CDL-B rookie driver here looking for advice

Logan,

I appreciate the advice and I am not doubting your conceptions of the work. I'm sure you do it first hand and know for yourself. However, I know first hand that my father (who drove for 30+ years and is a retired teamster) also worked for a local mom and pops trucking company. He ran tri-axles from 6-7am to 3-4pm everyday and he would be home like clockwork. Never worked over 10 hours. Never.

I asked him about this after reading some posts in this thread and he mentioned that the loaders had to go home so when their day was done his day was done which was usually after 8-9 hours.

Just want to reiterate that I am not calling anybody a liar here. I very much appreciate the advice. However, working 14 hour days as a dump truck driver isn't be all end all. My father is proof of this.

 

I never ONCE mentioned 9-5. All I ever mentioned was I don't want to work 12+ hours a day if I can avoid it. I don't mind 10-11 hour days. I would prefer 8 if I could get it but I can handle 10-11 hour days. I worked them before for 2 years on a previous non cdl position. What I don't want to do is run myself into the ground working 13 hours a day for 5 days straight.

18-20/hr isn't that big a deal. Maybe it's because I live in CT, I don't know. I see home heating oil jobs out there hiring no experience starting at 18 and experience 19 or 20. I am willing to work physical labor along with driving. In fact I'd prefer it. It makes the day go by better. However, I am not looking to hurt myself on a job if we don't have the right equipment. A lot of places don't go by OSHA standards and you end up lifting refrigerators up 3 flights of stairs the wrong way.

Tilcon pays $25/hr driving the Euclid. I know this because this is what my father did before retiring. This also is no physical labor, MON-FRI, and 7 and a half hour days (work straight through lunch). So yes there ARE jobs out there. Maybe they are like that because they are union and the union is SLOWWWWW right now.

All I know is I'd much rather drive a dump truck at 16-20/hr then drive a box truck delivering refrigerators to peoples homes up and down stairs with some kid that has no work ethic making 15/hr. That's why it's a future plan.

 

That job was actually after he retired from the union. It was a non union job. It's cool man I appreciate the advice. It's good to know as much info as you can about different types of work. The good and the bad.