A different question about first year pay

I didn't think about that; but that's correct & Millis Transfer is a dry van company. I think they haul a lot of beer and beverage loads.

 

10 years ago I averaged 2900 a week over 18 months, at 32 cpm.

Unloading pay sometimes ran $200-$400 cash per week.

It can be done. However - I remember Xmas day being really quiet on the road . . . if you get my drift.

 

I didn't mention the unloading cash pulling reefers. Get the stop pay, detention pay, lumper pay. Yes, that untaxed cash per week adds up to a lot over a year, not including selling pallets...lol I went for years and didn't spend any of my own money on road expenses; used the tax free money. The company didn't care because I ran hard and was dependable. About 6 of us got a wink & a nod.

 

Yup - 6 cents per case on 4000 cases, twice a week . . . I used to jump all over those loads, other drivers didn't want to run CT, ME, VT etc.

Attitude has a direct correlation to income.

 

10 years ago you didn't E LOGS. 10 Years ago DOT slapped you on the hand shut you down for 10 hours and gave you a 100 dollar ticket. That never showed up on your record. Times are different. You guys throwing out numbers to people who are hurting financially and giving them unrealistic expectations. Guys and Gals who don't know you can't trust a truck driver or a dispatcher. Always my friend blah blah 3rd cousin made 50,000 his first year. 10 years ago 32cpm was top pay. But this guy made that as a rookie. People enough with your trucker stories. You ain't fooling nobody but the rookies who about to spend time on a cdl and be out of the industry in 6 months. People are living pay check to pay check just like everybody else, and they have been doing that for the 15 years I been driving. You don't get paid salary for the most part. You get paid weekly or biweekly. 12 months isn't promised. Let's hear from the rookies how much they are making. They are the ones living it.

 

$45k is realistic depending on the company.

If you are going to start at 28cpm with Swift or Wiener I highly doubt you'll ever accomplish that. But if you start at 39cpm with Tyson... You know what I'm saying.

My first full tax year was at $40,294. And that included 3 months at .30, 3 months at .32, 1 month at .34 and 5 months teaming at .44 split. I went home for 3-4 days every 3-4 weeks. That's an average of $787 gross per week. Sucks balls but you gotta start somewhere.

 

Depends on which rookies you ask. Some are making $28K and some $50K - $60K depending on which company they went with. It depends a lot on how motivated a new driver is. I personally know 2 rookies that worked at the same company as me and they made $60K their first 12 months solo and on Elogs. They hauled acid, sometimes heated to extreme temperatures, in tankers 48 states; not everyone is willing to haul extremely hazardous chemicals or gasoline, but those that are willing can make that money. Dinomite, if I remember correctly, in a previous post,you said you aren't willing to do that; you called it something like dragging a bomb behind you or something similar. As to Elogs, once you learn time management and how to use Elogs to your advantage you make good money; they are a pain at times but we have to adapt to the rules and make them work in our favor.

 

Yes I did say that I wouldn't be a suicide jockey. I was referring to going to an average company and expecting to make 45,000 just because you don't take home time. It's way more to it then not going home. You like to throw out types of equipment and put big numbers behind it. But I do believe you yourself said you are now retired and I'm not sure of what truck stop booklet you get those numbers from, but they are about as funny as those advertisements If you pull flat bed 50,000 reefer. 50,000, tanker 60,000. It's not about what trailer you pulling its about who's name is on the truck, and how much work they have, and do you have the sense to make use of your time to make the most cash. FYI I been pulling big numbers and haven't had to pull a hazmat load and stop at rail road crossings, and take bypasses around cities, go over dangerous mountains because I can't go through tunnels. Waste my time watching safety video's at every chemical plant I go to. I've always hated going to those chemical plants. I was always afraid something was going to blow up.

 

Made 57,300 my first calendar year. (Gross) barely went home. Don't be late, keep your driver door shut and run your tail off!

 

I made over 60k my first year and was home weekly. I do throw freight once a week though so that made a big difference.