2018 Rookie Pay question

Starting pay depends on experience company furnished fuel card but loyalty points from truck stop chain are yours night driving doesn't pay any more but less traffic is true

 

1. The only advantage is that you aren't locked into a contract (also known as indentured slavery for some megas) that requires you pay for your training if you decide to break the contract and leave early (which you likely will want to do after being treated like garbage).

2. You'll likely be making 35-40 cents per mile out of school. With inexperience you'll likely be running less than a full day of miles, day or night, for the first several months. Depending on what sector you get into, assuming lowest average pay, you'll be grossing $700-850 a week for 2000 miles. And this is if you get a "good" week. Companies don't tend to give the nice runs to the people lowest on the ladder. You'll likely be getting 1500 miles a week at some megas if you are lucky. And you won't be getting paid to sit at the dock or waiting for a reload.

3. Most companies use fuel cards these days, and often, aside from the real horrible places, they'll let you keep and use any rewards points you get (I've heard of stories where companies will take a driver's rewards points). It's a great way to get stuff for free at truck stops. Always best to save up.

4. You might be a night owl, but unless you are doing pin-to-pin work, or working for a company that picks up for and delivers to 24-hour distribution centers, you will have a hard time making your appointments (a lot of flatdeck customers are open 7am-5pm, M-F for instance). The only advantage to driving nights is the lower amounts of traffic on the road, but it comes with a trade-off, night is when wildlife comes out onto the roads and it becomes a hazard for you and the truck. A moose or big buck could put an end to your run for the day very quickly.

 

Sector is things like flatbed, van, reefer, tanker, LTL, linehaul, OTR, etc.

 

You may very well sit for days. Otr don't really pay better than regional you just get more rest and see more of the country. You could not pay me enough to do otr.