Driver shortage or special breed?!?!

Where are you out of? I’m looking for good pay. I’m in East Tennessee.

 

What’s average pay? Home time?

 

I think it has to do with two things one its lack of qualified drivers that are familiar with the equipment and what they are hauling I believe the second part is a majority of the New Breed of trucker wants to be home every 5 days and have 3 days home time that's just my opinion.
Though I have met some hard-working newcomers in trucking that are willing to think outside the box and actually learn a lot more about Trucking especially when it comes to carrying a toolbox and being able to do minor repairs instead of sitting in a fix it Bay atTA for 19 hours waiting for the technician that has already left for the day and the next technician to come on duty to trace out an electrical lead that could have easily been traced out if the driver had simply had a voltage meter but I find many drivers don't even know how to use a voltage meter so that's kind of scary in itself

 

$1100 a week is rookie dry van pay. Most car haulers with any experience and a clean MVR can make double that . I know of a car hauling company that pays drivers $2800 a week
( the truck grosses $10k a week and the driver
makes 28%= $2800 wk). Your pay is “ Amazingly low for a car hauler .

 

I'd love to drive and would in a heartbeat. But I'm not wasting a year or 2 with a mega for #### wages and being away from my home for several weeks at a time. I already started up from the bottom once with turning wrenches. I'll let the license gather dust in my wallet.

 

It took me a long time to get to a top-tier company like Coca-Cola in the position that I'm in with the pay that I make.
I'm usually gone nine days and I go home for 2 sometimes three days I've owned for trucks completely paid off with the trailers when I was doing Heavy Haul but the profitability in that particular line of this work went way downhill,and I even hauled government loads which was great because they always paid out on time.
With the position that I'm in now with the route that I run they wouldn't hire anybody with less than 5 years experience and zero accidents and 0 moving violations, I like the company because they go by the book and they're very serious about safety first, if you run out of time which doesn't happen often you pull over and park it and relax they'll reschedule for the following morning.
I did my share of Outlaw Trucking back in the day believe me when I tell you I did some crazy stuff in my first 10 years in the business then the second 10 I started mellowing out I'm almost done with my third decade in trucking and now I sit back and enjoy the road a little bit more rather than fighting the road.
I do agree that being out for weeks on end is not a good thing especially for a person that has strong family values and especially with children you don't want to miss those special days that you can be with them.
I've sacrificed many I'm speaking from experience.
But my kids understood when they became old enough the dad would do anything for them I put my son through medical school and now he's a trauma surgeon in Orlando my daughter is married and has an excellent husband with a good head on his shoulders.
If they're happy I'm happy,but I do agree family is very important I can't count the number of times that I wish I had been home for a Thanksgiving or Christmas.

 

Lets see, most manual laborers don’t have to have a clean driving record, don’t have to pass a drug test, don’t need the SKILLS to drive a 80,00 pound vehicle and pass endorsements you choose to acquire. Laborers don’t have to meet government requirements for this special license. The last time I checked 50% of laborers are illegal immigrants. So with all the requirements a truck drive needs I think the industry should at least start a driver at $22.00 hour.