Running the numbers for the prospective new truck driver...

[geeshock]

I don't think your getting slammed for posting the numbers as much as for you coming across as bitter. I did attend swifts academy, I did do 6 weeks training with swift, and I was with swift for over 1 1/2 years. I saw some realty sucky paychecks but overall my paychecks were ok, even though I was at .26 cpm the first 6 mos. ( this was b4 they raised you every month for the 1st 3 mos). I agree the beginning driver should expect the worst pand hope for the best but based on my exp. your numbers don't match my experience when I started.

[Joey Shabadoo]

If you have brains or ambition, do not take an OTR job.
Like sin, it will keep you longer than you planned.
And cost you your life as a husband, a father, and a citizen.

[geeshock]

If you have brains or ambition, do not take an OTR job.
Like sin, it will keep you longer than you planned.
And cost you your life as a husband, a father, and a citizen.

lol, that's a funny one.

[jonp]

Well, once you get past paying the school tuition and such, I just up and tell people that if they don't want to get involved in a regular life(wife, kids, picket fences, boring things like that, to me anyway) then this will be a perfect job for them regardless of the price.

Another reason I do it, I've never been good at establishing roots anywhere.
Lived in the same CA city since I was four and still feel like a stranger.

My thoughts on the matter.

Exactly my point. Many look at the numbers and not the big picture.

[jd112488]

something about joey shabadoo seems very familiar

[Hawkjr]

something about joey shabadoo seems very familiar

Like a Basketball Player or A Temperature Beverage In A Certain Kind Of Cup??

[GMAN]

The truth is that the economy is down. Miles are down with most carriers. You can still earn a decent living. I would not put too much credence in those who constantly put down otr driving. While this isn't for everyone, those who put it down so much are the ones who likely could not make it in the profession. Some people are just not cut out for this business. Some find it difficult to be away from their mommies or familes. That isn't a reason to put down others for enjoying their chosen field. There are some who have a poor work ethic. You can't sit in a truck stop playing video games and make a good living in this profession. There isn't as much supervision in otr trucking as in many jobs such as working in a factory or punching a clock. Making a good living requires that the driver be disciplined and a good time manager. He must have the discipline to make his pick ups and deliveries in a timely manner. Those who are used to whining and getting their way are not likely to make it in this business. Trucking was built by self starters who found a way to do their jobs while over coming tremendous obstacles. Whiners and those with a poor work ethic will find it difficult to make it in this business. Those are the ones who will come on here and tell others how bad it is driving otr. Just because they could not make it doesn't mean that others can't.

Just as in any other profession, you start at the bottom and work your way up. Pay isn't the greatest starting out with many companies. Many jobs start out at minimum wage and your pay increases as your experience and proficiency improves. Trucking is the same. It takes time to learn how to best do your job and that isn't something you learn in a few months. This is a skilled profession. There is essentially an apprenticeship period where you work and hone your skills to a professional level. I don't know of a single profession where you start out at top pay without any experience. Many drivers can be earning as much as many college graduates with a year or two. There are not many other professions where you can earn as much without several years training or a degree.

This business attracts people from a very broad range of backgrounds. I have met attorneys, doctors, businessmen, teachers and college professors who have decided to change careers and drive otr. There are others who barely have a high school diploma who come to this business. There must be a reason. I have a good friend who was once a college professor. He has a Masters Degree and opted out of teaching to run a trucking business. Another used to run a manufacturing plant supervising hundreds of people. He has successfully been running his own authority for several years. These are people who have experience in other professions and are qualified do do other things but have chosen to drive otr rather than sit in an office or classroom. These are not dumb people. They might make more doing something else, but chose trucking. Sometimes it isn't about the money, although both earn a good living driving. It is about enjoying what you do for a living. You can find things that you don't enjoy about any job. If you don't like it then don't do it. However, there is no reason to constantly put others down for doing what they enjoy.

[Malaki86]

Very well said Gman - very well indeed.

Others also live in an area with a depressed economy. Based on a 40 hour work week, I'd have to be paid roughly $20 per hour to make the money I do driving a truck. However, around here you'd be lucky to get a minimum wage job working 40 hours.

My wife is perfectly fine with me being away from home during the week, but starts getting upset when I stay out for 2 weeks. Lucky for me I work for a carrier where I'm home probably 99% of every weekend. Besides, she works night shift and even if I was home every day with a 'normal' job, we wouldn't see each other anyway.

It's all what you make of it.

[geeshock]

kudos gman, put it out there pretty accurate. coudn't have said it better myself

[Jumbo]

If you have brains or ambition, do not take an OTR job.
Like sin, it will keep you longer than you planned.
And cost you your life as a husband, a father, and a citizen.

If you are speaking from experience perhaps you sucked as a husband, father and citizen before your OTR career.

