Any chance of starting out making $50,000?

People forget to tell the man that he is going to be stumbling around in the dark for a while after he goes solo as OTR. It takes a while to learn how to use the HOS with efficiency, and route efficiently. Not to mention that there are a million other little things that one needs to learn as he/she goes. Even local/city driving in certain areas can take a while to be efficient.......if he decides on that.

He just might hook onto a decent paying job that puts him over 40K-45K his first year out. But the reality for most new OTR is somewhat less than that.

 

There is a chance you could make 50k. There is also a chance you could win the lottery.

 

It's quite a few companies out here that'll allow you to make $40 to $50K your first year and be home every weekend. More than likely you won't find them in a trucking magazine or on a website ad. Find a couple of companies that are from your area that has 100 trucks or less and give them a call. Most of the stuff folks have put in this thread are guys who think you gotta leave school and go drive for the Swifts & US Xxpress of the worlds....

 

That is the truth about bending their own rules. QC was recruiting out of the CDL class that I was in, even though their printed ads said they required 1 year exp. Although when I talked to the terminal manager he told me not to count on earning $50K the first year. He said $35-40k was typical of new hires.

 

It sounds like you have a good job as of now. Why do you want to change? Just asking

 

Well welcome to trucking. You just got your first lesson in trucking: lots of people who drive truck like to brag and BS.

The federal government says the median trucker makes $38,700: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533032.htm Don't expect to do better than the average your first year out. Many do not there 10th year out!

The hourly wage figure is deceiving since most truckers are payed Cent Per a Mile. Of the few trucking jobs that don't rip your off with CPM is the construction industry. If I was you I would stay in the construction industry and look for a way to work in a truck; Going to trucking school is a waste of time and money and will leave you with a job that pays far less than what you are doing now. Refer to Surfer Joe on this one.

 

You're going about this in a wrong way. That's my opinion anyway. You want to search all the companies that take just about any driver that can walk then you keep searching ON-LINE. That's why they are there so they have a huge driver pool to be at their disposable. Just for a moment think about how and why a company would advertised on-line. 9 times out of 10 it's a company that wants you to come to them so they can use you then toss you aside when you start to realize you're getting low wages and horrible dispatches. The system is set up in a choice situation for them. They get their freight moved for low wages and do not need to worry about drivers. Once the driver gets a few loads under them it's golden for the company. They run the driver off and take the next one that's looking to make 50K a year. That's why they advertise and that's why they have a high turn over rate. There's always a driver that will work for peanuts.

So what can you do? The computer is the best avenue for information but it's also the best at letting you know who to stay away from. Do you think that a company that has drivers that retire and /or happy have the need to go out and advertise aggressively? No because it would be a waste of money to them. Those are the companies that you want to seek out. You have to learn how to identify those companies and how to establish a path to employment.

Set down your goals on what type of trucking you want to do. Have a plan "B" in case your first one fails. Start to gather company information by all means except the computer. Use your newspaper, phonebook, drive around the industrial areas, check the fuel points, you could even go to the local government and ask, any means where the company is not looking for drivers. You can then go to the computers and download trucking companies in your area. Try to stay away from the recruiting ads. Get all the information about trucking companies in your area. If they have a guarded gate first try calling them for an appointment and last ask the guard if you can see someone about employment. You should have a list with just about all the companies in your area you can drive to. Of course it all depends on where you live but I believe you'll get the idea. Sit down and weed through them. Go spy on the top ten. Check their trucks to see how clean and new they look. Try to find a driver and ask him the employment questions. Is he happy and so forth. Once you have that then you can go in and talk with the hiring people. You may find a problem here and they just as might tell you to apply on-line but that's an indicator for you too.


When you go in and talk with the company you'll be establishing a meet and greet opportunity that you'll remember them and they'll remember you. It's a plus for you if they have to compare applications. If they compare application from on-line with your they are going to remember you (if you're lucky) and the driver that files blind will only have the paper to describe him or her. You do this with a few companies and if all else fails go to the computer. At least you'll know you try everything possible and you won't be going down the road wondering "What If". Remember, the more you put into this job the more you'll get out. Good luck.

 

Yup. The BLS statistics are the first thing I point to. The average trucker is never going to make $50k/year, so it's not reasonable to expect to start out making that.

Another thing is that pay per mile...starting out...is most likely NOT going to do you any favors. Some basic mathematics (i.e. You can only run so many miles when factoring in traffic jams, learning your route or routes, time spent at shipper and receiver docs, and #### newbie trucks breaking down) are all you need to run to see that you are most likely not going to make that kind of money starting out.

Realistically look at your background. One thing to keep in mind is that if you can't get a hazmat endorsement due to your background (required by fuel and LTL carriers)...your options for decent paying gigs are limited.

 

I am sorry, if someone isnt making at least 40K a year, they are not trying to.

 

It's pretty easy for someone in this industry to fall short of that number even if they're putting in 50+ hours a week.

I'm assuming that you're trolling, but if you're not...you have to keep in mind that for every guy with a clean background that qualifies for pretty much every gig he puts in for (should be able to make $40k+/year)...there are two or more drivers out there with felonies, DUIs, multiple moving violations, etc. People in that boat aren't going to have the luxury of picking and choosing a place of employment based upon whether or not their compensation package is ideal.

My CDL class definitely was evidence of that theory. For every guy with a clean background (people were VERY open about their situation)...there were 4+ people that were going to have some real issues finding employment.

Edit: That's not getting into the issues that I mentioned in my previous post...or the fact that there are a lot of driving jobs out there that either pay Jack ####...or give minimal hours (or miles...whichever is the case) once people get working.