5 months, 50k miles, things I have learned

What is the real earning of a truck driver OTR ? If you are over the road or away from home 2-3 weeks with 1 day off per week ( think its 1 day off per eek?). How many hours have you really gave a company for $$ ?

Everyone focusing on .42 cents x 2300 miles on average (966.00). When really you spend 168 hours away from home each week sleeping in a truck, look at the hourly rate is more like 5.75 hour ????

 

Privy I would stay right where you are if you are making $45,000! It is highly unlikely you will make that driving. Not to mention you are married. You are going to end up paying $6000 for school, go over the road for three months and find out you aren't making very much and the lifestyle just isn't meshing with the married life.

gettingpaid, just like we tell every other newbie that asks this question, there is no way of knowing what you are going to make. There are too many factors. You want an average? $0-$25,000 for your first year. Can you make a little more? Sure, but not likely.

You aren't going to get paid .42 a mile and you aren't going to average 2300 a week. 4-6 weeks is going to be the minimum time out if you want to make any money at all. Yes, if you average out the time spent you are definitely on the losing end which is why you really have to like the lifestyle. Calculate this: away from home for 6 weeks because you are in that truck and technically at work that whole time.

 

The day started bad. I parked about 30 minutes from the shipper, did my ten, then went to get loaded. When I got to the shipper (at 3am), I gave them the BOL #, and they said the load had left 3 days prior. Night dispatch ignored me, so I had to wait until 630ish-7 until my DM got in, to get the right number. By the time I got it, and arrived back at the shipper, I had wasted a good 7 hours off of my clock . Not only did that screw my clock, but the delivery was supposed to be that day, but because I got loaded late, they had to reschedule until the next monday because the receiver was closed on the weekends. So, since home was on the way to the receiver I headed home. Had I gotten the right load number to begin with, I would have been driving all weekend, and had a 3500+ week. Not to mention, wouldn't have gotten the 14 hour violation.

I've learned that a lot of this job is knowing how to react when a wrench in thrown into a situation. There are so many things that can get you into a bind in this business that it's insane.

 

You mentioned cash advances may have caused those goose egg checks, how much were those advances? I know we can only get 2- $25 advances a week.

 

I must say, this driver was paying attention during his quest for a driving job. Glad you are part of this industry. Be safe and keep learning!

 

Those are just a few of the reasons I could never do the otr gig. I know that it is a job that needs to be done but the compensation for doing it is not worth it.

 

All in all, a very good post, Digger.

Obviously, what works for you doesn't work for everyone. Specifically, your opinion about resets. I normally tend to think like you because the idea of spending 34 hours sitting in one spot just fills me with boredom just thinking about it, lol. But I don't mind them if I'm in an area where I have friends or family than can pick me up.

A few of your other issues are company specific and don't pertain to me but I certainly remember when they did!

 

Nothing about learning not to leave your girlfriend unattended at the Peelot.