shower/pay bills/recover from illness/eat etc at the job?

 

Blacky, Someone lied to you -Over the Road -70 hours a week not hardly. 24/7 for 2 to 4 weeks at a time is more likely the norm. Some companies may get you home on the weekend if you call Friday night (late) or Saturday Night to mid Sunday when you have to take off with your delivery for Monday (yes i know some have it a little better). Remember that you will be with that truck 24 hours a day -its not like at home where you get to take off and hang out all night and show back up for work in the morning.
OTR Trucking is totally different than any other job period. You Must i say must love the driving of the truck almost more than life itself --because that has to carry you through every other piece of crap that comes with being a driver.
IF you dont feel some guttural urge to drive Tractor and Trailer --seek other employment in your field --the only ones that make it as OTR drivers have it in their blood and even they will probably jump out and back in once or twice when it gets to them.
There are so many things that would gnaw at while you are out there unless you were born to it -and yes - nothing like driving a big truck on a fairly deserted road while the weather is nice and all is good in your world ......but that doesn't last long.

 

First and Foremost....Trucking is a Lifestyle change, If you don't enjoy the peace/solitude being gone months at a time, than maybe this is not the arena to pay the bills. I enjoy and refer to myself as a paid tourist. The longest stretch I was out lasted 2 seasons Spring/Summer......It Is What It Is !

 

you forgot the person who will suffer the most in your time on the road,your wife. she will be the one facing all the problems at home while you are gone. trucking is not for everyone, its not easy and is one of the most thankless jobs you could ever have. like the other driver said if you are in it just for the money it will never work for you. one of the biggest mistakes you can make is comparing it to a 40 hour work week, if you continue to compare the two it will never work, trucking will always come out on the short end. lots of luck

 

Good news coming to the "Bred to be Trucker" if you choose to go that way and love it.
If the powers that be that are backing the "I want $15.00 an hour fast food workers" get their way - at least 50% of the drivers that aren't driving for the "Born to be, In my blood reason" will exit quickly to flip some burgers leaving the real drivers to do their thing.