First week driving SOLO thoughts

Send me ur number. U can be working at highlight within 72 hours u take 1 or 2 road trips to USA with a trainer $25/day 4 days total and then you get your truck and off you go alone working 2500 miles a week

 

Understandable, but don't let misplaced loyalty ruin you. I did that with Bison (I almost quit trucking, trying to make it a year with them). There is a driver shortage, esp for FAST carded drivers. Don't waste your time dealing with this crap, tons of places will give you a job tomorrow.

 

The reason you need to beg for work everyday is because they have no customers, and are using brokers for loads, or waiting until end of day to get distressed loads expedited type stuff, more money for them. Less for the driver.

 

Welcome to trucking. You aren't going to get many good runs for at least another 8-12 months with this company (if they're a big operation), and you aren't going to start making any real money until at least 6-8 months. It's not a good way to keep people interested in working for them, but it's how it works.

If you are already questioning your choice, I have to be honest, your future may not be very bright. You've got to tolerate trash runs and being treated like it to get anywhere. You won't really start seeing any real respect until you have 1-2 years experience. And hopping job to job won't help either (as in-demand as drivers are, it'll still reflect on your resume).

THAT ALL SAID, this is the learning period. This is when you learn how to drive, how to manage your time, deal with customers and the office and learn how to be a professional. Work on building skills for the next few months, and concentrating less on money. Skill building at this point is the most valuable thing you can do/get.

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The reason why companies hire "new talent" is because they can't incentivize the experienced drivers to stay (why I left my first company), and ultimately, a driver working for 35 cpm is saving them money and giving them better revenue/profits than a driver that costs 48-50 cpm. It's why my first company did pretty blatantly. Senior guys would beg for miles and not get them, but they'd send the greenhorn on the 3300 mile trip (because it'll save them $264 in wages; 48 vs 40 cpm).

Loyalty should be earned, not given (both by you and your company). They should be giving you a reason to stay, aside from giving you experience. There are hundreds of companies in Canada looking for ANY drivers, with experience or without. Find one that treats you like a human being, talks plainly and honestly with you (to your face) and gives you what you want (within reason).

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Waiting is a part of trucking, you are going to have to get used to it, or just get out now. A wait of 1-2 days for a load is not uncommon if your company does factoring/broker loads. Do they pay layover after 24 hours? It's not ideal but it's fair (even though they'll likely find you something before you hit 24 hours, and won't pay it if you move).

I'm working with a new company (only about 1.5 years old, but started by someone with over 20 years in the industry) and am getting more miles than I have hours in a week to handle (been running recaps the past couple weeks between resets). Loving what I'm doing, love who I work for and she's already doing everything to make me happy.

 

Or Paul's Hauling, lol. I worked there for three months and didn't make more than $1500 net and their pay structure was bi-monthly. They even sent me monthly updates on my pay expectations they laid out at the start, and I was short $1500-2000 every month.

"Oh but fuel pays so much more." Yeah it does, but you don't get the gravy runs until you have several years of seniority (read: 7-10+), and work ethic is basically never factored into how loads are distributed to drivers. So working hard and efficiently isn't rewarded.

And the driver services manager was so sad to see me go (they didn't have to do much to keep me, aside from give me more work). I didn't work more than 45-50 hours a week the entire time. I said I wanted to work a 70 hour week and was on their "A-side/B-side" schedule, which means you max out your 70. But fertilizer/asphalt season were "slower than usual" and they over-hired for both and had to "spread out the work".

At the very least it helped me realize I dislike seasonal work, regional work and tanker work. Give me 2-3 days of driving, 1 day of hard physical work (strapping, tarping, chaining, climbing, etc), then 2-3 more days of solid driving and I'm like a pig in ####.

 

Yea, we have a lot of Ex Paul's Hauling guys in LTL, oh the stories!

I disagree on needing to have years of exp to get good runs. Good companies will give guys who want to work, the good stuff that needs to be done. OR they will organize their fleets, so that everyone is working in the area they like. IE I'm in Western 11 +Texas and No BC. me and 5 other guys are into that, so they keep us here. If they need to broker work in the area, they do. Most of the other fleet are open board all lower 48 + Canada, and 3 guys are NE + Ontario if you can believe that lol.

Again, it all comes down to finding a company who cares, give a ####, and puts in the effort. Like you said, respect is earned in both directions; the key to that is effort. This guy is gonna do fine, the minute he calls any of the companies I listed above and gets rolling.

Trucking doesn't have to suck or be "Thats Trucking", you just have to know your worth, and go and get it. I'm proof! I mean I started at Bison in a recession FFS! lol

 

Well, trucking does suck for a lot of people a lot of the time, lol. You've just got to find the place that treats you right and gives you what you want. Finding that early in your career can be tough, without the experience, but it does exist.

I just don't like telling guys it'll be all fun and games to start, and sell it to be something it's not. I got forced into doing that at New Hope while doing their orientation.

 

Titanium is a top shelf outfit, all new Volvo's and nice trailers. They want 3 years and mean it, but that's a good one to keep your eye on for the future.Also give Payne Transport a shout.

 

Stay away from Contrans they are just another mega carrier that will jerk you around.