Did I just screw myself?

sanityfree, you seem to be like a lot of the drivers out here. You did not screw yourself. You did what you thought was best for you. Unforntunately, most of these otr companies don't pay there drivers what they deserve to be paid. It appears that they are all the same with very few exceptions. There is a reason that these same companies have to advertise. Whether it be in a truckstop mag, a newspaper or on the back of a truck. They go thru drivers constantly. I don't think I need to explain why. Just read the posts on here. There are some exceptions but I don't know how the rest of drivers stomach the lies.

 

I don't think you screwed yourself. The truckers that get the miles are the ones that are productive with their time. If you maximize your time (without being illegal) and are where you supposed to be, when you need to be there, the money will be there.

Lots of new truck drivers do not understand the lifestyle, and training companies don't want to put a bad spin on things and scare you off. Missing one single opportunity (getting lost, sending in bad data, etc.) can mean the difference between making a 1K a week, or working for $5 an hour.

If you think you are going to get 3500 miles a week just by changing companies, don't fool yourself. If you do change companies for that reason, then work for a company that pays more for accessorial tasks, not just miles.

Drivers that get a lot of miles are pretty much flawless in their paperwork, map reading, etc. New drivers should think about that, and of course watch for lots of fish stories, which really gets some boring days go by for the more experienced drivers!

There is also more money for company drivers driving as teams, or becoming an instructor. Independent operators may make more, but they may require large credit lines if they don't want to loose the house mortgage (for repairs).

Be patient, you are not in NASCAR, and this ain't fast food. Freight can be downright boring at times -- but that's part of the paycheck.

 

I know this an old, dead post, but I feel the same way bout my 'hawk!