Can I make 40-45K 1st yr OTR?

Negativity breeds negativity..... Woe is me!!! What it basicly comes down to is.. if your a whinner.. a complainer.. dont like the industry GET OUT!! .. The sky is falling the sky is falling.. chicken little!

WHY RAIN ON MY PARADE JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE MISERABLE?

 

Yea, there's a lot of factors, but look at it this way:
Most companies that hire newbies pay 0.26 -.030 per mile. Figure a good first year (not great, not bad) is 100M miles. Average pay: 0.28/mile.
You're looking at $28,000 first year after training.
Could be a little more, could be a little less, but those are the numbers.

 

Those were my numbers my first year at Swift, they've improved considerably. As others have said, you whine and cry, drag your feet and be a baby, you wont make anything and you'll never hit 40k your SECOND year

I've noticed alot of truckers, new and old, are people who fit NOWHERE. They're anti-social misfits, and thats the reason they get stranded, "lied" too "Abused" etc. People who think they deserve something without earning it. The median US income for 99-2010 is $50k. 30-40k isnt doing too badly.

 

Just a minor correction. You won't make 100M miles the first year. You may make 100K miles the first year. (M = Million, K= thousand)

 

Yea, their called lier's. I'm sorry I meant recruter's lol.

$40-45K in the first year? Good luck on that one. Most make under $30K the first year. I only made $27 my first year. If I were the type to work an office job I would but I can't stand working inside a building running a computer and pencil pushing. The work is a lot harder and many responsabilies, a long with keeping up with your personal need's as in daily chores except in a truck and not in your home while dealing with the typical truck driving company BS which is a lot and that's were the loss of sleep start's next to running a log book and so on.

Trucking is at it's all time worst so you'd be better off keeping what you have because new regulations are going to start going into effect soon that will weed out the bad apples and a driving job is not a financal guarentee being it is a gamble. Most of us try and survive on the BS pay but I'm sure I can speak for most when I say that we mostly do it because it's in our blood and we love what we do. Some do let trucking go who are "attached " to it because they have to pay the bill's and some time's what they make isn't coming close to getting them by.

 

It depends what standards you set for yourself. As I have said, I will make more than 40k my "first" year.

If you settle for a bottom feeder, that's what you get.

 

That's a fair observation. It never ceases to amaze me when I overhear a driver on the phone with his dispatcher, and he's screaming at the person on the other end and talking to them as if they were dirt. Sure sometimes they give you a legitimate reason for being angry, but I still try and be respectful regardless.

 

After reading the negatives on this site, I'm questioning my plan to quit my social work job in the spring to drive with my boyfriend. I have compassion burn out and more stress worrying about other people's problems than I can handle anymore. I make about 42K/yr and I feel like it's killing me slowly. Sounds like although you are making less money, overall you are happy with your decision?

 

Only you can decide whether or not it would be better for you. If you and your boyfriend can TEAM drive, there are quite a few companies that you would be suited for and that will pay you well. Take a look at the USX Section in the DAC Reports. There is a couple there, less than one year into the business, who are doing VERY well financially. I personally would not have figured they would do that well with USX, but that just goes to show ya that little surprises exist EVERYwhere.

Why don't you take a week or two off and go run around the country with your BF? I'd say two weeks MINIMUM, so you can get a good taste of what life on the road is like.

Personally, I could never do social work. I just don't have that kind of patience, but obviously, a lot of folks do. Maybe you just need a vacation?

Whatever you do, don't just settle into something because of perceived "security" or "great pay". The tradeoff there might be being miserable. I know way too many office drones who make good money but hate life and constantly fear the specter of a layoff.

My .02

 

Does anyone think that the length of your hauls is dependent on where you are hauling out of and what kind of freight your hauling? For example, it seems like the drivers in the East have shorter runs and longer layovers. I have talked with a recruiter of a local "starter" company in Dallas and she stated that "potential" earnings the first year is 40k. They advertise in their recruiting packet that solo drivers "average" 3,000 miles per week. Out 3-4 weeks, home 3-4 days. Average haul 1,500 to 1,600 miles 2 times a week. Anyone who has been to Texas knows you have to drive a fair piece to get anywhere so I would guess that the farther away from the seaboards you are, the higher average mileage per haul. They run reefers and I imagine a lot of runs to the produce centers so I would guess that dictates the length of runs.

So I figure with terms like "potential" and "average" there are highs and lows. But like any profession, you get out of it what you put in.

But, a little bit about where I have been and where I'm heading. I spent 20+ years in the Army, 10 years in public education, and 4 years working for defense contractors with 3 years of that in Kuwait. But, as a baby boomer I have not been able to land a job suitable of my education, experience, and certifications. The younger generation is in charge of hiring and they don't like old people. Oh well, their loss.

So, before I run out of unemployment benefits, I will make this career move and make the best of it. After working three years in the Middle East doing 12-16 hours a day 7 days a week, I can put up with anything as long as there is no sand involved and it's not 135 in the shade.

But honestly, most of you have good input and again, it's based on your experience. I for one have always committed myself 110 percent on any endeavor I set my mind to. I have weighed the negative postings with the positive and have made my decision based on my needs and desires. God bless America that we have freedom of choice.

My brother has been an owner/operator for about 20 years and he has told me to go pay my dues, get two years experience then we can work together. So my ultimate goal is a joint venture with him and we'll see where it leads.

Like they say in Arabic, Insha'Allah which means God Willing so by the grace of God, here I go.

Hooah

Doc