Why Become a Trucker?

So far, my first 4 checks. $550, 900, 690, 490, this is with a smaller co. and I get home every wknd. I'm learning there are a lot of factors that decide the size of my paycheck. Last paycheck had a load that picked up fri and deliver on mon. pay period ends on sat. So that load was not on this paycheck. Same thing this week, p.u. on fri, del. on monday. Plus its a long haul so I got home fri at 13:00 but I will leave sat. at about14:00 to be 900 miles by mon 06:00. I could leave later but I like to sleep at the receivers so I start my day with all my hours available. The money is better than I was making(lot better) but this is a harder job. So if your thinking easy money your far off. If you want to make money you have to run and that means keeping your butt in the truck, not the truckstops. It's not only the fact that if your at the Pilot, TA, Hook, ect. that your not moving but truckstops cost money and stuff ain't cheap there. You'll see some nice scenery but the 30 seconds that you spend looking at that scenery could be the 30 seconds that all hell breaks loose on the road in front of you and if your not paying attention you can't react to it. I don't mean to make it sound bad, so far I love it (and hate it sometimes) and I am making decent money that will get better as my pay scale go's up. But I guarantee every day when it's time to sleep you'll be dead tired, and you will never feel that theres enough time to the day. One thing I have learned is dues got to be paid, I'm new to this and will be learning for a long time. There are drivers out there who have driven most of thier lives, alot of them on this board. Open your mouth, ask questions, show some respect, and you find help when you need it.
anyway I get a little long winded sometimes,
stay safe
b

 

I had a desk job, I think it would probably be some what like driving a truck (boring at times) except the view never changed.

 

6 hours is enough time to enjoy Nebraska.
I enjoy passing by landmarks or seeing pro sports team stadiums. Just a few glances at it while also watching the traffic is enough for me.

Some areas are awesome to see late at night. The approach into Vegas is one of them.

Some areas are better appreciated when you see them in your mirrors as you're driving away...*cough*Newark*cough*

 

The approach into Vegas is AWESOME at night, especially from the north coming out of the mountains! That light from the Luxor you can see for 100 miles it seems! Newark is good in the mirrors only if you are going south or west! lol It's best not to see Newark at all - or just about anywhere in Jersey!

To the OP: If you like time with your kids, this is not for you. Once in a great while a new driver hits on a job that gets you home on weekends. This is extremely rare. Most often, you have to at least start (first year or two) with a company where you are out 3-4 weeks at a time with a couple days off. I would say in most cases, if you are not making at LEAST $36k a year in trucking, you're not driving. Exceptions may be Swift, Werner, and CR England.

 

thats good money from the US GOVERNMENT!!! why not try and get a trucking job that just pays cash so you wont have to report any new wages? Im sure you get full health insurance with that correct?

 

what one gets out of trucking is what one puts into it. just like anything in life. it is not for everyone, just like sitting behind a desk is not for everyone.

pay scales vary with each company and depend upon the amounts of experience one has behind the wheel of a cmv. swift, werner, usa and more then a few others are starter companies that offer you verifiable driving experience for very little money, a boat load of crap and alot of sitting on your tail. they get tax breaks and monetary incentives to hire unskilled drivers. if they had a way to convince politicians to allow them to train monkeys to do this job they would (probably will).

one has to have a wee bit of "gypsy" blood in them to enjoy trucking. you have to see whats around that next corner or over that next hill. you get to see some beautiful country (thats about it) and meet some "interesting" folks. if you're in it to get rich.. you will be unhappy in this career.

this industry is especially hard on those we leave behind.. much the same as our service men and women and their families have to deal with. many do not "deal" well. it takes a very special and understanding family to be able to handle being separated for weeks even months at a time.

 

This is not necessarily true. I am just finishing driving school and have to decide which of 4 companies I want to start with, all of which are 5 days on/ 2 off (not always weekends), While not optimal for seeing my kids all the time, it will work for us. None of these jobs were difficult to obtain (assuming I make it through orientation).

While trucking certainly isn't ideal for family time, there are options available other than 2-4 weeks out, even to new drivers.

 

Tell you what.. get some time behind the wheel before you try swearing by this. Recruiters will promise you the world - doesn't necessarily mean they deliver.

 

Certainly, but 2 of these companies are local and I have talked to several drivers from each who verify what I am saying. While I am sorry that some folks go only on what a recruiter says and have a bad experience, but it does not mean there are not other ways of checking out information prior to committing with one company. New to the industry does not always equal stupid or easily misled.

 

But are you sure these 2 days will be at home & not at the truckstop nearest to your last stop?

Also 2 days off in this industry doesn't always mean 48 hours, sometimes it means long enough to get your 34 reset for the log.