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

[Useless]

Also I am not fat 6' 1" 210...I take a Shower every day......

And you call yourself a truck driver??

[GMAN]

Driving a truck over the road is like nothing else you can do for a living. If you come into this business expecting to work 9-5 then you are going to be sorely disappointed. We do work irregular hours. That is what it takes to get the freight from point a to point b. No two days are the same. About the only thing that is routine is doing a daily pretrip. While it isn't a complicated business it does have some complicated issues with which we must deal on a daily basis. And most of us take a shower at least once a week whether we need it or not.

[Justruckin]

Just read through this here thread, been busy, lot's of good stuff here. Myself, enjoying my retirement and do not miss living on the road. Not bitter in the least as some have suggested, just telling my personal experiences. Heading out for a thick slab of prime rib and then going for cocktails over at my old high school buddies house. He has lived around the corner from me for 10 years and I never knew it... It is nice to be home.

[geeshock]

I'll agree with you on that much. I like trucking, and I enjoyed the service, both have a strong fraternity, even though I've seen cracks in both of them. If there is one lesson I've gathered from both of em, no mater how fun it is for me to be out on the road, thier is no place like home.

[Useless]

I like trucking, and I enjoyed the service, both have a strong fraternity, even though I've seen cracks in both of them.

I live in an area with a heavy military presence. Haven't really seen cracks at any of the military bases, but I sure saw a lot of cracks at shippers, receivers, and the truck stops !! The military requires soldiers to keep their pants pulled up.

[geeshock]

I live in an area with a heavy military presence. Haven't really seen cracks at any of the military bases, but I sure saw a lot of cracks at shippers, receivers, and the truck stops !! The military requires soldiers to keep their pants pulled up.

lol, yeh, I know that part. when I got out they were doing a major reduction in force, trying to get from a 600,000 man navy to a 300,000 man navy. If anything brought out the back stabers, that did.

On a side note, I require a belt with my ants and they have to stay above the crackline a little, lol.

[zoto1a]

Very good break down on the expenses of becoming a truck driver!
For me, with a Work Force agency paying all of my expenses while i am attending training, i will be free from the costs of schooling.
So, I suggest that anyone who desires to entery truck driving school check out their local Work Force.

[Musicman]

It’s an interesting (and very skewed) break down of the numbers. You have chosen to take the worst case scenario for just about every figure you have used. Granted, many in this business will not make the money they thought they would before they jumped in, but many will also do okay. I made $53k (adjusted for the per diem money my company paid me) my first year in trucking (1997) and have made more every year since. Granted, that isn’t the case with everybody, but I know I can’t be THAT special.

The real problem, if you ask me, is that people out there think that this is a job worth doing for $30k a year to start. If that’s all I could make, even my first year in the business, I’d never bother getting in. I used to wait tables back in 1995 and averaged $600 a week in cash (and possibly grossly underreported to the IRS) tips each week and that was only working 40 hrs a week. Why would you think that being gone for several weeks at a time and only home a few days before having to go back out again is worth $30k or $40k a year? Do you have any idea how much you could make if you stayed off the road and worked two full time jobs… and still have a little time off and be able to sleep in your own bed each night? I’m sure for some it’s worth it for some reason… why, I have no idea.

I’m certainly not trying to talk anybody into getting into this business… God knows we have WAY TOO MANY DRIVERS on the road as it is; but like most things in life, this job is often what you make of it. You said “I sold all of my equipment and hung it up.” Why? You’ve been doing this for twenty years and you couldn’t find a way to turn a decent profit? Things are tough right now, but I’m far from starving and I assure you I am nowhere near getting out… there’s way too much money to be made if you are a frugal, savvy, cautious and creative business person. Sure, it’s not like “the old days,” but times change and we as businessmen and women must change with the times or go the way of the dinosaur.

[Kevin0915]

my first week solo i ran 1300 mi. granted, that is a far cry from the 2500-2700 i average now. But one figure is WAY wrong.

Tuition is taken out at $70 per week. HOWEVER, they reimburse you half of that, so actually, they are only taking out $35/wk.

And to take a personal advance is highly dumb, and should be avoided at all cost. it is no better than taking a payday loan from one of those 'hole in the wall' check cashing places. once you start, you cant get out of the hole you put yourself in without going 2 weeks without that money.

[Musicman]

my first week solo i ran 1300 mi. granted, that is a far cry from the 2500-2700 i average now. But one figure is WAY wrong.

I guess I didn't have the average experience as a newbie truck driver. I've never run less than 3,000 miles a week that I can ever remember. Of course I've never worked for any of the big training companies, either. The biggest company I ever worked for was had about 200 trucks. Perhaps there's something to be learned there? I never had a trainer either, which quite frankly, looking back on what I went through, is absolutely insane. I still can't believe I didn't kill myself or anybody else those first few months.

Tuition is taken out at $70 per week. HOWEVER, they reimburse you half of that, so actually, they are only taking out $35/wk.

