Truck Driving Jobs

welle036 · Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 2

Hello. I am training to become a pilot and have reached a point where I either have to take out a loan or save some money to continue on with my training. I am leaning towards working to save the money. I have decided to investigate trucking further and was hoping for some help with questions. I don't have any bills and think I could save up the 30,000 I need to finish school in about a year of trucking. I don't have any committments so I would be willing to work otr 7 days a week. My questions are:

Which company is the best for me if I have don't have a CDL yet? I am hoping to pull in 30k in 1 to 1 and a half years. Or less if it didn't take that long. I have looked at Werner and they seemed all right. One important aspect for me is getting the CDL quickly since I have been growing tired of being in school so much lately, a company that allows an accelerated paced towards a CDL would be appreciated. Any advice will be appreciated, I do understand trucking is a difficult profession and I have experience driving non-CDL requiring vehicles otr.

Windwalker · Joined: 22 Oct 2005 Posts: 3098 Location: Holiday, FL

You might try Millis out of Black River Falls, WI. I've seen one of their ads that says 3 weeks to your CDL. Personally, I do not think that is enough time, but it seems that they are doing it.

Adam9315 · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 486

I'd go with Millis or Schneider. Also, I doubt you can pull in $30k in a year. Maybe in 18 months you could. I used to think I was going to take home about 30-40k my first year. But everyone here will tell you that is unlikely. So after doing some math, I'm expecting to net about $20k my first year; after taxes and living expenses. I have no bills either. And that is living on basic needs, as in not eating expensive truck stop meals every day. Work hard, safe, and spend your money wisely and it can be done. But prepare yourself for a totally different lifestyle.

Good luck.

p.s. It is my dream to become a helicopter pilot, but training is $50k for all the certifications. So I understand where you're coming from. I may decide to use the money I make in trucking to go that route. But by the time I get $50k saved up, I'd probably want to buy a house and start a family. I don't know though. I guess I'll see how bad I want it when the time comes.

SteveBooth · Joined: 18 May 2005 Posts: 3501

I got my pilots license in early 70's for $10/hr including plane and instructor. It was through the Boy Scouts Explorer program and they picked up the rest of the tab!!!

The plane was a 1948 Colt Tripacer I think. The instructor smoked a big
fat cigar with the windows closed. We would do stalls and spins then we would land and I would puke!

Goin Fer It · Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 1383 Location: Couer d'Alene, ID

I do not know where Adam 9513 works. On the May Trucking company web-site they state that potential income for the the first year is $45,000.

My husband is a newbie and has only been there less than a week. But his trainer said that before he was a trainer he was averaging 3000 miles a week.

Now if my husband once he is on his own can average 3,000 mile a week at .32 a mile that will gross $960.00 a week if he did average that his first year of income would be $51,930. All calculations include pay increases at 6 and 9 months.

In the middle is around 2,800 a week that would put his gross yearly at $48,468.

Even if he only made 2,500 miles a week gross income would be $43,275 a year with the pay increases at 6 and 9 months.

If he is frugal on the road with eating out it should not cost much more than eating at home plus we will have that as tax write-offs at the end of the year.

These calculations do not include his first three weeks to a month in training were he will only make $500.00 a week nor do they include the $100.00 a month for tuition reimbursement.

I will be updating the May Trucking Company thread and letting everyone know how many miles he drives weekly once he is on his own in a few weeks. This should give you a sense of what is possible. I know we kept wondering how many miles a week most do and this is a way for newbies to see.

So just do some checking but what Adam said seems very low!

Good Luck!

Goin Fer It's Wife

Goin Fer It · Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 1383 Location: Couer d'Alene, ID

SteveBooth wrote:

The plane was a 1948 Colt Tripacer I think. The instructor smoked a big
fat cigar with the windows closed. We would do stalls and spins then we would land and I would puke!

The most fun I ever had was going up in a two seat Cessna out of Van Nuys and doing aerobatics with a customer. It was a blast! I hope one day to be able to go again.

Goin Fer It's Wife

Adam9315 · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 486

I'm not a trucker yet, and based on what a lot of people tell me, you won't always get consistent miles. .32 x 2500 = $800 x 4 = $3200 x 12 = $38400 GROSS first year. Then take away around 26% for taxes which will come out to $28416 then take away about $300 a month for food, laundry, showers, insurance, etc.. that gives you about $25k first year.. and that's if you get consistent 2500 weekly miles. So I think $20-25k NET is more realistic the 1st year. Anyway, I'm not getting my hopes up, but yeah, netting $30+k first year would be nice, but I don't expect to.

Goin Fer It · Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 1383 Location: Couer d'Alene, ID

Adam9315 wrote: I'm not a trucker yet, and based on what a lot of people tell me, you won't always get consistent miles. .32 x 2500 = $800 x 4 = $3200 x 12 = $38400 GROSS first year. Then take away around 26% for taxes which will come out to $28416 then take away about $300 a month for food, laundry, showers, insurance, etc.. that gives you about $25k first year.. and that's if you get consistent 2500 weekly miles. So I think $20-25k NET is more realistic the 1st year. Anyway, I'm not getting my hopes up, but yeah, netting $30+k first year would be nice, but I don't expect to.

That calculation did not include the pay raise to .34cpm at 6 months and the raise at 9 months at .35cpm. Nor did it include the $1,200 in tuition reimbursement.

