Swift or Community College?

Discussion in 'Trucking Schools and CDL Training Forum' started by daniphoenix, Sep 9, 2019.

  1. daniphoenix

    daniphoenix Light Load Member

    50-60k a year??? In the first year OTR??? Are you serious? I had been hoping for 30-40k the first year.

    I’ve worked in call centers for seven years and Finally broke 30k. I want a job where after seven years of experience, the pay scale advancement is closer to 60-70k rather than 30k.

    I had kind of assumed the worst when it came to trucker pay, and figured a lot of the people who made 60K+ just got really, really, lucky or hauled the most dangerous stuff imaginable
     
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  3. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    $60K is normal these days for a new driver.
    Get the hazmat endorsement because that can help.
    Hazmat loads can be something like fingernail polish or cans of spray paint.
     
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  4. Oor

    Oor Road Train Member

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    Keep in mind it can be a 70 hr week. How much does call center pay if you put in 70 hrs a week?

    You'll do in 6 days of you're really trucking. And then complain they won't let you do more. Have to sit for 34 hrs.

    Most of your days will be spent driving around in a big truck, drinking coffee, listening to the radio, and trying not to let idiots kill themselves in front of you. Pretty easy.

    But the hard days. Ah, the hard days. On the hard days, you'll earn that money.

    After you put your time in, a world of options open up. Some very good jobs out there.

    Start researching the forum, figure out what sort of trucking you wish to do. The instructors at a community college will also be invaluable in that regard, which is one of the reasons why I recommended it.
     
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  5. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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  6. speedyk

    speedyk Road Train Member

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  7. daniphoenix

    daniphoenix Light Load Member

    Omg! I need to get into this sooner than later... I did get into three accidents last year. Before that, I had never had any accidents at all. It will be a year from all of them in February. It’s a long story, but there was a lot going on at home, and some of those days I shouldn’t have been driving on that little sleep. No duis or dwis. Both were minor fender benders where the cops weren’t called.

    Someone told me those would NOT prevent me from getting a CDL, because they happened before I was a “trained professional driver” is that correct? If I was hiring, and I saw that, I may not want to hire that person.
     
  8. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    Companies do look at accidents in a private vehicle.
    Submit some applications and see what happens.
     
  9. daniphoenix

    daniphoenix Light Load Member

    First, they won’t let me get 41 hours a week let alone 70.

    But if they did let me work 70 all weeks of the year... it would still probably not even be 40k.

    A lot of things on the road scare me. But none of them scare me more than having to financially depend on someone else (boyfriend... parents... family) or being this poor for the rest of my life.

    If I can’t find a husband, and it looks like I won’t be... I want to adopt kids when I’m like 40. I have to financially get myself in a place where that is possible. After five or ten years of OTR I could probably find a home nightly job and be there to raise them and stuff... and have money for a down payment on a duplex home or something like that.

    But I’m tired of being this poor lol. I know I could drive one of these things. I know I’d be happy doing it.
     
  10. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    If the trucking companies don't hire you for their school, try private school, then there's plenty of 2nd chance companies that will probably give you an opportunity.
     
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  11. speedyk

    speedyk Road Train Member

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    A. The accidents possibly helped you learn to protect yourself first, before any other concerns, even if that means pulling off and sleeping, taking time off, etc.

    B. If they weren't reported they may not have officially happened, get the most thorough MVR you can and see what it says before confessing on a job app.
     
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