how much money will a rookie make when starting OTR

You should be able to make 30k.
Even in the current economy.
Hopefully things will start to improve soon and we will not have have this huge of an over capacity issue. Then 30-40 is not a problem first year if you communicate well and run.

 

My neighbor is just finishing his first year with Swift. $23,800 with 2 weeks left. So he'll have right about 25K. And he said he's been home for 27 days this year !!!!!!!!!!
I do NOT think its worth it, no way in heck..........................

 

Not worth it to work for swift apparently.. Too much time sitting. I dealt with alot of Swift drivers at my former job and they all said they have to sit and wait all the time. As I said, there are alot of variables as to what you will make, but find a good company (i.e. NOT Swift) and you can fare pretty well.

 

Spend two years doing a good job for whoever will hire you. Keep a clean record. And you will be able to choose any company you wish.

 

That would be my thinking as well. I would look at the 2 years as paid training getting to know the industry well, hoping that by 2011 the economy will have improved and i will make the money on the back end. I would also use those 2 years to research every available opportunity and be well placed to take advantage by then.

Of course if you have bills to pay in the meantime that may not work.

 

the swifties who sat a LOT were the ones who didn't want to work, and decided to be crybabies about it. as for myself, when i drove for them, i made $38,000 last year. the difference between those morons and i is that i took whatever they gave me, went wherever they sent me, and did my job without crying and without running late. if it went to new york, chicago, new jersey, canada, somewhere else that stinks, i took it. why? well, it's simple: i wanted to make money.

swift is fine for the person who is willing to play the game, and if you're willing to abide by their rules, regardless of how lame you think they are.

i made more money driving for swift than i am driving for knight. at knight, i pretty much have to run somewhat illegal to break even at the end of each week. at swift, running legal, i was able to break well beyond even EVERY #### week without a problem. i could easily afford to take a week off after having been out for a month and a half to two months at a time. i didn't have to turn in my truck, either. at knight, i begin to sweat it after the 4th day since on the express schedule.

why'd i leave swift? well, i found a local, non-driving job at the time. when i was there to fill out paperwork, i was informed that there was a hiring freeze, and to try back next year. for 2 months i tried finding something else. swift wasn't/isn't taking experienced drivers. i decided to give knight a try due to the lack of negative stuff i'd heard from their drivers. man, the grass sure as hell isn't greener over here!

 

My bet is that he's just lazy. You see them at every terminal the guys that haven't figured out that if the tires aren't turnin you ain't earnin. They reject pre plans because they don't want to go to that state, don't want to haul that kind of fright, stubbed their big toe last night. And here's a big one this time of year "There's a storm there" never mind that it would take them two days to get there anyway and the storm would be over by then. And then there is the guy who thinks that a 500 mile load that picks up today and delivers tomorrow is like being worked like a rented mule.

When I came back into driving in 08 I went to work for Swift for a few reasons. In 08 I made 44K and it wasn't even a full year hint number 1 my work day was 600 miles. My DM even said that I messed up her system has she planed all of her other drivers at 400 miles a day so I was always early on her. This year I'm looking at right at 60K atm, next year I will probably move on but that's a decision that's yet to be made.

I run solo and I do not train. The secret is simple. Do your job, Do it well, Be early for everything, Be PROFESSIONAL, Don't get lippy with Customers, DM's, And Planners. Do what you say, Do what you commit to. And stay out of the Indian casinos.

The guys who are always sitting and only making 25K a year... yea there's reasons for it and maybe someday they will get a clue. Most likely when they are on their next job or the one after. But they will still sit around and complain about how much <incert company here> sucked because they always sat when they worked there.

 

Thanks Ohnoo. I've been lurking here for a while. Sounds like a little common sense may be needed. I signed up for and blew through their online CDL training (Had a CA Class A permit 10 years ago but company had a big layoff before I could get my CDL). I need to call my recruiter back Nov 1 to see if there are any class dates available. I am single with no family in the same state as me so I wouldnt mind taking anything anywhere.

Again, thanks for the info.

 

I'm curious as to how much you drivers made in your first year of truck driving? What trucking school did you attend? What company did you go with your first year? What are your impressions of your first company?