And you are forgetting that food, laundry, showers are all tax write-offs. $300.00 a month would be reasonable for what my husband may eat at home but without the write-off.

As I said I will update what is real on The May Trucking thread and how many miles my husband will do weekly once he is on his own.

Good luck to you!

Goin Fer It's Wife

jjh1001 · Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Posts: 34

Adam9315 wrote: I'm not a trucker yet, and based on what a lot of people tell me, you won't always get consistent miles. .32 x 2500 = $800 x 4 = $3200 x 12 = $38400 GROSS first year. Then take away around 26% for taxes which will come out to $28416 then take away about $300 a month for food, laundry, showers, insurance, etc.. that gives you about $25k first year.. and that's if you get consistent 2500 weekly miles. So I think $20-25k NET is more realistic the 1st year. Anyway, I'm not getting my hopes up, but yeah, netting $30+k first year would be nice, but I don't expect to.
your calculations are a little off because there are 52 weeks in a year not 48(4x12) you need to figure .32x2500=800 x 52= $41600

Flash · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 44 Location: NC

Goin Fer It, you seem to have it all figured out. Just a piece of advice, don't start spending all that money just yet. I know the horror stories are just idiots who weren't as smart as you and your husband, but give your husband some time before you start banking on 2500-3000 miles EVERY week.

Give us his success story at month 3 or so.

Goin Fer It · Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 1383 Location: Couer d'Alene, ID

Flash wrote: Goin Fer It, you seem to have it all figured out. Just a piece of advice, don't start spending all that money just yet. I know the horror stories are just idiots who weren't as smart as you and your husband, but give your husband some time before you start banking on 2500-3000 miles EVERY week.

Give us his success story at month 3 or so.

Well most of the money coming in will go for bills due to having a normal job in retail for the last year and half.

If it does not work out there are other companies you know. Before my husband ended up in retail he was a Site Operations Manager and the guy he had hired for the Quality Control Manager told us all his horror stories about trucking (sarcasm)

Let's see he said he is happier than pig in slop. Making more money less stress. And this company is out of Spokane and my husband can get on with them.

Also most drivers seem to think that 2,500 miles a week is reasonable. So I am sorry if you are able to get that maybe you should switch companies.

Goin Fer It's Wife

Flash · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 44 Location: NC

I promise I want it to work out just like you have planned. It just seems you are counting the chickens before they hatch.

Like I said, after 3 months solo I think you both will have a better idea of the bottom line. I loved to hear that it is going just like you hoped it would.

Goin Fer It · Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 1383 Location: Couer d'Alene, ID

Flash wrote: I promise I want it to work out just like you have planned. It just seems you are counting the chickens before they hatch.

Like I said, after 3 months solo I think you both will have a better idea of the bottom line. I loved to hear that it is going just like you hoped it would.

Well if it is not going the way we feel it should be we will make a change to make it that way. We have read much of this forum and done our research.

At first Watkins Shepards was suppose to finance school for my husband a week into they called and said they would not. We dealt with it. We had to hustle to find other financing but we rolled with the punches. We look at it as a blessing at this point.

I have read the horror stories about the CDL Mills, that one did not happen to us.

I have read the horror stories about orientation and some of the dumps that the new recruits are put in. That one did not happen.

I have read some of the horror stories about bad trainers. So far my husband is fine with his. So that one does not seem to be happening.

After doing much research on the matter I do not feel that 2,500 miles per a week is really that outrageous of an expectation. And I will put how many miles my husband drove this week on Wednesday night or Thursday morning in the May Trucking thread and that will be with a day layover and a few days of just being new.

Thank you for your well wishes and I believe it will all work out one way or another. As long as my husband keeps his driving record clean.

Goin Fer It's Wife

JR OTR · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 43

Check your PMs welle036, sent you one.

sweepwing · Joined: 22 Dec 2004 Posts: 52

Just make sure you go in to aviation with a good set of facts. If anyone is telling you that you will be able to consistantly make more money in the pointy end of a jet than you will with trucking, they are LYING! Take it from me who has flown everything from cargo out of Asia to ViP's from Nantucket, there is a bleak future in the flying part of aviation. The prospect of working harder than you would in the worst trucking job for a Max of $30K in the commuters or fractional industry may seem Ok when you are in your 20's, but it soon wears off when you see everyone around you having things that you don't. Like a wife, house, life, etc.

If you do a search, there are several ex-airline pilots working on the roads. Most probably miss the good schedules and pay if they are from the old times, but none of them miss the bs and uncertainty of what aviation is today. And tomorrow will be worse! Just like foreign trucks and drivers are coming to the roads here today, foreign airlines and pilots will be flying you from NY to LA very soon, thanks to our traitorous Congress and White House.

Trucking is a good way to bank some money if you do it right. Once you squirrel away 30K cash, take a good look and see if you want to throw it away for "training" that will only qualify you to start at the bottom of the pecking order every time you change companies or every time your company goes out of business and you have to change jobs. Unlike every other occupation (notice that I don't say profession), seldomly are you compensated for your experience when you start a new job in aviation. At least with driving, employers will aknowledge your experience and compensate when you change jobs to a certain extent. Put that 30K away and then take another year and put away another 30K and then take a look at where you want to go. You will have more options than 98% of the other people in this country as to what to do next.

I don't want to discourage you, but I want to make sure that you've heard, like Paul Harvey says, the rest of the story. Good luck.

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