Whether to go OTR or it's not the right time

If your making more than $300 a week before expenses then stay put..

 

If you have a Co. that is offering you a job go for it. But in general stay away for the next month or two. Rumor has it that it will pick up. I have been looking for the last 60 days with no luck.

 

I have a OTR question as well. I make about 700 a week before taxes right now. The company is in construction also and isn't looking too healthy. I will most likley go with Swift for my training. Main question is, honestly what can I expect to make the first year, the second? I know they say avg. 42000 the first year but don't know how they reach that and think it may be bull. I pulled in 36000 last year. Advice?

 

well we have a 5 thousand guys who live in their trucks and been here forever, they are making 60k, then we have 5000 guys been here 2-3 years making 44k, then we have 10 thousand newbies making 31.5k.

5000 guys at 60,000= $300,000,000
5000 guys at 44,000= $220,000,000
10000 guys at 31,500= $315,000,000

$835,000,000 divided by 20,000 drivers = $41,750 each or 42k average pay

so, what category are you in????

 

I agree, averages are deceiving.

If you have a room full of grandparents with their grandkids, the math says the average person in the room will be 35 years old. In reality no one is that age.

Gotta find a median salary figure, or what most truckers are actually making.

 

25-30k first year, don't expect much more, but you could make more with your experience in knowing how to run etc. I made around 28k. But remember, the slowdown was starting as well, so that certainly cost me some productivity and potential for more running.

I think I can easily do better this year provided the freight picks up now that I know a bit more about what I'm doing.

I doubt too many newbs made much over 30k last year IMO though I'm sure some did. Just speaking from my experience as a first year Swifty. I'm sure some did better and probably a few worse. I normally stayed out for three weeks.

 

Thanks for all the info. Everything on this site helps. Thanks again.

 

Interesting . That pay seems to be over industry average but only 25% of drivers have been there over 3 years . There seems to be a missing factor . How do earnings from newbies that stay less than a year factor in ?