What is the REAL average first year income for a new driver

Here is your answer: trucking is not for you.

This career is best suited to people who are good workers, yet stuck in jobs that will only ever pay around $9 - $13/hr. (warehouse workers, service workers, etc.) NOT people used to making good money, especially when you consider the hours required to earn it. I read somewhere recently that the median income for a truck driver was somewhere around $45,000 per year. That means half of us make less than that and half of us make more.

I happen to make very good money in a small slice of the industry where six-figure jobs are not inheard of. I'm not quite up there, but very close to it. Plus, I'm home everyday. It's about as good as you can get in this industry (in my opinion). However, it took me over a decade to get this type of job, and I'm only 1 screw up away from having my income cut in half.

I love trucking, and I recommend it as a great career for many people. I would still love it at $40k per year. But I would never suggest it for a person who is used to making twice that. Because even if they did magically make over $80k their first year, chances are they wouldn't like dealing with all the challenges, stress, and time involved to earn it.

 

At least at my company a "settlement" is basically just a more detailed version of a pay stub. I get both a settlement, and a pay stub.

 

It's a breakdown of all the financial elements of your pay. Each load you ran, how many paid miles per load, extra pay for things like detention, extra stops, border crossings etc. It also shows reimbursements for out of pocket expenses the company is responsible for like tolls, scale tickets, and minor truck repairs. Any pay advances are also shown on the settlement.

 

I work here locally in Vegas hauling asphalt and heavy haul for a respected company. We are teamsters and make a decent wage. I’m well over 75k to date this year but it’s what you put into the job that gets you what you want. You have little to no experience doing this type of work and with any type of career, experience is priceless. I grew up in O/O family and decided to put a driver into my personal end dump and become a company driver cause of benefits and retirement. 50k locally isn’t a problem as a local driver depending on what you want to do.

I take trucking to the heart and it’s not for everyone. Just because you’re a hard worker and say “oh I can do it”. Doesn’t mean you “want” to do it. I’ve never worked a day in my life cause I love what I do. From when the money was good in the 90s thru the $#!t fall we took on the early 2ks. It’s all about grabbing a gear and pulling through. To me I look at it as a sport. My team is peterbilt and the game we play is dirt and lowbeds. Who want some?

 

I don't chase people away, just try and give a realistic picture of trucking. People have no idea how hard this business is. After all, we just hold a wheel and aim the thing down the road. Piece of cake, right?

 

Its really comes down to your average miles per week if you can get around 2500 to 3000 or drive 600 miles per day in a 5 day week that would be easy to accomplish which just then equates to what cents per mile rate your getting.

 

Well hey, thanks for teaching us all about this business. No need to actually be in it to understand it- you just study it and know everything. Nice.

Before you give me the ol “you just don’t understand owning a business”- understand I owned my own business for 22 years. There’s one reason to own a business- to sell it! I took my golden parachute. I just don’t feel the need to act like I know everything, like some people.

But hey, I’m glad you’re done here- nothing left to teach us I suppose.

 

Best of luck to you, but if you really don't need to work and just want a hobby there are many things I would do rather than getting into trucking.
If my old lady ever said she was sick of me in the house, I'd tell she had 3 choices
1) woman, you go out and get a job
2) deal with it, quit your beach'n
3) see, ya