Help Truckers. I need a job and Im unemployed, please tell me about the industry

They've been running the crap out of me, I doubt it will last much longer. But then I skipped going home this Christmas. First year I've ever done that, but I had an accident last October, some old man in a mini-van ran a stop sign in front of me and I ran over him, messed him up pretty bad, wasn't my fault, but I still lost three weeks of pay while they sorted everything out. So anyway, when they offered me miles to run while everyone else was parked for the Holidays I took them. Now maybe I can get the bill collectors off my ###.

Anyhow, you all are right, the timing is bad to get into it, but if the guy wants to, I wouldn't discourage the guy. As long as there are outfits out there like Swift, Stevens Transport, and England out there abusing the rookies, there will be companies hiring. They have a revolving door at those places. But you shouldn't get into it because you are in an urgent need of an income, because you're in for a lot of disappointment if that's the case. I always get a laugh at those truck driving schools that run advertising promising a $40,000 a year job after just four weeks of training.

I still say what the fella needs to do is get the hell out of Michigan. There's nothing happening up there, and there ain't gonna be anything happening up there for some time to come.

 

I'm just going to restate for those who have not gotten the msg yet what has been said allready.

1) Trucking is not a job. it's a life style. Don't get into it "Becuase you need a job". Do it because you what a whole new carrier. Becuase you hate 9-5 same ol' same ol'. If you need a job, go work at wally world.

2) If you don't want to be away from home for 4-6 weeks. Or those at home can't deal with that. Don't do it.

3) Right now is a real tuff time in the trucking industry. If you come in to it now you will have to put up with what ever crap you company dishes out till thing improve. The first couple of yrs are hard to beagin with and right now they are twice as hard.

4) you will have to run OTR for 1-3 yrs to get a local. Just get that in your mind right now. Very, very few companies hire rookies to do local.

5) you will never get rich running a truck. I've been done this 15yrs and I make about $60G a yr. To start out you will make 25-30G. Can your faimly live on that? And thats if you stay out and run.


I think truck driving is great. I will never do anything esle again. But it's not for everyone. Better think long and hard before you choise this life.

 

If you have $5000. to invest in trucking school, my advice is that you save it for family needs. If you have a real passion for trucking, I would try to get a pell grant for schooling. I recommend first that you read the posts of all who are starting out, and have already completed training. It's really tough now. I say again, Only if you have a real passion.

 

Being in the same situation as you, I'll add my comments. If you are unemployed and qualify for your state's unemployment benefits, there's a good chance they will pay for you to go to school. I just finished school, and had to pay for it myself, but the school only cost $3,600 and has an excellent reputation.

There are several companies that hire new student drivers, not just the big 'training' companies. Many are smaller companies that have 100-300 trucks on the road. You'll never hear of most of these companies on a site like this, but if the school you go to is worth it's salt, they'll know about them and have their recruiters visit the school.

Before going to school, make sure that your driving record and criminal record are squeaky clean. There are companies that are still hiring, even now, but they can afford to pick and choose and are hiring only the best applicants.

I'll have to agree with others here that getting a local gig without 2-3 years OTR experience will be difficult, if not impossible. I'll also say, however, that based on companies that I've interviewed with and have investigated, there are companies out there that will get you home every 12-14 days. Don't believe everything that the recruiters tell you... check it out on sites like this and by talking to their current drivers.

Good luck!

 

