100,000 miles first year for a rookie. Reality?

OK, I've been out of trucking for over a year now, and out of OTR for over four, so other than what I read on here, and see with my own eyes, my info is kind of outdated. But the only thing that I can see that would be different, is the economy. And with what I'm hearing, the new guys who are making less cpm, are the ones getting the miles.

The only limit to the amount of driving you will do, will be pretty much up to you, other than DOT regs of course. If you are willing to pretty much go with your DMs program and are willing to run the miles to where ever they want you to go, you should have no problem.

OTOH, if you, (and I see from your posts you are NOT one of these types, but bear with me,) are one of these folks who demand to be home at certain times, won't go here, won't go there, want to only run particular lanes, or stay in a particular part of the country, you will be limiting the miles you run. This is a job, not a vacation with pay.

Get on board with whatever your DM wants for you, and you will find the DM is much more reasonable than what some of the folks have posted on here. No, you don't roll over and let the company screw you every time you turn around. But you do have to realize that there is always bad with the good.

A lot of companies will demand that you make one or two local runs whenever you wind up in a major metropolitan area. You make those runs without complaint, then get a good load out, with a lot of miles. You balk at making those local deliveries, and wind up getting a load that may take you all of 300 miles, then sitting for a couple of days before getting another 300 mile load.

It is a give and take situation here, and yes, you may run into a company, or a particular DM who is all take and no give. But if you are a good worker, and can get working for a good DM, you should have no problems, even if you happen to be working for one of the driver mill companies.

 

I'll tell you...if I don't get 125k miles first year...I will be terribly disappointed.

I may be fooling myself in this economy but that is what I am counting on. 140k in year two.

 

Your encouragement about achieving the minimum distance of 100k during the first years is great!
My question is what trucking company (s) will run a new driver without unnecessary layovers which cost the driver a part of his paycheck?

 

zotoa,

I may have some utopian expectation of how things are going to go for me but based on other things I have done and accomplished in my life, I really dont' expect this to be any different.

I have never driven a single mile for pay in my life. That will change on November 11 as I now have a Class A CDL.

Once I complete orientation and training and am assigned to a truck AND I DEMONSTRATE to those responsible for assigning loads, etc. that I am CAPABLE and WILL deliver that load of freight safely and on time, they ain't gonna give two hoots how new or old in the business I am.

If you can deliver, and if they have any sense, they will run you like a scalded dog...getting sufficient miles SHOULD be the least of your worries.

We, newbies, are paid at the lowest rates per mile...why wouldn't they run us...PROVIDED we are able to deliver (pun intended)?

Am I missing anything here?

 

You WILL do well !!!

 

I'm a regional driver and I can easily do 100K in a year going home nightly and on weekends, I generally spend maybe 20 nights a year in the truck. The last two years have been the first that I've done less than 100K since 2000. Just in the 12 mos. I've been in my new truck, Oct. 1 2008 to Oct. 1 2009 I only did 97,000 miles becuase of the crappy economy.