My fears of becoming a trucker

Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by Lonestar956, Jun 11, 2011.

  1. Heirforce1

    Heirforce1 Medium Load Member

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    35k to 45k first year is about average.
    50k to 60k is phenomenal
    Anything higher is just some old "whale stories" that aren't true
    Just remember it's a lot easier to make money when you dont have
    to worry about all the problems YOU LEFT AT HOME!!!
     
  2. harleymanjax

    harleymanjax Rookie Skateboarder

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    I'm all for encouraging and helping a newbie in anyway possible, but I think we do a disservice to them when we sugarcoat things or don't tell it like it is!

    This is not a job, or a career, it is a lifestyle!

    If you are that worried and with your other posts concerning your felony convictions and drug use, I'm gonna be honest with ya..............FIND ANOTHER LINE OF WORK!
     
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  3. Reverend Blair

    Reverend Blair Light Load Member

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    That goes for pretty much any kind of education though.
     
  4. canuck in da truck

    canuck in da truck Road Train Member

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    as for what you will make--well the wages are all over the place as for what you do--what you haul and where you go--and especially who you work for
    one thing i dont like is in the US its that new drivers start lower than other drivers--i do think you should get more as you get exp--and for longevity--but the starting wage should be the same--youre doing the same job
    in canada generally--its --here is the wage--wether you have 20 yrs or 20 months



    my first yr back after a long time away---think i grossed about 64000--other guys in the company that wwere training and east coat dedicated and such were right at a bout 100,000--that was running pretty hard with mainly multi drop loads and pics--some times the accesorial pay can out weigh the driving pay
    if you can drop 5 loads and one border crossing in a day--thats about 150 bucks before counting any mileage

    but then again trucks without paper logs might have a bit tougher time doing that
    it all just depends where you work
    i am not even going to guess what it iss for guys in the oil patch right now
    last guy i talked to was about 250 a day--free room and board in camp--on a water truck which wasnt very busy
     
  5. ronin

    ronin Road Train Member

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    Really? You think education is expensive? Try the expense of being ignorant.
     
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  6. Reverend Blair

    Reverend Blair Light Load Member

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    My point exactly. F'rinstance, I need a new 3-spool hydraulic block for my garden tractor all of a sudden...John Deere factory part. The price of my own ignorance. :biggrin_2552:

    Trucker's schools are actually pretty inexpensive compared to educations that result in similar-paying careers. For less than $10K you get into a job that pays well. Compare that with most university or trade educations.
     
  7. ronin

    ronin Road Train Member

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    You posted your comment.. "That goes for pretty much any kind of education though." right after the guy said "I've wasted 5k or so on training?"

    Seems you were against spending money on education, so I countered with, if you think education is expensive, try the cost of ignorance.

    You original post looked like you were anti-education, that's all.
     
  8. Skunk_Truck_2590

    Skunk_Truck_2590 Road Train Member

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    What I find funny is these thing's worry him (The OP) but he had another thread that was deleted where he says he doesn't want to stop smoking pot! If you can't stop using drug's then the thing's you listed are the least of your worries!
     
  9. Reverend Blair

    Reverend Blair Light Load Member

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    No, sorry for the confusion. I was responding to the "What if I completely suck at it," part of his post. I know plenty of people who have gotten educated in areas they ended up hating, or flunked out half-way through, or worked in for several years even though they knew they weren't suited to the work. Compare $5K for a trucking course to 4 years becoming a carpenter or a teacher though.

    The way I see it, education is never wasted. At the very least it gives you broader horizons.
     
  10. Reverend Blair

    Reverend Blair Light Load Member

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    Well, here's a song for him: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvn0PnjL_z8[/ame]