Any chance of starting out making $50,000?

Those are some good words of advice. Try to fund your own CDL through an accredited school. Cost can range from $1,500 - $4,000. Get those endorsements while you are in school. If you land the right gig, the schooling cost will usually pay itself off within a month or two. I still say you should shoot for a local LTL position. Our lowest paid drivers are making $47K a year. But finding a spot like that is all about location and timing.

 

as a rookie, although it's not impossible, it's not likely, you would more than likely take a cut in pay for a while, sorry, just the cold hard facts, if your making decent money where your at, and being home every day? I'd stay put

 

I love when people make statements like this that either have done no research or have made some bad decisions and worked for some awful companies.

 

Someone suggested Prime, I highly doubt you could do 50,000 your first year at prime, if you did do it, you'd probably be miserable and be on the road 4-6 weeks at a time. The VERY few prime drivers I've talked to bragged about making 48,000 a year and were on the road 4-6 weeks at a time. At that point in time I was driving for Cargo Transporters and was home every weekend and usually a day during the week and making more than that. They hire people straight out of school and have a decent training program, if you live within their hiring area they might be worth looking into.

 

Several posts on here are relating to hazmat/tankers. So, yes, you can make $50K on the low side with hazmat/tankers. $50K is very low though. I personally worked with 2 new CDL grads that made $65K their first 12 months as solo drivers. With tankers you don't have the time to sit around in truckstops watching TV and hoping the dispatcher calls you with a load; you keep the wheels turning.
As David posted, get the hazmat/tanker endorsements plus a TWIC card and passport. Study the "CDL Practice Tests" accessed at the top of this page. You can do all this even before starting CDL school.
Attend a good 160 hr. or longer CDL school. Kentucky has a few of these; I think Lake Cumberland CDL Training is one of them.
Contact some hazmat/tanker companies and ask if they accept graduates from this school and if not, ask which schools they do recognize.

Hazmat/tanker companies that hire new CDL grads:

Trimac Transportation - $60K-$80K per year
Superior Carriers
Tidewater Transit
CTL Transportation
SVTN
Groendyke Transport
Schneider Bulk
A&R Logistics

Some websites have "experience required" but ignore that; they bend their own hiring rules for high quality applicants.

 

research, make a plan, stick to the plan

learn what pays well, and figure out how to get into that line of work.

showing up and sayng ok, gimme a truck, no you will not make 50K for several years, if my plan works, i will hit 50K 2nd year

 

So you've never driven for Prime?

I'm a company flat-bedder and I have no doubt I'll make at least 55k in 2015 as a low estimate.

 

just basing it off what I've heard others say. Did I say ALL prime drivers make that? No.

 

What you said were disparaging remarks on a company based on hearsay, as a response to a person looking to make life decisions.

 

i think it's a fairly fair comment considering previous forum posts and Primes own information given. Ever heard their SiriusXM commercials. They outright say that they expect drivers to stay out 4+ weeks because "you don't make money sitting at home on the weekend like other companies". Though in theory that is true you don't make money at home. In reality a paycheck should revolve around more than being couped up in the truck for weeks on end. If you would like to compare home time, pay, benefits, etc I'd be glad to do it.

Prime and all the other big companies obviously appeal to some people and some people make it work for them. I'm just suggesting that he look around and do some research. Because he MAY make that money at prime. But by Primes own driver recruiting info he can very easily make as much else where and have a better quality of life.