[geeshock]

If you are speaking from experience perhaps you sucked as a husband, father and citizen before your OTR career.

well, don't know if I would take it that far. OTR puts a strain on a marriage, at least most. My wife used to be married to someone in the Navy and that was tough but she still got him a cupple of months out of the year. She gets to see me 2 days then I'm out for 14 to 30+ days. Don't have any kids but have step children, and by extension, grandkids. They always wonder when I'm coming back to see them. Missed many births, and many holidays. There are a great many ppl that can't handle this side of trucking and it has put my relations in the fire more than once. I disagree with his comment on ambition and citizenship. Truck drivers are some of the biggest go getters I know of. To make loads on time, plan routes, deal with shipers/recievers in a professional manner, stay out for extended times away from fam takes a drive and special breed of person. The citizen part, DON'T EVER CALL ME A BAD CITIZEN, I served my country as did many others on this board. most of us are patriotic to a fault. Enough on that, I defended the rights of all ppl, including the ones that call me a bad American.

[Joey Shabadoo]

Truck drivers are some of the biggest go getters I know of. To make loads on time, plan routes, deal with shipers/recievers in a professional manner, stay out for extended times away from fam takes a drive and special breed of person.

I don't disagree with that.
My point is simply that these guys are way underpaid for what they do.
Rates/wages have gone nowhere in OTR trucking and will continue to go down.
Even fast food jobs get raises due to minimum wage laws.

The citizen part, DON'T EVER CALL ME A BAD CITIZEN, I served my country as did many others on this board. most of us are patriotic to a fault. Enough on that, I defended the rights of all ppl, including the ones that call me a bad American.

How many truckers vote?
How many truckers are active in politics in their communities?
How many gave their input into the new HOS?
Very few.
Why do you think politicians don't listen to us?
Because truckers don't vote.

[Mr. Ford95]

How many truckers are active in politics? Dude you so don't have a clue with that statement. When your OTR you vote absentee then again very few regular joes are just as inactive and they don't even drive a truck at all. What do you consider being more active anyways? I would be more active locally but I think the gentleman who represents me is doing just fine and we talk every now and then via email.

[tinytim]

...Now subtract at least $100 for living expenses out of that in the form of an advance... We have a net pay of "roughly" $161.00 for the week.

All right, $161 for the week, say you are out 8 weeks, that works out to.... $1288.00 or $644 a month net pay, or $21.46 a day NET.

Now, we go solo, we start at Swift @ .26 a mile. Your first week out, you get 1000 miles...

Now you start getting some miles, you are now up to 1500 miles a week average for your first 6 months...

You must be related to my better half. She's the only person I know who could say something like an advance doesn't count as part of your pay.

1000 miles a week? Wow, I never thought of this as a part time job. I've only been at this a bit less than 2 years but I have never had a week less than 2000 miles. And that only happened a couple of times. 2700 to 3200 is the norm right now.

1000 miles a week and the rest of the time at a T/S, you'd have to crazy, desperate or more likely both to put up with that.

I love what I do but I would absolutely hate it if I were in that situation. I know a lot of the stuff you read on here should discourage anyone from thinking of getting into the business but I gotta say it's not like that everywhere. I don't run into many Swift drivers but i do talk to a lot of drivers, and many say miles are low right now, but it's rare anyone mentions anything lower than a 2000 mile a week average.

[geeshock]

actually 3 out of 3 years I've been OTR I've voted. If I can give my 2 cents in politics I will. Short of treason or violence I would never call someone a bad citizen. The rates may go down but thats not totaly out of our control. Remember the slogan no cheep frieght. Pick a price and don't work for below your price, anyways, I see the same trend on the outside world. In the boat building industry that I came out of the wages are insanely low now. When boats are in higher demand the wages will come back up. same in trucking.

[jonp]

People who don't vote because it's "too hard" to do an absentee ballot is exactly why we just had the House pass this insane health-care bill. If you don't think you make much now how are you going to deal with an increase in taxes and being forced to buy government approved insurance or go to jail if you don't?

When I hear truckers or anyone else complaining about this stuff I ask them right off if they voted. If they say no then I tell them to shut-up until they do.

[repete]

It is what it is:
Long, lonely days/nights.
No friends, family, or social life whatsoever.
Poor diet from sitting on your ***** all day.
Drive 1000 miles, paid for 900.
Lots of hurry-up and unpaid waiting around.
Hometime a roll of the dice.
No overtime after 8/40 hours.
Nights, weekends, holidays spent in the big truck.
Top 10 most dangerous US occupation.
Worthless health bennies with high co-pays.
Too many freebies performed/expected of you.

The turnover rates are high in this biz for a reason:
It's because the money earned is chump-change for all the hours you put in the job, time away from home, and general BS you have to put up with.

