Most Important Questions From New Drivers Threads

finshed my training with trainer 2 months ago was out 4 weeks strait it gets better after that

 

how much can a driver expect to make his first couple of years if drives only the legal limit

 

That's a loaded question!
if you figure 10,000 miles a month or 120,000 a year then figure out your pay.

Those numbers are on an average good dispatcher who can keep you going.

These days these companies have slashed drivers pay to where you are making 80's and 90's pay which is an embarrassment but what are you going to do?

Anyway there are the miles you could do a year and month just don't jump into trucking thinking you'll get 120,000 miles a year when the average I'm seeing in this forum is 2500 a week at best. Now I averaged about 2500 to 3000 miles a week but I was on a dedicated route out to NYC then whatever came up back to the yard. Because I was dedicated and the load was a multi drop and NYC I made extra money for the pleasure of driving around the 5 Boroughs! My best year was 2007 at $74,000 and my last year 2008 was $48,000 for 25 1/2 weeks. Then I came off the road for cancer treatments and am waiting for all the medical crapola to end so I can get back out but I know I won't get that run back and the driver pay being slashed the way it is I'm looking at those insulting amounts of pay!

Anyway, my point is don't let the paper monster fool you into thinking you will make "money" as a driver for a while! And from experience do NOT let some L/P driver BS you into thinking you'll make $1000 a week when he's pulling in MAYBE 3000 miles a week at a piddling $.89 or $.98 a mile and some FSC of $.25 a mile! Those numbers you can figure yourself and be sure to add all the fuel, payments, insurance, and other costs that it takes to run a truck and you'll see where a paltry $200- $600 a week is BS as an O/O which you aren't until you pay off the truck and get out from under that companies dispatch system!

paper always looks good when figuring things but real life hurts that fortune telling paper!

 

I recently attended orientation for Star and was accepted. However; I have changed my mind and would like to go with a different company. I have not received a paycheck and I am not under dispatch. Also have not been assigned a trainer as of yet. Is it possible to quit without receiving a bad DAC report?

 

So what you are saying that me with 8 years prior experience but nothing in the last 11 years has a better chance then someone new I cant really believe that there is always room for a new driver, people retire, people quit, some find jobs in other sectors, and then there are those that start and find that this is not for them. No matter what no one should tell someone that they have no place in this profession. Of Course except for the person training them and if they think they don't belong here then they should defiantly tell them and be sure the true reasons are noted.

Yes I am trying to get back on the road I enjoyed it while I was there and now with no work in my chosen profession I would love to go back.

 

have never missed a payment on my house. I didn't buy no McMansion like some of my friends did. I bought a small 3 bedroom, finished the basement to make it a 4th bedroom. I spent a lousy $96,000, and unlike others, I put 20% down. My house is toast. There's no way in hell I can keep it the way things are.

How can anyone NOT be able to afford a $77,000.00 mortgage payment? That is somewhere near $600 per month, plus all the deductibles your wife squeezed out? You should be able to make that payment as a fry cook.

 

You mention you put 20% down, and have ideas of a 4th bedroom, You then have increased the value of you home. Get rid of all credit cards, car payments, if you have to stop at a relatives and eat, but keep making the mortgage payment,no matter what. It wont be long, things will get better. Maybe have someone else move in to lighten the mortg. payment. Keep your head up, dont you dare look down. You can do it. Good Luck.

 

Hey all, I'm considering becoming a professional driver. I've been reading this site off and on for a couple of weeks and would like to ask some questions. One thing I find is that while this forum has a lot of information to offer finding it and finding it in a straight forward manner is hard to accomplish. My questions are basically for information that isn't all that clearly presented or that there are generally several answers to or that the information I've been reading is several years old. So here we go:

1. What can a newb in today's market expect to earn during the first, second and third years?

2. Are lay overs paid for? Is the time spent waiting for this or that paid for? If so, when does the pay clock start?

3. Is there such a thing as overtime with pay?

4. What expenses is the driver expected to cover and be reimbursed for?

5. Are there enough loads to keep drivers driving?

6. How does one find local transport companies to apply for? Are there web sites that list those for a specific area? Where would you suggest I start my search specific to my locale?

7. Is business getting better or worse?

8. What's the general outlook of the industry?

9. What happened to wages in '06, '07 & '08 when fuel prices exploded but business was still good?

10. Is it realistic to believe I can make $50,000/yr as a company driver?

11. When looking for a company what signs should I look out for to gauge whether I should choose that company or run away?

12. When over the road how much time are you 'off' per day? Do you get a day off during the week?

13. How do you not kill yourself eating truck stop food?

Ok, that's all I can think of right now. Let me just go over what I think I already know. You can correct me if I'm wrong.

Don't go to swift, CRE plus a dozen or so others. Don't lease. Go to driver school at a CC or private company. Expect to work 14hour days. Expect to see home ever 5 weeks or so. Driving is a lifestyle, not a job. Grandma Debi is a CRE recruiter. Stay away from the lot lizards.

If I missed anything, please let me know.

 

You've got the general idea. Just keep reading the posts

 

1. What can a newb in today's market expect to earn during the first, second and third years?

With a good dispatcher, 30-35k the first year. You should be able to jump to a 50k/year job after you get a year.

2. Are lay overs paid for? Is the time spent waiting for this or that paid for? If so, when does the pay clock start?

In my experience, 2 hours is when the clock starts. Some companies pay a flat fee, some pay hourly.

3. Is there such a thing as overtime with pay?

Very rarely. Some companies are generous enough to do that.


4. What expenses is the driver expected to cover and be reimbursed for?

Usually tolls, lumpers, and weighing your own truck.

5. Are there enough loads to keep drivers driving?

As a simple "gut feeling" speculation, yes. I don't have any facts on that subject.

6. How does one find local transport companies to apply for? Are there web sites that list those for a specific area? Where would you suggest I start my search specific to my locale?

Find out who is local in your area using Google or the Yellow Pages. Dress for an interview, go see them, fill out apps, shake some hands, leave good impressions.

7. Is business getting better or worse?

In my humble opinion, better. Some drivers don't like the new hours of service because it's more difficult to split up sleeper time. The stories of the 70s truckers poppin' bennies and running 4 logbooks tells me things have improved.

8. What's the general outlook of the industry?

This is just my speculation again, but it seems that it's going towards more organization from the trucking company office. Routes and fuel stops are pre-planned, and directions are on the qualcomm. GPS units get you right where you need to be.

9. What happened to wages in '06, '07 & '08 when fuel prices exploded but business was still good?

They seemed to stay the same.

10. Is it realistic to believe I can make $50,000/yr as a company driver?

Yes.

11. When looking for a company what signs should I look out for to gauge whether I should choose that company or run away?

Condition of equipment. General atmosphere of the company. If it starts out difficult to communicate and things seem disorganized, it probably is that way throughout the company. The best gauge is to talk to as many drivers from different companies as possible. YOu'll get a general feel for how people end up feeling.

12. When over the road how much time are you 'off' per day? Do you get a day off during the week?

Ideally you're running your full 11 and stopping 10 hours and able to keep doing that until you hit your 70 hours, or run enough each day to just stay within your 70 hours. That one varies greatly depending on availability of work at that time and location. Sometimes you'll sit for a day or two, sometimes you won't stop and next thing you know 3 months have gone by.

13. How do you not kill yourself eating truck stop food?

Mostly it kills your wallet if you eat in the restaurants. People have come up with many creative solutions. 12-volt microwaves, hot plates, coffee makers, and large coolers can give you the option to bring more healthy and lower cost food with you.