Newbie Pay

The pay all depends on what company a newbie ends up going with. Some pay better than others....some shaft new drivers harder than others.
Another big factor in your "bottom line" is how hard the driver gets after it once they learn the ropes. If they wanna set in the truck stop and swap "you ain't gonna believe this stories" then they'll be on the lower end of the pay spectrum.
Also, I suspect that a lot of the drivers that whine about only bringing home peanuts for a paycheck are the ones that are getting the cash advances on the road and blowing the money, instead of trying to budget. Sure, it's expensive out here, but you can cut down on the expenses too.

 

First of all I'll tell you this site and forum is a wealth of info on trucking companies, the pros and cons of various otr positions and how to best prepare yourself for this line of work.

Before I signed on with my present employer I spent many hours on this and other forums. For me I looked at all the companies listed in report a bad company and then looked at all the companies discussed in discuss your favorite company thread. I wound up choosing the carrier that had the best positive to negative ratio. Of course I also went to the various companies' websites and compared pay, medical benefits and training program.

I'd say if you get in with a respectable company, be willing to work, drive anywhere you're asked to go and make an effort to complete paperwork, follow company policies and don't whine or complain you should average $750-800/wk your first year.

If you insist on going home every weekend this will hurt your earning potential. If you get nailed for logging violations, have accidents, service failures or turn down loads these will all affect your income as well as your job security and/or respect from your employer.

Pay does vary greatly from week to week because of when trips get handed in, when and how often you sit without a trip and when and how long you go home. I've made as little as $280 and as much as $2200 on a single one week paycheck.

I'm a first year driver and I average around $1000 every week that I'm out. I come home for 2-3 days about once every 3 weeks so that week I might only make $400. When I average it out over several months I average about $850/wk. I also get a bonus check once a month that's usually $300-330 so that pushes overall average to about $925/wk.

I'd say I make more than the ave newbie. Part of it is the company I work for but I'd say most of it is the result of my own effort and commitment.

In seven months I have no accidents, no service failures, no tickets, no missing paperwork, have made the idling bonus every month and the only loads I've ever turned down were on account of not having the hrs to run them legally.

There are good companies out there but a big part that people ignore is that to succeed you must be a good (committed) driver.

 

The difference between gross & net is usually 33% & thean deduct healthcare, tuition,& advances.....= take home pay
SIMPLE MATH RIGHT>>>>>>>>>>

 

Getting roped into a low paying job ?? Why some folks do it, I'll never understand. Many could move into a .35 a mile job within 3 months, and pay the loan off in 6-12 months easily. And still bring home more than they do now.

On average, I think 35K gross is a good first year figure to expect. Regardless of what we all say and regardless of what companies say in their ads.

Many contracts restrict your pay, while the loan is being paid. Check every company closely. Many companies pay very well in your first year. research...research...research.

Do your research within this forum and at truck stops. DO NOT talk to drivers in truck stops who offer you their name and truck number for referal. Referals earn that driver money. They don't help you get the job.

DO talk to drivers who merely want to share their experiences, with no expectations of "recruiting bonuses". These people won't sugar coat anything.

Don't take anything personal that is said to you within this forum. You want truthful information. No matter how negative, personal, or incredible it may sound.

Beware of trolls.....

I rarely give my first name to anyone in this forum. I NEVER give my full name. I want to be preceived as being honest in my opinions at all times. Although I did give my truck number to one, it was for contact purposes only. And wasn't meant as a means to collect "bonuses". I no longer give that (truck #) out within this forum.

I often wonder how many people came to work for the company I work for because of my input within this forum. But my honor and charactor are more important to me, than the money.

 

I can only relate my experience at Transport America, They want legal logs, they'll get you home weekly and you'll bank good money overall.

The main trick with them is keeping track of your hours and bumping the dock every night you possibly can.

example: monday you get a "drop and hook" load # 10:00a.m. 500 miles to delivery point for a 8 a.m. next day live unload delivery. You are preplanned 30 miles deadhead for a 11a.m. live load.

NEWBIE ONE: You hook and start your clock 9:45 a.m. safety inspection and drive 450 miles and shut down for the night at 6:45p.m. at the truck stop.

# 6:am the next morning you get up, grab some breakfast and are on the clock at 6:30a.m. for safety inspection and to drive an hour to your drop. your day has started.

AND you are clocked in burning hours from 6:30 a.m. until your 14 runs out.

OR

NEWBIE TWO: You inspect 9:45 a.m., hook and start your driving 500 miles. open your doors and back into the dock. your clock stops. # 8p.m.

Around 8:30a.m. some guy hammers on your door "you're unloaded" You don't move, you go pee and dink around until 10:15 a.m. when you decide to inspect the truck, grab your paperwork, and boogie over to your 11a.m. appointment.

newb one has used 9 hours 15 minutes day one + 4 1/2 hours on day two combined 13 3/4 hours to get to the live load.

newb two has used 10 hours and 15 minutes to get to the same liveload.

3 1/2 hours difference means at the end of the week newb two can still run a whole nother day.

It won't always work out like this or that you can make it to a drop or that they'll let you park onsite, but very often they would for us.

and my paydays reflected it, especially if I was good with dispatch and let them know I had hours to run and that the weekend off for me meant fri-sat or sat-sun or sun-mon, I didn't care as long as one of the days was on the actual weekend.

made life better...

sorry for the long post I like typing also...

 

Transport America

 

To follow up what im6under said: managing your time well and taking the time to plan well is just good sense regardless of who you work for.

When I get preplans I mull over them to decide when's the best time to leave, the target time I should shoot for, how's my 70hr clock looking,etc etc. I am a strategist, I know how to use an 8/2 split to my advantage legally and am always making the decisions that make the most efficient use of my time.

Transport America is incredibly consumed with safety and running legal they don't want maverick cowboys getting them steep fines with the DOT. But as I said if you know your job and follow policy and are safe and conscientious you will do well and be respected and appreciated.

 

Good info on here! Nice to have a little time management class to set things in perspective. The more time you can utilize wisely, the better your paycheck will look. Makes sense to me. Thanks