Litmus test for new drivers...

have good work ethic,and do a good job,you'll be surprised what can fall in your lap.

 

Thomas, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. You need to communicate with your DM in a polite , and intelligent way that you need to roll. Let him know no later than Thursday to have you a load lined up for the weekend. Speak to him daily and make him aware of your hours, location and eta's.You gotta stay on his radar dude.

 

The problem is not just your lack of miles; it's primarily the insultingly low pay per mile. I had no idea there were even starter companies paying that low. I normally discourage job-hopping, but I'd get out of there ASAP unless you can manage a significant raise very soon.

What are your prospects for pay increases there? Do they have a set pay raise schedule for rookies?

 

Stop supporting the low wage OTR work.

Don't tell me you cannot get a good local job without going OTR. Pure BS from the people who profit off the jobs.

A kid just across town from me started at UPS just last winter unloading packages with no CDL. After loading packages for 4 months UPS put him through paid CDL training, and even though it took him 6 times to pass his CDL test , he is now a feeder driver for UPS.

Don't say selling your life to one of these sole crushing OTR megas is the only route to trucking. Pure BS. If anything they are career ruiners. Most of the drivers I know with good hourly local jobs have not spent a day driving OTR.

Oh, and the OTR gigs paying less then MickyDs; that #### is true. I am not talking waiting time or sleeper time either. Too many fools divide the CPM rate by 50mph and think that is the hourly wage they take home in a CPM gig. Poor math on their part, never accounting for the hours wasted each week working for free in trucking related activities that go unpaid.

 

I think the wasted time pissed me off more than anything else. Particularly the time spent looking for that "phantom trailer," that they tell you is waiting for you," just 50 miles away." Then you get there, and it is either gone, or so screwed up that only a fool would try to put it on the road.

Actually, most of the time spent at shippers/receivers didn't bother me that much. They have their needs and priorities, and unless the wait was excessive, it was no big deal.
It was my time wasted by Knight that finally got me off the road.

 

Thanks for the tip. I will definitely talk to him and see if we can't get the ball rolling. I was under the impression they have so many drivers to look out for they won't be able plan your loads untill you deliver and send your delivery to consignee macro. I will speak with him and cross my fingers.

Thanks foryour insight. This company doesn't offer any pay raises the only think I can get is a 20$ safety bonus for the month basically.
The only reason it's hard for me to get out is I have a contract with $6000 and one year with my name on it. I would have to find a company that would pay me enough to pay back the 6k on top of some decent pay. And from job hopping I'm worried the job I would hopto only has the icing on the cake to get me in the door. After that I could be in a even worse situation. So I'm just waiting it out now and seeing if it gets better. And if there's anything I can do. Right now I'm driving solo and it's great. They can't find me a partner and I'd rather them not. But I will ask them for one if I have too. And hope they are safe, clean, cool people, and it break my things .
We'll see what happens.

 

Despite the fact I have several relatives involved in trucking, past and currently, I have only ever seen the inside of a sleeper equiped truck maybe 3 times in my entire life. Everyone I know who drives owns daycabs.

 

You guys make me sound insane for liking the lifestyle. it's great fighting for parking at a truck stop and being away from home for weeks on end. I honestly enjoy this. maby I am crazy.... I did just buy a dead alligators head to put on my dash