Why do people say the pay is low?

I know electricians making over $150k a year. Get some experience and work in a mine. Its usually all shift work or camp work. Usually only work 6-9 months a year (week on/week off, 2 on, 2 off, 2 on 1 off etc).

 

To the original poster, the amounts you listed in your post are great at a standard 40-hour week job where you are home everyday.

60-100k with free time and a bed to sleep in? Amazing.

60-100k dealing with loneliness, unpaid time, safety concerns, rude dock workers, sedentary lifestyle, the difficulty maintaining relationships...

You are talking to people who have been at it some years, and who realize how life has passed them by a bit.There's very little normalcy in trucking. If you find it, latch on to it.

 

I'll put it to you like this.

Back when I was in ltl, I had a headlight out. That particular terminal had a maintenance deal with the local Pilot, so I went over there to get it repaired.

I was sitting there about 2 hours when some loudmouth truck driver said there had better not be anyone sitting there to get a headlight repaired, because that's just lazy.

I looked over, smiled, and said I was there to get a headlight fixed.

He started yelling at me, "Mannn, you ain't no HAND! A HAND would be out there fixing his own ####!"

I just politely replied that I was on the clock, and that it was fine by me. I'm not a mechanic.

See, here's the thing: the two things I love the most in trucking are relaxing and making money. If I can combine them, bet your ### I'm gonna do it. That company worked me like I stole something, so I used THEIR vendor to get THEIR equipment fixed, and took a rare on-the-clock break.

Apparently in that guy's mind, a HAND works off the clock to get them wheels a'turnin so he starts a'earnin.

That ain't me, brother. I'll work my ### off for you, but I'm not working for free anymore. Schneider broke me of that by the time I exited the non-union trucking world. Took advantage of me left and right, and I was a young lad of 23, so I didn't know any better.

So no, I ain't no HAND. But I also get paid for EVERYTHING I do out there, so...who's got it better?

Time. Start thinking about your TIME. Your lifespan. Is trucking really worth it in the end? Only you can answer that for yourself.

Now granted, I'm finally in a position where it is worth it to me. And I enjoy what I do. But it was a lot of struggle to get here.

 

Are you sure? 60K/3360=17.85 unless your accounting tax. I was just going with gross without overtime for the post /shrug point stands though. You either get paid well or really badly depending on how you look at it.

As for overtime i forgot thats a thing. I havent worked a job where it applied since i was 15.

 

Unless your like me and generally dislike humans. Only like a few select individuals and are more then happy to get paid in a job where you only need minimal interaction lol. Trucking is one of the few gigs left for those of us that would be just fine being dropped on an alien planet with a bag of supplies and paid to live there with an occasional supply drop of booze and cigars when we feel especially fisty.

 

50 cpm can be good if your doing Midwest/west long haul. 80k isn’t bad. Unless, if you live in cali and have to pay 300k for a house!

 

I totally agree with you "Great pay is one amount to one person, same amount is lousy pay to another" HOWEVER, this career or job must not be taken as such. For instance , I came from a third world country where everything is much cheaper and I also live a frugal life here in America. my truck is paid off , my reefer is paid off, so my expenses are very low. BUT me, as an independent o/o , I refuse to run loads for less than 4.00 per mile. I #### refuse to do that , because it is not about my economic situation, IT IS about all of us, it is about this industry , it is about the cost of living!!
If you are an OTR driver you should never work for less than cost of living in America.
This is the problem I have with a lots of those MFKRS !!! just because they live with other 10 people in 1 room apartment , or they get food stamps , or exploit their drivers , these MFKRS run loads for pennies!!!!! all they do is destroy this industry.
if you guys, O/O, can survive with 2.00 per mile, then run for 4.00 per mile and take a mfkr break, rest, enjoy your family time. don't be a #### dmb and stpd!! don't destroy this industry!!!!!

 

4 bucks a mile for general regional/long haul general freight has never been a standard.

 

60k/4080 is the difference in our arithmetic.

I pointed out the overtime aspect because the original post was comparing trucking to other careers.

If a guy wanted that same 60k in a normal 40 hour a week job no overtime it's $28.84/hr. That's 2080 hours a year...

 

My situation was very similar.

I got into CDL work (in part) to get away from office games & office politics.

It's a great job for loners, and/or people who prefer to work alone.

-- L