Grossing $1000+ per week, realistic?

[Vegas]

I've heard of some drivers with dedicated routes for Dollar General, Dollar Tree, etc. gross over $1k/week right out the box. You'd probably have to run VERY hard. Also the driver gets accessory pay for having to make multiple stops and do all the unloading themselves. Sounds like hard work but you can make good $ if you have the drive.

[Roadhog]

You pansy Amerikcinsz alafabutt douie how says you Lazy stinkin.
I... Al Tik Ritti Uppa Fazbutzol.... will wurk for much lesz than you...
and your Countree not stop. hahaha...Alla iz good.

[BigWheels]

OK -- that's just wrong!

[Cyber]

Many flatbed companies will get you over $1000.00/week fairly easily. When I ran OTR w/TMC it wasn't hard to do at all. Drivers at TMC average $55,000.00/ year. New guys range from $45,000.00 - $60,000 first year. If you live outside their orange hiring area you'll get home every OTHER weekend. If you live INSIDE the orange line you'll get home every weekend.

I have always wanted to know this, what constitutes a weekend for TMC? What time do you get home on what day and how long do you get to stay at home? I know a weekend generally means 2 days but lets say you get home Friday at 5pm, do you have to leave on Sunday at 5pm?


Thanks for the help

[kilog55]

usually yeah home friday night leave late sunday night/monday morning. depends on when your load is ready if you are DH'ing

[Back on the Road]

usually yeah home friday night leave late sunday night/monday morning. depends on when your load is ready if you are DH'ing

I am a dedicated driver for TMC, My average gross is approx 900/week. hours usually add up between 55-70 per week. Home every weekend. Run strictly Florida for Lowes account. When back hauls pick-up, my gross will go up, but average has been around 900.

I have had some slow weeks at Barr Nunn but those have been made up for with some HUGE weeks and right now i am averaging about $1000 per week gross...some weeks bigger some smaller but I am looking at the 50k range for my first 12 months with them right now. Its possible.

[uglymutt]

I finally got a dedicated ltl run, my last check was a bit over 1400 gross my first week on my new run, but I work my butt off moving freight, I like it better than truckload OTR, I now run less miles and hometime is consistant.... after figuring out my check, getting paid for bumpin the dock each drop and the freight handlin I now average 55-60 cents per mile so its all better than $600 to $900 gross per week OTR a 32 cents/mile.....

[fireman932003]

Good for you Mutt! Congrats!

[derelict77]

Dont do it. This is my opinion of course, but it seems like the odds are against a family staying in tact. If you are willing to take that risk, and many drivers are, then be willing to accept the fact that your children will grow up without a father for all intensive purposes. What happens if you are 2000 miles away and your wife or kids are involved in a life threatening accident? Be prepared for those kind of worries. What I did is get 1 year experience OTR and then parlayed that into a local Union position. I think most drivers want to eventually get to the point where they can be home every day. You wont realy know till you do it, and by then it will be too late to turn back. So if you are going for this ride, buckle up! Good luck in your decision.

[jnk2001]

I haul fuel and make just around $1200-$1300 a week CDN so I don't know what that is converted to American funds. It pays the bills!

thats $1116-1209 US. It's 93 cents on the dollar right now... :shock:

I'm in Vancouver or Langley, weekly!

[townie388]

Dont do it. This is my opinion of course, but it seems like the odds are against a family staying in tact. If you are willing to take that risk, and many drivers are, then be willing to accept the fact that your children will grow up without a father for all intensive purposes. What happens if you are 2000 miles away and your wife or kids are involved in a life threatening accident? Be prepared for those kind of worries. What I did is get 1 year experience OTR and then parlayed that into a local Union position. I think most drivers want to eventually get to the point where they can be home every day. You wont realy know till you do it, and by then it will be too late to turn back. So if you are going for this ride, buckle up! Good luck in your decision.

OP here - I already stated that our household might run a little smoother with DH on the road :wink: Also his plan is to go OTR for a couple years and then come local, or even just try to find local to start off with. Our kids are small right now so if he can get this going now and get local in a couple of years he won't miss much. I'd rather have him out for 2 weeks than have to worry about how we're going to pay our bills, which is where we are right now with him working a job that turned out to be seasonal with no lay off slip.

Thanks for the all the inspiration everyone!

[redsfan]

If you are willing to take that risk, and many drivers are, then be willing to accept the fact that your children will grow up without a father for all intensive purposes.

And the may grow up without a father for all "intents and purposes" also... :P

[redsfan]

My personal opinion is that whether a person can make a grand per week or not is almost entirely up to the driver. EVERY trucking company out there has opporunities for even new drivers to earn this type of money. IMO, why anyone would go "out there" for less than 50K per year is beyond me. Before anyone chimes in that I'm misleading you, let me reiterate that the "opportunity" will be there for you. Whether you take advantage or not is entirely up to you.

In my short stint as a truck driver, I have about 15 months under my belt to date. I have worked for 3 companies. Yup, 3 in a little over a year, definite job-hopper here. Of course, I worked for 2 companies in the previous 15 years before obtaining my CDL. I worked for Maverick for a little over 6 months, a local carrier for a little under 6 months, and now work for a local company that makes regional runs. We travel within a 500 mile radius and make 3 runs per week and I am bascially home ever other day and usually both days on the weekend. With all 3 companies I have averaged over 1000/week. Why, because the opportunity was there and I took it. My worst week with Maverick after I was turned loose by my trainer was $850. That was Memorial Day weekend 06 where I got home on Thursday night and left out in the late afternoon on Memorial Day. My second job was never less than 900/week and most generally over a grand. So far in my third (and hopefully last) job, I made $984 the first week and never under 1100 since. As a matter of fact, my last 4 paychecks have grossed around 1200 bucks. It is out there, it can be done and it's usually not the company's fault if you don't take advantage of it.

As for the time with your family. I have 3 boys (5, 8 & 12) and time with them and my wife is just as important as the money. I still coach my 8 year-old's baseball team. We've played 10 games so far this year and I've been to 9 of them. The one I missed was yesterday and I could have made it, but he was running a 103 temperature and I decided to catch up on some of the farm work instead. My older son plays select ball and I've made it to 4 out of 6 of his games so far also. We all sit down to supper together 3-4 times per week, celebrated everyone's birthdays together and I made it to all of their school functions this past school year. What the heck am I missing?! No more than I missed out on when I was gone from 6 AM to 8 or 9 PM 5-6 days per week working a management or sales job and I never cracked 50K with either of those positions.

Trucking is a JOB, just like anything else. It's not a "lifestyle" like many others will tell you, unless you choose to make it a lifestyle. Find the right fit, work hard and take advantage of every opportunity offered to you, just like you would at any other job, and you'll do fine. Otherwise, you'll just end up back in here complaining about how JB Hunt or Swift "screwed" you, promised you the moon and handed you 350/week.

Sorry for the rant, but man I feel better now!

[dollarshort]

It all depends on the individual.

I make $1,000-$1,300 per week every week and I am home every weekend and usually stop through the house once or twice a week. It can be done but when you get in the truck you don't stop for nothing but fuel and showers.

[dtryanxpress]

what about $2000 a week? realistic?

[Blind Driver]

I started driving a van and my average was around $1000. Open the doors, close the doors. No load securment :wink:

Just have to keep moving.