New driver

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Scvready, Dec 30, 2017.

  1. LeadFarmer

    LeadFarmer Light Load Member

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    That's the thing. The second he walks into a recruiter waving "$200k/yr lease to own percent pay" offer he's going to laugh at everyone here. Then after he starts getting starved out, calculates his costs, and figures "I'm gonna positive mental attitude my way through this" or gives up he'll have contributed to predatory fleece environment.

    This guy's attitude is begging to be taken advantage of and there are a million hands waiting to shake and steal.
     
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  3. Scvready

    Scvready Light Load Member

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    Why you still in it if it's so bad? I don't get it.... Smh
     
  4. Scvready

    Scvready Light Load Member

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    You know I do regret posting my original post. If I knew this forum was to deter people away from trucking I wouldn't have ever come here. I thought this forum was for (in new driver case) research and gaining knowledge about the industry. Getting first hand advice from people in the industry who are making it.

    Most of the replies I'm getting are from people who are either NOT making any money in which case they should leave the industry and go do something else if it is that bad of an industry or people who wish everyone around them will fail.

    My question still stands. Why are you still working as a trucker if you are not making money? If you are making money why are you assuming everyone that comes into this industry isn't going to make it?
     
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  5. akfisher

    akfisher Road Train Member

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    Reason guys still do it are many. Love driving. Open Road. Boss is miles away. Some people get along better with spouses from far away. Some have to do it. Scenary. Adventure. Some do just because they love it yet dont need the money. There are lots more reasons that that. People are just trying to give you an eye opener as to what to expect is all.
     
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  6. diesel drinker

    diesel drinker Road Train Member

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    No,no,no.@65 CPM I am making pretty #### good money for 3 years experience and not some specialized loads.But your $2k NET/week not to even mention $3-5k/week is straight from fantasy land regardless of your attitude.I GROSSED over 3k/week in my career TWICE.You ever drove 5400 miles in 7 days? Add loading,unloading, fuelling etc.
    You never drove a single mile in a truck,you have no clue and you don't even listen.
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2018
  7. Scvready

    Scvready Light Load Member

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    You don't listen, I already acknowledged that I won't make that kind of money at first nor will I make it as company driver. I plan on being O/O some day and you can make that kind of money. I'm not superman I know there has to be time put in and experience gained but it isn't impossible. You should try O/O if you been doing this 3 years now. Maybe you'll make more money.

    Edit:

    If you ain't first you last!
     
  8. Slingshot88

    Slingshot88 Bobtail Member

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    I'll hop on here again. Not trying to get involved in all the bickering going on, I'll just say this: in addition to what I said in my previous post, I have a buddy who just got his cdl 5 months ago. The guy makes 2k a week as a company driver. He's not lying, I seen his paychecks. But he doesn't work by the mile, he is hourly, and he is mostly local, with occasional regional stuff up to 2-300 miles away. He puts in a ton of hours though, I think his only off day is Sunday. But on Saturdays he gets paid time and a half. He works usually at least 70 hrs a week so forget about a 40-hr workweek. His biggest check was $2600 for one week but I assure you he KILLED it that week, got very little sleep and really was in the truck almost constantly. He is not on e-logs though, because the truck he drives is a '99. So it can be done, just as I have said before. As I specified in earlier posts, a pre-2000 model year truck is pretty much a prerequisite for this and you have to be willing to work your butt off. I will say it again with full confidence and real-life experience backing me: you CAN make $2k or more per week as a company driver, and you CAN make $3-5k or more per week as an o/o. I'm not here to argue semantics with anyone or plead my case. I am 100% correct in this and that's the end of story. I think what's going on here with the naysayers is that there seems to be a lack of understanding as to whether it's POSSIBLE to make that money or whether you WILL make that money. Those are of course two entirely different things. It is totally POSSIBLE to make that money, but do many people ACTUALLY make it? No, not a lot of them, no. But some do. Which is what I also mentioned in my original post about being assertive, clever, and having a good work ethic and good communication skills. That is the sole deciding factor in all this that I think is getting lost in the shuffle. Refer back to my first post where I outlined specifically the way to make money. In short: be assertive, always negotiate, drive a pre-2000 model year truck, and don't be on e-logs. If I was the type of person who felt the need to validate myself, I would happily dig up all my old company driver checks and o/o checks and take a bunch of pics and post them. But I'm not. Idc if I'm believed by people on the internet, and idc if a Werner driver wants to try and tell me that the numbers I'm talking about are impossible just because he himself has never seen numbers like that. Everyone can believe what they want to, and I probably won't post again on this thread.
     
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  9. LeadFarmer

    LeadFarmer Light Load Member

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    I don't even have my CDL A yet, I'm still in classes :)

    It's also why I know what is reasonable for a new driver. ELD's are everywhere and the jobs that can pay $2k/wk are far and few between. They don't post on anywhere you'll be able to find and even if you go to every barn and steel roller door you're going to have to find a company that wants to pay you triple the market price to run a 18+ yr old truck illegally. And not "don't get caught speeding" illegal.

    Every DOT cop has/will have a scanner and when you go past them without an ELD you're getting pulled over and fined out the ### (when they start heavy enforcing which will probably be a year or two). Those fines aren't just for your company, as you are the final buck and God help if you don't also have well faked paper logs dating back months. Plus the dozens of issues they're bound to find on a 1999 truck being worked 80-100hrs a week.

    Trucking is a stable trade with a comfortable middle class life waiting for people who are willing to work safe and work hard. Truck driving isn't a ticket to riches. The O/O and fleet owners aren't getting rich because they went to a good CDL school and rode the Rockies for a decade. They're getting rich because they are good business runners, accountants, and find then build solid business relationships.
     
  10. diesel drinker

    diesel drinker Road Train Member

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    Oh trust me I could become O/O tomorrow if I wanted to.At this point though I value freedom more than money and headache. In 4 months I am taking 5 MONTHS vacation. I could not do that if I was an O/O.
    -) Did you see the movie?
    "You can be second ,you can be third,hell you can be even fourth!"-)
     
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  11. Scvready

    Scvready Light Load Member

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    :confused::rolleyes:

    How do you know what you can make 3-5 years from now if you haven't started driving yet? SMH
     
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