Advice? Don't become a trucker.

And to think that some folks think that a person can't make a decent living as a company driver.

 

I don't own a company but I can tell you what mine is figuring out right now - pay a line-haul driver 23 an hour to work freight and it's done quickly and correctly. Pay a temp 11 an hour and the freight gets torn up and there's a good chance it's not even manifested on the trailer.

Bottom line in life is you get what you pay for whether it's an employee or a vehicle. I don't have a lot of stuff but I'm willing to shell out a lot of cash for the things I purchase with one stipulation - it had better be good..

 

its from ITT TECH it is in information technology/multimedia, been out of school for almost 2 years had several interviews for it positions and they have all said I have been out of school too long to even get a entry level position, so with that being said, i am just trying to find something that pays more than what I make now so I am not living paycheck to paycheck as I am now

 

Just wondering where you went to school at and who didyou started driving for? was it otr? just wondering cause I am wanting to get into trucking so I can make more than i currently do at a dead end job now thanks in advance

 

I think the other poster had it correct. I was told that you can make good money as long as your work ethic and your attention to on-time performance are above standard. This is not a gravy train. The shipper wants to make sure that the load is on time then they would pay for that driver that could drive the tractor-trailer and get the load there like the devil himself. You get what you pay for in this business, any business for that matter. You lower the living standard for the middle-class then you ghettoize the whole industry, there is a price to be paid one way or another.

 

I went to Roadmaster Truck Driving School in Columbus Ohio. I used the WIA fund as I did not have the cash. I had many pre hires but choose to go with Maverick Transportation. I had never driven before and got all of my information off of this forum.
The life style took some getting used to. But they try to get you home or through the house every weekend.
It is flatbed and it is hard work. I lost 20 lbs...which I could afford to do..(-:
Is it my ideal job? No. But I have not had to foreclose on my house and I am making ends meet.
After 6 months I believe it jumps up to .41 a mile.
You can make a living doing this. You just have to do your homework and decide what you want to do. Not all companies are alike.

 

Sorry for not replying earlier. The call sign is also a website I have. I noticed that ALOT of drivers have excuses as to why their bodies, and their finances, are UNHEALTHY. So, I throw some blogs up, week to week, giving tips and ideas on how to change that. It's more of a hobby right now, so the site doesn't look that great or anything.

As for how I define healthy, eating right, exercising daily, getting enough sleep(most nights), living below your means, budgeting every month, not using credit, etc. These are things all should be doing, but few do.

 

JimTheHut, I'm glad your doing good. It proves that if you do your research, work hard, you can make a living trucking.

 

58 years old and making a grand a week, that is great, You put alot of work into this since day one.
You are the exception..........most negative posts do NOT refer to You or a couple of others on here.

However, to the majority that are beginning a CAREER in this field, they are almost doomed from the start.
They are convinced that they need to go a bottom feeder and work for peanuts !!
Some drivers after 10-20 years are still going to these companies, and are happy to make 35-40 cents an mile !!!!

There's something to look forward to !!!!! ........ NOT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I believe there is more truth to the original post than most people want to believe !!!

But, no worries........nothing will change !!!

 

I find that there are a few mitigating factors involved at all times.

A) Do you keep your CDL guarded? Meaning, no tickets, infractions, etc. If you do, and you keep your CDL for a length of time, then you're less of an insurance risk for any company, and the better companies will look at you. If you don't, you'll be looking to work at the bottom feeders.

B) What is your personality like? If you never speak up for yourself, you'll never be home again. We train others on how to treat us. If you speak up and tell them you're not going to be out for a month at a time, and do this continually, then your dispatcher will realize you're not one to be left out there. Yes, it may take time, and yes, you may feel like you're getting nowhere, but if you persist, you will prevail. Either that, or you'll know to move on.

C) Do you live below your means, and run a monthly budget? If you're only getting $0.28/mile and 2000 miles a week, then you can't be spending like you're making $0.40/mile and getting 3000 miles a week. This may sound like common sense, but I talk to drivers every #### week that are complaining they don't make enough, and then talk about the new truck and boat they purchased. If you're making little to start, budget for it. Don't be another idiot that has decided to overspend his way into bankruptcy.

Too many people get into this industry, and never come up with a gameplan or action plan on how to learn, excel, and keep your head above the waterline, so to speak. To many want to be the "victim", and find someone or something to blame, so they blame dispatchers, shippers, 4-wheelers, etc. Start looking at the way you run your life, and maybe you'll find the answers to your issues.

And yes, I know what I type will irk alot of people. It always does when someone tells others to look at themselves, and evaluate themselves first. Anytime you think the problem is "out there", then that's the problem.

/rant