Is Making $800 a week as a NEWBIE possible?

You have to take into account that a loaf of bread up your way costs twice as much as down here and even for a pound of frozen chicken breasts is three times as much, it's all relative.

 

That "Hungry driver is a happy driver." is an interesting point. I averaged just under 10,000 paid miles a month my first quarter. This quarter that average is down to just over 9200. I'm wondering if that has anything to do with them trying to keep a driver hungry just so I'll run whatever load they throw at me. I also was crawling up my dispatchers butt the first quarter. Any time I had time on a load I was asking if I could deliver 8, 12, 16 hours early. I'd say I could be close up to 24 or 36 hours early and ask for a relay so I could keep moving. Now I am more lax, and I've been just taking and running on their schedule. I wonder which is the bigger contributor to my drop in miles.

 

It depends on the FM(dispatcher), if you show the FM you will make miles and money. I rarely ran less than 2700 miles my last time with FFE unless I was on a home week. On top of that my FM also made sure that I always got my layover pay; it wasn't perfect, but she did take care of me. It was the crappy night/weekend dispatchers who could really screw you over.

 

i didnt read the whole thread but, anything less then $800 a week TAKE HOME should be a bad week.

My checks take home average between $850 and $1000
My Lowest check was $500
My highest check was $1,435



American Trucker

 

Football coaches would love to have quarterbacks with memories as short of those as some truck drivers. It isn't about the minimum of a week or the maximum of a week. It is about what to expect over the course of a month or a year.

Once again the key is to look at your budget and say, "Can I sustain this budget if I have a bad month?". I don't know a trucker alive who hasn't had a bad month at some point in their career, and when that month comes you have to be prepared for it.

 

While I agree I would say that can happen in any occupation. Even what are deemed essential services face cut backs and lay offs these days. It is incumbent on an individual to ensure their survival of off times.



But a new driver is probably going to be somewhere in the 25-30,000 range if you go to one of the big box carriers that will offer contract for training.

 

I have a very small trucking company (2 trucks). When my drivers are on the road, they make at least $1000 per week. If you include stop pay, detention pay etc, they make more. The only thing that prevents a newbe from doing this is that insurance companies don't like to insure drivers with less than 3 years experience. Hence, I can't hire newbies.
The key to making money is to actually stay on the road. If you drive for a week, then stay home for a week, then expect to make the money only for the week you've been driving.

 

well i can close the doors in 30 seconds--and i still get 25 bucks for it--ok it is longer if i put a strap or bar in
and not all van drivers are lazy--some do it cause of injurys or medical conditions

 

~edit Nevermind... it's just not worth it...

 

All the $$$ figures and no time frames???

What is considered a week? 5,6,7 days and the hours for that matter 8,9,10 hrs drive time?

is a "week" common knowledge ?