Reasons to start or not to start a career in trucking.

30,000 would be above average the first year for a new driver! You could come out in the negative too! Are there success stories, yes! There are more failures than success's though. Most newbies do not realize what they are getting into and then financially they are stuck. Do you have a family? I don't recommend it if you do. I also wouldn't do it unless your current job just absolutely sucks and you can bear it anymore. Reason I say this is because getting into trucking is a big decision. It is not just a job. You are going to be changing your entire life! Do not listen to the recruiters, do your homework and don't take any truckers advice including mine! Read through every post on this website and weigh your options! Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

You are never going to make money driving for someone else. Are you mechanically inclined? Willing to crawl under a greasy dirty tractor to adjust brakes in the cold? If not, stay in your cubicle, truckin ain't for you.

 

Very good point! To succeed in trucking you need to be a business person, mechanic, gypsy, and survivor, sprinkle on top a little craziness and a side of loner gravy!

 

Adjusting brakes these days requires education and certification since they are almost all self adjusting slack adjusters.

You can make a living driving for others, and sometimes even a decent one, and the only way to get the experience and knowledge to go O/O is to drive for others.

What you earn will depend on several factors, some of which are beyond your control. Research the companies you are interested in to see who fits your needs the best.

 

Overall, trucking is a good job. Especially if you're a person who enjoys solitude.

Many companies will mislead, lie, and cheat you if given the opportunity. Check out every available piece of information you can find, for each company you consider. It may take some time to find a company that fits your personality and work ethic. But the effort can pay off big time.

As far as making $30k plus a year. It's easy when freight and the economy is rolling good. But things have changed over the past few years. And experienced drivers are finding it difficult to make the wages they made just 5 years ago.

However, there is a silver lining for all this. It's called Federal Law, and the CSA. Industry insiders and sooth sayers are predicting 6 figure salaries within the next 2-3 years, for experienced drivers with clean CSA records.

Of course, you'll need 6 figures when a loaf of bread cost $10 in 3 years.

This job is what you make of it, good and/or bad.

 

You can't inspect the brakes to confirm that the automatic slack adjusters are doing their job from inside the cab. You also have to know what to look for. Truckin ain't easy. That is why they have so many DOT cops looking for people who have no business operating a truck.

 

Wow! Got any links to these predictions? I'd LOVE to read them!

Yep. Especially when the value of the dollar is going into the commode as we speak.

 

I seem to recall that as a driver we are NOT qualified to adjust our OWN brakes unless 'certified'. I check them but do not adjust them as they have working and functional auto-slack adjusters..but, the fronts were NOT adjusting properly so it's at the dealer this week getting NEW ones installed. The originals were stripped.

By the way, to the Original Poster on this thread:
97 out of 100 people that enter trucking are NOT in it at the 1yr mark.

 

Yep. This is most important point of this thread so far. Can you make more than $30k/yr in trucking? Sure. You might not see $30k until your second year, but its not unheard of to see $30k or even a bit more your first year.

But the thing that anyone thinking of making the switch needs to consider carefully is that the turnover rate for new drivers is EXTREMELY high. Just like Hanadarko said, most new drivers quit in the first year. There are lots of reason for that, but the bottom line is the odds are against you being able to stomach this industry long term.

And since getting a CDL requires an investment for most people, its not something most people should try 'just to see if they like it' IMO.

As for the OP, there is no easy way to tell if you'll be cut out for trucking up front. But there are a few things that can help skew the odds in your favor. If you're single or otherwise have few responsibilities that tie you to any particular place, you'll be more likely to adapt to the lifestyle. Likewise if you can easily live out of a suit case and you know how to be fruggle on the road, i.e. keep your truck fridge stocked so you don't eat three meals a day at the truck stop, you'll stand a much better chance of being successful early on. OTOH, if you've got a family that wants you home 14 hours a day, or you don't like living off of sandwiches out of your own cooler, then the cards will be stacked against you a little higher than they would be otherwise.

Its an industry with a lot opportunity and a whole lot of potential downsides. Read everything you can and be as honest as you can about what you think you will or will not be able to stomach and then choose carefully. Good luck to you either way.