I got my start in trucking at a 2-week CDL course sponsored by CRST in 2001. I was at the unemployment office in San Diego, CA and filled out a CRST employment application. A week later I was put-up in a motel in Colton,CA... paid up-front by CRST. I was near broke with only a small amount of money from my unemployment checks so this arrangement worked for me (no family to support). There was a complimentary motel meal in the morning, which was my main meal everyday. The first day of school, I signed a contact, which stated that if I worked for CRST for 12 months, my tuition of $4,000 would be paid in full and I would have my CDL free and clear without paying CRST a dime. However, the cost of the motel would be taken out of wages earned after the trainer graduated me to driver status. The 1st week of the CDL course was classroom lecture in the morning and in the evening at the motel studying the California Commercial Vehicle Drivers Handbook, which provided the knowledge to pass the DMV Commercial Drivers Test. The 2nd week was learning and talking-thru the detailed visual inspection of tractor and trailer, driving the tractor and 53' van in a yard backing, parallel parking, and driving around the city streets of Riverside. If at any time you let the tandems hit a curb or you hit any object, you were automatically failed, dropped from the course, and sent packing. There were 4 other students in the tractor with me plus the instructor. We all took turns driving, which meant each student did not get that much time behind the wheel during the seven days of driving. You really had to have the desire and determination to learn fast because in a week you would have to face and impress the DMV's Examiner scoring your driving ability... it was very stressful, but I passed both the DMV written and driving tests. Now I was assigned to a CRST Trainer and was paid 18-cents per mile as a CRST Student Driver. Long story short, I was graduated after 4-weeks OTR training in 2001 to CRST OTR Team Driver at 22-cents per mile. With no family or anyone to support the open road and tractor became my home. I adapted to the trucking lifestyle like a glove fits your hand. Living on the road for weeks at a time without a care in the world other than making an on-time, safe delivery with my co-driver. After 2 years at CRST, I was seasoned and had the experience to go solo, which I've been doing for the last 5 1/2 years. In 3-months, I will have my 5 year anniversary with the company I'm pulling for now, which will be 7 years 9 months and 800,000+ miles to reach near the top of National OTR Driver Pay of 45-cents per mile. When freight was really moving 3 years ago, my income peaked at $56.2K. Now over the last 2 years with the economy slowing, freight volume down, and getting loads of say 600 miles with a delivery date 3 days down the road, my income has gone down to $51.7 at the end of 2008 (I could have probably made a bit more $$$ if I had'nt taken a few extra weeks of earned time off, but my annual gross still would not have hit my peak of a couple years ago. Now that were in the beginning of 2009, I'm hoping freight volume and miles will pick-up for everyone.... we can only wait and see. This was my way into trucking with no up-front money to pay a CDL mill.

 

Driving, I noticed and wanted to point out for the rookies that you said you where sigle. No family to support. I'am too and it makes a differents. If you have a wife and kids it's much MUCH harder.

 

You're absolutely right, Kabar. I did not add that part of my entry into trucking because I can't relate on how the isolation from loved ones would feel for long periods of time. For me, being a truck driver in the lifestyle is a sweet surrender to being a prisoner of the highway... isolated from the 9 to 5 office job and not having to deal with office politics. Like the trucker song lyric goes, "The feel of the wheel delivers me from a life where I don't want to be!"

 

My buddy landed a job at WalMart as a cashier. Sure, it is part time, but they hired him long term instead of just for the holidays as that was the deal. He likes it. Works around 30 hours a week. He said he is taking home (net) a little over $250 a week and not killing himself. I know, It doesn't sound like much, but it is a job.

I told him to run over to Lowes or one of the other local stores and see about getting another part time job. What the hell, if he can pick up anther $250 net, that is $500 a week. About what he would do in a truck right now, fewer hours and home in his own bed every night.

Beats the hell out of trucking! Especially if you are a newbie.

Mike

 

Very good post . Yes , it isn't hopeless but as you pointed out many students were sent packing . Also notable your training was in 2001 . The job market has changed drastically in the past year and is getting worse .
While some state employment offices or Pell grants will pay for CDL training what happens if you can't find a job , get rejected by a carrier , or don't get enough miles to make a living ?
If someone out of work can get state or federal funds for training there are better careers to pursue . State agencies can advise what trades may have a shortage of workers . I have suggested in other posts checking working for barge companies . Moving freight by barge is expected to increase . I know people working on tugs . There are job opportunities there with good pay and benefits and chances of advancement .

 

TRucking is slow now.Winter is a bad time to start a trucking career.Having a family to support dictates what you have to do.I`ve often thought that I could make more money and have more time with my family if I worked 60 hours at any other job,but thats not me.Gotta truck or something with diesel smoke anyway.Evryone says you need 3 years to get a local job.I`ve got over 30 years and still haven`t found anything local I like,including my dump truck which is sitting in the drivewaycollecting dust.If your family isn`t on the same page as you,you`re gonna be miserable.