1500.00 / week otr companies

That's why truck drivers are fat. Better seat all day and don't do any physical activity

 

I either misread and misunderstood, thought maybe you worked for a food warehouse or distribution (other than Coke, Pepsi, etc.)

Yeah it wouldn't be my thing either, having to set up all those displays just right, fighting with the competition for dock and shelf space.

Is your job enjoyable mow or at least tolerable? Because the things that make you mad where you work now will REALLY make you mad out here...

 

In Chicago, the truck drives you

 

Guys with 5 years OTR are lucky to get that. With no OTR experience you would have to run probably 16 months straight with no home time to make 55k

 

If you are targeting $55K gross and plan on working 50 weeks out of the year, then you need to gross a tad over $1K per week. That's doable for an OTR driver in the second year IF you are willing to run hard and don't take a lot of home time for most companies AND look for opportunities within your given company to advance to higher paying positions. From month 7 to 19 working at Swift (calendar year 2014) I grossed a tad over $56K, half the year on a dedicated coast to coast run and half the year as a trainer.

Job hopping can work against you. Every time you jump to a new job the chances are you aren't going to get the best available opportunities within the new company until you've put in some time to prove your "chops". Often it is best to at least commit to a year or three at a given company to put yourself in position for the best dedicated accounts or whatever suits you. If you are going to leave your current position you better have a plan for what you ultimately want to do and how you are going to do it.

 

Isnt Swift one of the lower paying companies? Per mile I think Prime pays close to 25% more. Is it the case that all your long hours would have gotten you closer to 75k at another company? It seems like choosing the right company is a huge deal. Am I mistaken about this?

 

I chose Swift because I took the time to visit four companies to get back into the industry, with terminals near my home. Swift stood out because they were very "open kimono", inviting me to walk through the dispatch/planning area unattended to see the operations on my way to see the local recruiter. I was then invited to go visit the drivers lounge and talk with the drivers and walk the yard and look at the equipment.

By comparison none of the other companies came close to that level of reception. One well regarded company (on this forum) that is recommended as a good starter company just about dragged me off the property, demanding to know how I managed to get past the gate.

I knew going in that Swift wasn't the highest paying company, and two years ago I started at $0.25 per mile. Last year Swift boosted compensation for all drivers and now you start at $0.34 and that is going to get boosted again next month.

My plan was to work at Swift for one or two years and THEN look at opportunities, to earn my chops getting back into the industry after a multi decade hiatus. I knew that the first couple of years were going to be on the lower end of the compensation range and it would be boot camp for me. My plan paid off. I accepted a position with a company that will train me in flatbed, start me at 25% TTT with significant expectations in the $1.5K to $2K per week range AND a shot at getting into my next step goal: HWH. My final goal in this industry is to become a true OWNER/operator (purchase a truck for cash) and work HWH with that company and build a fleet. Step by step I'm getting there with a long learning curve ahead.

I'd say for anyone getting on this forum and reading all the Swift bashing you would be well served to simply check out the situation with Swift for yourself. For me it was a very good experience, and I got into Swift knowing that my end goal with the company was to become a trainer; as I'm well suited for teaching students in a high risk activity, I love to teach, and it is the best compensated position at Swift.

Everyone has their own strengths, expectations, and needs. Whether you choose company A or company B will depend on your own situation. Whatever you do, make a commitment to stick it out a couple of years and play "work up" within the company. Learn and be a little competitive with yourself, so when you do decide to move forward with another opportunity you will have some accomplishments on your resume. For me I can point to 100% on time, zero accidents or moving violations, top 5% in average weekly miles for a company driver, and going on a year as a mentor/trainer. That opened doors for me.

 

Swift does well for us. Hubby has 7 months experience and got on a dedicated route at .58/mile. Yeah, he gets fewer miles, but his take home pay hovers right under $1000/week. If you run, and have a good relationship with your dm, swift is not so bad.

 

Not OTR but there is money to be made in this industry, home every day 50-60 hours a week.