Really need advice. Becoming a trucker?

Definitely don’t feel discouraged just be realistic in trucking everyone is trying to screw the driver from the companies, to dot, to brokers, and shippers. But there is money to be made if you’re smart keep your head down and just focus on you and your lane and not what Joe blow at the fuel island is doing you’ll be fine. Every driver who I talked who failed it all came down to them trying to do what another trucker was doing literally 2 of my classmates from trucking school are #### bankrupt because they let one of the “vets” talk them into signing up for leasing with only a couple months under their belts and they were not prepared at all and every time something went wrong they’d say but so and so did it or ran this and he makes $$$ I don’t get why I’m not making the same. Honestly I’m good friends with that “vet” and he’s the biggest BSer there is he only showed them his gross he didn’t show what he was taking home after expenses, fuel, and tax he was barely making any money with that company his money was coming from referrals and bonus

 

Be a company driver for a couple years and then decide if you want to buy a truck.
Don't do a lease/purchase from a trucking company either.

 

How. I just time for you have in with the RR?

I wouldn’t leave a union RR job if you have some years in to start at the bottom in trucking.

 

Don't listen to the gloom and doomers. The crash they are so breathlessly predicting was supposed to have already happened. There is money to be made out here if you bring the right attitude and know your numbers. You can even do OK during the downturns. Note I'm not saying you will do ok, only that you can.

And don't go thinking that you're going to become a millionaire just pulling a dryvan. They're ok, but you need a fleet of them to make the big bucks. So the money is in specialized freight - anything other than dryvan - or in a fleet. Or both. Half the trucks on the road are dryvan, the other half is everything else.

 

Forget about those minimum wage mega-carriers. If you look around, pound a little pavement, and are willing to work - you can make 6-figures your first year out of school.

 

Roehl flat bed starts at .47 and a half com + accesorials.
Never got pay info from Swift or Knight

 

I hear Roehl flats don't get a lot of miles.

 

It's taken a little while but demand for drivers has definitely driven up wages in the past decade or so I've been in the industry. I started out driving for Watkins and Shepard in 2011 for $.25/mi if you can believe that, which by today's standards is a joke. I see road jobs for $50-.70 cpm now and city LTL guys bumping docks for darn near $30/hr straight time with OT after 40. Used to be only UPS guys got that kind of hourly wage. (I can only imagine what they top out at now...probably close to $40)

 

Well I sure hope you're wrong.
Recruiter (yes I know) claims approx 2200/week to start. I can get more of I want to spend more time in the great lakes area but I'm pushing for most loads in the west allowing home time in Vegas.
Haven't started yet, but I'm ready to play the game. I'll take extra time in mid west to keep moving. Wife is already prepared that I may (will) go over on the 11-14/3 plan. Give me 21 out if I can grind out the miles

 

If you don't mind some hazmat and tanker work, look into some of your local fuel and propane companies. Just about all of them seem to be hiring in my area. I'm in new england too. I just got my cdl a few weeks ago and just signed on with a propane/fuel company. They are giving me some really good training to get me started as well as a decent paying job with great benefits. I'm making a career change just like your thinking... and I don't even have to take much of a pay cut.

This is also all local work, so home every night with a 10-12 hour shift. It's also all hourly pay with OT over 40. I never thought I'd land a job like this out of school but they are out there. I also tried for Estes... I was told they will train new drivers in our area but it didn't work out. It looked like they had some experienced drivers fill the positions, but it would be something good for you to look into aslo, Good luck!!