Military-Retiring Soon

I can't provide you with any details. Maybe someone local to your area can do so.

But I can provide you with one nugget. A husband/wife team I used to work with, left CFI to run local in Nevada. They were offered $20 an hour to drive buckets hauling gravel for construction.

That's a chunk of change any way you look at it for a couple. $40 bucks an hour as a couple driving seperate trucks.

Of course, I imagine the winter months are slack for them. But still.

Talk to some of the locals, get a foot in the dorr. And get after it

 

Welcome!

I'm very new to this industry, but I'm sure many of the more experienced drivers here will chime in. I would say you will see a huge swing in wages, here in the Nashville market I have talked to drivers working construction, driving flat beds making $12 an hour to guys hauling regional fuel (Tankers) making $60k a year. It seems that most of the local LTL (ABF, Fedex Freight, etc.,), pay their experienced guys like $18-$22 and hour plus holiday and sick pay and excellent bennies. Jon

 

Once you get your CDL I know a company right there that will put you driving right away if they have an openning. Check Anderson and Sons Trucking. It's the worse company I ever had to work for but you can gain the experience you need to get the better job down the line. They run LTL line haul all over NV and they have local drivers. They don't pay very well and some of their rules are out the window. I used them until I went to work for an oil company and they paid the bills. You have to expect the crummy jobs in the beginning, we all paid our dues.

 

It is a good idea to talk to future employers before you get out. I did the same thing and the boss told me to go OTR for a year and get some experience, then we will talk. Exactly at my one year mark, he called and told me when I am on my home time, I need to take him for a ride in one of his trucks. He told me I had the job and they would teach me how to drive. I though I was an excellent driver but my first load was a half full smooth bore tanker and I realized I had a lot to learn. Now I have a local job and making as much money as I did driving OTR. I plan on staying this job as long as possible.

When you start driving Keep your mind open to the many different types of driving jobs and you will find one that fits you perfectly. For example most people I talked to while over the road said stay away from refers and tankers. Well I have been pulling tankers for 3 years now and I don't plan on pulling anything but tankers from now on.

 

The JB's and Swift's of the world depend on this mindset.

Not all newbie jobs are crummy, nor are all jobs for veterans pieces of cake. There is no reason anyone should settle for a crappy company if they don't have to.

There are good companies that treat newbies right, just need to look for them. The assumption that you can only get a crappy job starting out is not only wrong, but does a disservice to new drivers.

 

You're right, not all new jobs are crummy, after all we all have different opinions and standards of what makes up a job. I myself will not work for no money nor will I ever be forced to drive an unsafe truck. Sure you can search and search for that perfect job and maybe you might just get it.

Some of my drawbacks might not be the same as yours. Working on the bottom of the board, short on loads, no choice in days off, No choices on any item until the conglomerate has gone first.

It's all about that driver now looking for a job. If he likes swift or any of those others then he'll say they're great. There's always a better job somewhere.


My opinion will still stand that there will be more new drivers at crappy jobs than new drivers at great jobs. That's not a disservice where I sit. OTOH Telling a family man there's great jobs out there is very irresponsible when you have a limited mental comprehension. If you knew me your response might be different. Past posting like this one, I've always said to set your goals and get as uch information you can, then choose.