Don't believe me?
Just look around the truckstop diner
Look at the guy sitting in the booth all by himself
Lonely, missing his friends and family
Listen to guys pissed off on the CB
They are bitter...everything is negative in their life.
Look around again in the truckstop, do u notice something?
Almost everyone is severely overweight, morbidly obese, edema of the legs, high blood pressure, sugar problems, etc.

It is for many a job of last resort.
Whereby if it weren't for the big truck, they'd be sleeping on a picnic table.
Then of course you have your ex-cons, parolees, towelheads, thieves, drifters, kooks, social misfits, 40-year old adolescents, people who don't speak English, people who don't shower, etc.
These folks tarnish the industry and give it the black mark that it enjoys today.

Like I said, it is what it is.
And that's all it ever will be...

You need to get out NOW if your that miserable! There's good compeny's and good jobs out there it's up to you to find the one for you. The OP made some good points and comparisens and while I think he may be a little light on miles, but then again he might be prtty darn close.
Just wondering where in your list of social misfits do you fit in ?? Ex-con? Thief? or just a stinky tub of lard?

[repete]

[QUOTE=Joey Shabadoo;466992]If you have brains or ambition, do not take an OTR job.


So a local gig is ok?? What would you say to about this job
$18 per hour O/T after 40 (slim chance on o/t)= $720 wk
6 paid holidays
3 sick days
week ends and holidays off
home every day
401
health dental vision
I think I got it all here, The job is consists of doing your pre-trip at aprox 2100 and then loading a few returns ( with a fork truck) than driving from aprox 80 miles and then sitting in the break (aprox 3-4 hr) room while dock workers unload and then load you , then drive back unload (again fork truck) and park truck for that they guarantee 40 hrs a week

Sounds pretty good in these "bad times"huh?




Lot's of guy's would jump on this and alot would turn them down (I did) Sure the 40 hrs sounds great but the $$$ just isn't there!
sick days and holdays?? no I don't get paid for them , I just make enough to make up for that


BTW, CFM how did we get so far off subject, and how ya been?

[curbhunter]

Justruckin

Well where to start Those miles seem very low I have been working for Swift for 5 years
only time i see a 1500ish miles is when my truck decides to break down. only been 2 times That its been in the shop more then 3 days. Or i take my 4 days off I Stay out for 3 Weeks give or take a day or 2. My last three weeks has been 2,896, 2,423, 2,754, and this week will be 3,151 when I delivery this load to Onley, IL to wally world. And yes i am a company driver

Joey Shabadoo
I will pray for you looks like you have a lot of Hate in your hart for OTR drivers.
I sir have a brain I enjoy driving. I am retired Army i could just sit at the house and be bored. The reason I drive a truck OTR is simple My wife passed away 5 1/2 years ago I need to get out of the house. You sir posted these questions

How many truckers vote? Hmmm How any people vote that are not truckers?
How many truckers are active in politics in their communities? How many none truckers are active in politics in there communities
How many gave their input into the new HOS? more then you think
Very few
Why do you think politicians don't listen to us?
Because truckers don't vote.That can be said for ever one

Also I am not fat 6' 1" 210...I take a Shower ever day......I sit by my self because i cant stand most of the BS that truckers talk about..My CB stays off unless they need it where i am picking up or dropping off....

[bentstrider]

<i>Don't believe me?
Just look around the truckstop diner
Look at the guy sitting in the booth all by himself
Lonely, missing his friends and family
Listen to guys pissed off on the CB
They are bitter...everything is negative in their life.
Look around again in the truckstop, do u notice something?
Almost everyone is severely overweight, morbidly obese, edema of the legs, high blood pressure, sugar problems, etc.

It is for many a job of last resort.
Whereby if it weren't for the big truck, they'd be sleeping on a picnic table.
Then of course you have your ex-cons, parolees, towelheads, thieves, drifters, kooks, social misfits, 40-year old adolescents, people who don't speak English, people who don't shower, etc.
These folks tarnish the industry and give it the black mark that it enjoys today.</i>


I was actually more socially active while on the road.
When I know I wasn't going to be dealing with the same person day-in/day-out like a regular, desk-jockey, 9-5r job, I found a greater deal of positive, happy people to get connected with, than the higher percentage of "stuck-ups" that have flooded my hometown.

As far as being overweight, I had a gym membership, a bicycle and plenty of different places that had to be ridden to and checked out when I had the opportunity to do so.
When you know something out there might be a little different than the last time you passed by it 2 weeks ago, you're just itching to find out what's new for yourself.
Live and work in the same city for X-amount of years, and you're pretty much used to the same, boring scenery you've already rolled through enough days out of the year.

As far as the "social-misfit" thing, you'll pretty much find that in every other type of environment as well.
They all look squeeky clean when going to their offices in Downtown<insert big city name here>, but we hear enough reports of domestic violence and other crimes from the suburbs that it doesn't really appear all that pretty anymore.