New guy saying hi

Where is your location?
Are you in cdl school?
Flatbed is stable if you're with the right company. Reefer is always stable even when freight slows down during some winter months for other types of trucking, reefer will pick up due to holiday celebrations and more food needed.
Most reefer & dry van outfits have driver "no-touch" freight, so that good news for protecting the back and other joints in the body.

 

You'll probably make more money in the warehouse. Please do the math before jumping in. Many people don't and live to regret it. If you have a recruiter "helping" you just remember that everything they have told you is a lie.they wouldn't be able to make a living if they told people the truth.the truth is, you will work 90 to 100 hrs per week. For 1,000.00. Probably less starting out.BEFORE TAXES are taken out.so that will leave you with 750.00.800.00 if you're lucky.if you spend 20.00 a day eating and drinking you will have about 600.00 left.God help you if you made any advances.those will come off the top as well. So then you would have 500.00 or less to pay any bills you may have. If they tell you that you will average 3,000 miles per week that's a lie as well. 3000 is a good week if you add your miles up at the end of the year and divide that number by 52 your average will be more like 2000 or less. I don't know of any company drivers who are driving 156,000 miles per year. 104,000 is more like it. If you run pretty hard. So use 2000 miles or less per week to get an idea of what you will make. Your money will come in the from of bonuses and tax returns. Not simply driving. Loose your safety bonus and fuel bonus and whatever other bonuses they have nowadays and you might as well quit now. All I'm saying is do the math,the real math,not what the recruiter says and do your homework. A lot of people leave perfectly good jobs to drive a truck only to be seriously disappointed when they find out the recruiter lied about EVERYTHING and end up quitting within the first year. A lot of people, who done the research and started out with realistic expectations make it. I don't know the exact numbers but you'd be surprised how many people freak out when they realize their working, away from home for weeks and weeks,for 8 bucks an hour. Not trying to scare you and I hope you have a long fulfilling rewarding career driving. Just don't believe the hype!its not always what it's cracked up to be. Also keep in mind that you have to pay your dues in this industry. The better paying, better jobs in general will come with experience. Keep a good clean record and eventually you'll be able to pick and choose where you want to work for the most part.get tickets and mess up your DAC report or whatever and you'll be lucky to find a job. Sounds like you may be wanting to do it for the right reasons though which will serve you well. And I'm not talking about the money. People who drive because they like to drive and enjoy the lifestyle are the ones who make it. And eventually end up making pretty good money too.people who think that truck driving is the answer to all of their financial problems usually don't. Its another world otr.literally. a whole sub culture type of thing different language different way of doing everything. There's also a dark side that you should avoid at all cost.that peterbuilt that just went by may have a driver who's been up on meth all week with three teenage runaway prostitutes in the sleeper with the radio wide open partying down in their own little world.or it could be a 65 year old grandfather with 3 million safe miles under his belt and a nice retirement plan. You just never know. Just be careful about who and what you get involved in out there. Be careful be safe and good luck!!

 

Get exercise on your own terms; not dictated by freight. Carry a folding bicycle in the truck; it will fit in the sleeper and won't be subjected to road grime. Don't worry about steady work in trucking. If you have a strong work ethic, you'll be fine and when your dispatcher finds out he/she can depend on you, you'll be running the roads all the time.
If that local cdl school is 160 hrs. then you should be ok with that.
If you prefer trucking company school, there's several to look at:
Contract Freighters - www.cfidrive.com - coast to coast dry van trucking.(hair follicle drug test)
Roehl Transport - dry van/flatbeds/refrigerated. I'd go with the "National Fleet."(hair follicle drug test)
Millis Transfer - dry van & runs eastern half of USA.
Wil-Trans = refrigerated & runs eastern half of USA.
Maverick Transportation - flatbeds & refrigerated.
TMC - flatbed
Schneider Bulk - tankers and probably the best pay of all these. Talk to a recruiter about the tanker division and school options.

 

Just Google reviews on any company you're considering and try to make the most informed decision you can. YouTube also has a lot of videos of people in school or just starting out and sharing their experience as well as videos from experienced drivers just sharing their day to day activities. Get all the info you can about a company because believe me they will check all the info they can on you including social media.

 

Hi. Welcome aboard the board.

I'm curious: Why aren't you considering tanker? You don't fingerprint freight, it's easy on your back, it's steady and it pays well. It's not real easy to find tanker work as a newbie, but with a good bit of digging, it's not impossible.

Just sayin'. Everybody has their preferences. Good luck with your new career!

 

Schneider Bulk OTR you can "take home" between $1000 and $1500 weekly. Do 24 months with Schneider Bulk, then switch to Trimac Transportation OTR and make over $100,000.00 per year.