The real issue is why anyone would ever start a new job OWING the company you are going to be working for thousands of dollars? Wouldn't it make more sense to save a little cash and pay your own way at an independent driving school? You then don’t have to worry about having money taken out of your pay every week and you also don’t have a ball and chain shackling you to that company. I guess it is a symptom of our “I have to have it right now and I refuse to wait and save for it” credit crazy society.

And to take a personal advance is highly dumb, and should be avoided at all cost. it is no better than taking a payday loan from one of those 'hole in the wall' check cashing places. once you start, you cant get out of the hole you put yourself in without going 2 weeks without that money.

You’ve got a great point here. This applies not only to the rookie driver, but especially to owner or lease operator as well. Of course it relates to my previous statement about the lack of financial common sense that runs rampant through or society. In most situations, CREDIT IS BAD. Read through the posts on CAD that relate to money or pay issues and see how many of the problems people talk about would have been non-issues if there had been no credit involved. I think our industry targets those who are having problems financially (usually due to their own bad decisions with money) and uses their desperation to entice them into trucking.

Reading through employment ads for truckers gives off an ambiance of the old Gold Rush period in our country where the belief was that all you had to do is make it out West and you’d be rich. Look at the back of the trailers of most companies out there or read their ads in the truck stop employment rags and you’ll learn that every carrier out there is “the best in the industry.” They all offer the “most pay,” “most miles,” “most home time” and newest equipment. I’ve often wondered why nobody sues them for false advertising. Obviously they can’t all be the best at everything. The problem is that many drivers apparently buy this garbage, which accounts for the 100% plus turnover rate that has existed in trucking for years. Some carriers have turnover rates approaching 200%, which is why I always get a chuckle when people ask “is so and so a good carrier to work for.”

The answer is that they really are all about the same. They have to be because they all charge about the same rates and have the same expenses, so there’s no way any of them can afford to pay much differently than their competition. It’s all a matter of packaging, but when you get down to it, it’s the same old thing. At every carrier, big and small, you will find drivers who claim the company is in league with Satan. Conversely, at every carrier, you will find drivers who have been there for decades and are perfectly happy. There are a few lesser reasons for this, but it is primarily due to outlook. Being happy is nearly always a choice. The grass isn’t usually greener on the other side… the fence you’re looking through just blocks out some of the weeds over there. It is not uncommon for a driver to change employers two or three times in a year because he or she thinks there is a better opportunity elsewhere. Even if things ARE slightly better at the new employer, it always costs money to change companies, especially for the owner or lease operator, and yet so many are happy to do it again and again.

My advice is to get smart with money and stop job hopping. Never go into a new career owing your new employer thousands of dollars and always (unless it’s a situation of real abuse) give a new job a year before making a decision to leave or stay.

[Go Steelers!]

only thing i can say for a new driver is to be patient get six months otr with whatever company your with then get on a regional or dedicated board that why your miles will be consistent 2500-3200 every week make sure you pickup and deliver on time... but the main thing i would say is NEVER EVER SIGN A LEASE(TRUCK) WITH THE COMPANY.... other than that have fun, hold on and enjoy the view!!!

DRIVER CAUTION:
Once you sign on as a new driver, do whatever it takes to get that full one year experience, and preferably more. If you are still dissatisfied with your current company, look around and talk it up as you stay with the one that brought ya. Only after that year and careful consideration make the change. You would not believe what 10 months OTR and a nasty second employer can do to you! Even with my plus 5 points, I am being treated like a diseased roadkill.

[Go Steelers!]

New truck drivers that sign on with those major carriers are likely to see a wide range of income, and miles. My personal experience with Werner was like that. While driving with my trainer, we had plenty of good runs. When I got my own equipment, the first run was to Canada, for which I did not have the documents to cross the border, AND my truck was not allowed in Canada. So the next run was Omaha to Hermatage Oregon. Crossing Wyoming in the winter is a trip. I lost count of the trucks in the ditches as I went across. Utah and Idaho were not so bad, but Cabbage Hill sucked for sure. The next few months were spent live loading, go 150 miles, and dropping the trailer in drop yards or picking up from a drop yard and live unloading. During these months I was accumulating just about 1,250 miles per week. Then they aproached me to become a trainer. I turned the offer down. The next couple months got worse. I was getting loads that stopped at the border crossing, and all the BS paperwork and inspections and waiting associated with that move. Only when I got hooked up with a dedicated run outfit in Georgia did I start getting any sort of paycheck to be proud of. Too bad it was only a temporary assignment. The dedicated manager wanted to keep me, but was not permitted. Then back to junk runs. My suggestion for those that go the new recruit company driver route, especially with Werner; Keep the truck in returnable shape (you will get the bill for your damage when you leave tham), don't be suckered into regularly exceeding speed limits (use your own better judgement), and when you are asked to be a trainer take the job. That is where the miles and money are.