So, how much am I REALLY going to make my first year?

100's of tanker jobs available every day of the week for new cdl grads. One reason there's a shortage is because tanker companies require a hair follicle drug test.

 

After paying 4k CASH for roadmaster 3 weeks full time 5 12hr days a week just to aquire my cdl. Then off to Dallas for 3 months of making under $500 a week training at Stevens. After all that you make the big bucks going solo..........I took home 28k my 1st year. Once you get experience in you find the 70k+ jerbs. I left stevens after 2yrs and drove another reefer outfit closer to home and made 55k to 60k which worked for me but at the moment looking at other companies to go with as I have 4.5 years experience. Just be careful where you get your training to acquire your cdl. If you go under a company to pay for your training they will want you to work for them for a certain time. If you pay for it upfront and go to a place like roadmaster you could walk away from a company if it suckks with no financial recourse or contract. Good luck!!! Tons of advice on here, just read up and research options!!

 

It seems like EVERY oilfield company has a "CDL DRIVERS NEEDED NOW!" in front of the business. I'm surprised they aren't lassoing anyone that drives by or using a stun gun.

 

It is easier to consider the EXPENSE of trucking.

If a breakfast is 15 dollars in a Petro and a Dinner about that much call it 30 daily times 7 you are burning 210 dollars weekly or 840 a month or 10080 annually.

Just for two meals and they are not even that adequate sometimes depending on the cook and the source where Petro bought the raw foods from.

Trucking is feast and famine. We ran 6000 miles a week as a team (Husband and wife) and that is a conservative figure. FFE had us about .75 to the truck more or less so theoratically 4500 weekly gross. We had massive deductions over and beyond normal W2 as a defense against taxes in our state. The following week we sit and rot in front of the Americold Facility in Salinas CA for just about three days for a 1200 mile run after loading. Talk about a Pyrrhic victory.

 

I’m on my first year. I avg about $1000/week gross. I drive a tanker regionally with lots of home time. I’ll prob do somewhere in the 40-45k range when you account for slow times and hurricanes and whatnot.

 

I'm considering starting out driving a tanker. I've read that it's not the best idea, but I'm still interested because I want to fast track into making the big money.
Would you say it's been difficult learning the aspects of driving a tanker? Are there any areas you've had problems with that are specific to driving a tanker?

 

Where is your location; state and nearest city. Probably get some good leads from drivers on here.
Good idea to start a career in tankers and don't worry, you'll learn during orientation/tanker school before you're turned loose to be a solo driver. Tanker companies won't cut you loose until you're ready.

 

@an0nymou5 right now with no experience you can get hire in houston with southeastern, averitt, rl carriers, saia or xpo logistics. They been looking for drivers.

Good luck

 

Actually, I stumbled across this thread while googling "trucking companies that hire new drivers in Houston". I'm also from Houston. Figure it was a good a time as any to get in on the conversation.
This is really encouraging, I think I'm going to go ahead and go thru with signing up to drive a tanker right off the bat, because that's what I really want to do.

I'm definitely interested in that, too. I'm shooting to get my learners permit by the end of this week, or early next week. I'm studying right now. Should I start contacting them directly and explaining my intentions/applying, or should I go ahead and sign up for a private school first?

 

Schneider Bulk is a good place to start a tanker career. Schneider tanker school is in Houston and that's where you'll attend after graduating from a cdl school.
Schneider may pay for school up front or if you pay out of your pocket, Schneider will reimburse the tuition back to you @ $200.00 monthly, up to a total of $7000.00
Tanker companies do a hair follicle drug test, so you need to be clean 12 months to pass it.
If you prefer a urine test, which you need to be clean 90 days to pass, then go with Stevens Transport which has cdl school in Houston. In a few months you can go to several tanker companies in Houston.