Why do people say the pay is low?

I agree

Just because they say what there going give you that does not mean that's what you end with

 

I realize that. However, nothing is good until you actually have it in writing as I have learned many many times in my life with jobs outside the trucking industry.

 

Make each company put you in contact with current working drivers doing the type of work you are considering. No exception.

 

That might be fun to watch...from either side of the desk.

 

Recruiters say what you want to hear pay is really good but when start working that's when you realize its not

 

don't believe the hype

 

times are tough right now i hope get a good job

 

This is a long thread so I’m sure this has been mentioned. The average Driver is doing 60+ hours a week — local, regional, and OTR. If you do those kind of hours did you make a lot of money or did you work a lot of hours?

You can work any $20 a hour job and make “decent” money if you work 20 hours of overtime on top of your 40.

There’s exceptions to that rule. I’m in the $100k range and now nearing my first year of experience. I, however, lucked out and was fortunate to join a great organization and I will always be grateful to them for that.

 

To many drivers chase $$$ jump from companies , but if you’re socially Awkward Trucking is a Great Career

 

My experience is that pay in the trucking industry is commensurate with the actual job you're doing. I worked for JB Hunt for two years. I've talked to many fellow JB Hunt employees who were making $50-60K/year, including the local drivers at my DC. I, on the other hand, made around $125K. But I signed on to do Final Mile regional routes. My pay was dictated by the customer, who in this case was TMX Inc., the company that owns TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores. I got .72/mile and $42.50 per stop, with an average of 5 stops per day which included hooking the trailer in the morning and dropping it at night. The routes were dictated by an outside company and were EXTREMELY arduous, to the extent that the only way to complete most of them was to drive around the lot at <5 MPH while hooking and dropping, to avoid starting your 14, and log yourself off-duty while making the actual deliveries to save on your 70. And as that implies, it was touch-freight, you unloaded 26-28 pallets a day with a pallet jack. 13.5-14 hour days, 80-hour weeks, backing into docks meant for box trucks, waiting for managers to finish parsing out YESTERDAY'S delivery to make room for TODAY'S, all day long. The pay was swell. But you'd be AMAZED at how many people quit that $125K/yr job, including myself. Like all other jobs, the more demanding the work, the better the pay.