Truck Driving Jobs

missoulatom · Joined: 04 Feb 2007 Posts: 2

Hey all. Been away for awhile. Wanting to get back in the driver's seat. Just wondering how folks are feeling about the availability (or lack of) freight these days.

I probably won't be able to get out for another month or so. Anyone have any thoughts on the "trucking economy" in the months ahead??

TomB985 · Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 184 Location: Columbus, OH

Well...that depends on who you talk to.

You're about to see a bunch of people bitching about the economy, telling us all how bad things are, how rough the industry is right now, but...

I've kept moving just fine, and I expect I always will. Despite claims otherwise, even with high fuel prices and a stagnant economy, people still need to go to the store and buy things...

As long as there is an economy at all, there will be truck drivers needed to get the stuff there.

Not a bad time at all, IMHO :)

PA · Joined: 28 Mar 2005 Posts: 136 Location: Reading,PA

Depends who you drive for and what you move.

GMAN · Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Posts: 9284 Location: Tennessee

Freight has been off for about a year. I expect freight to be off the rest of this year and much of next year, perhaps longer. Currently there is freight availability, but rates are still not where we need them to be with current operational costs. There are still those who are attempting to move freight for $1/mile and they seem to be finding people who are willing to haul them, but they are becoming fewer. Those who continue to haul the cheap rates are going out of business at a high rate. There are owner operators who have parked their trucks and gone to work for someone else. Some areas of the country are better than others. East coast rates are higher than West coast rates. That is pretty much how it has always been with rates. There is usually more freight in the higher populated areas. You can still make a good living but will need to work harder and smarter to get along. I expect things to get worse in the coming months, but it won't last forever. These recessions come along at regular intervals. The key right now is to keep debt low and put as much money back as you can. Of course, that is something we should be doing at all times. Unless you have little or not debt and plenty of cash set aside, I am not sure that this would be the best time to buy a truck for the first time buyer. It isn't difficult to make money when the economy is doing well. It is a different story when we are in a recession or slow down.

If you drive for a carrier, you may be better off than if you run your own truck, depending on how well you manage your business. On the up side, rates do seem to be coming up. I had one call last week who told me to name my own price to take their load. Had I been free, I would likely have taken their load. I have some regular freight which I have been hauling, but getting good paying freight back to my good loads is more of a challenge. One broker for whom I have hauled freight previously have reduced their rates so I won't haul for them. In fact, I raised my rates to haul their freight.

I don't mean to discourage you from this business. You can still earn a good living. There are opportunities to do well for those who are ready. Good luck.

LeBron James · Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 119 Location: Coolie Campground

Bring back those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer...

There are structural changes happening in the US economy which greatly affect the OTR segment of trucking. In particular is the continued offshoring of US-based manufacturing to Mexico and the far east. The more manufacturing we offshore, the less demand there will be in coming years for OTR truckdrivers. You've probably heard that we are transitioning to a "service" or "knowledge"-based economy...well that does not bode well for those who haul point-to-point irregular-route domestic truckload freight. How many offices have docks you can bump?

In addition, people are buying more things like I-pods, on-line music, cell-phones, etc so the weight and density of purchases are shrinking.

ICEBURG!!!!! Get off the OTR shipwreck while you can. Summertime and the livin's easy....check out your local community college or vo-tech school and begin to hatch an escape plan from the dweller society. Healthcare jobs like radiologists, nursing, physician assistants, medical imaging, etc are all in high demand as our population grows older. Those jobs pay an above-board hourly wage with overtime and can't be outsourced. Plus you don't have to wait in line to take a shower. And unlike OTR, illegals can't be shipped-in who will whistle while they work for .ppm (pesos per mile). That's right...OTR is going the way of landscaping, construction, meatpacking, and many other low-skill jobs now done by illegals. Yep, the writing's on the wall and it sure as hell ain't in English!

Forewarned is forearmed!

GMAN · Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Posts: 9284 Location: Tennessee

Whether the products are manufactured in the U.S. or abroad, they still need trucks to get them from point "A" to point "B". Driving a truck is one of the top 10 professions for growth in the coming years according to a recent study I saw. It would not be prudent for U.S. carriers to rely on foreign nationals to drive most of these trucks. This entire economy basically relies on trucks. Without trucks the economy would come to a halt, regardless of where the products are made.

Royedw · Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 23 Location: Lynchburg, VA

GMAN wrote: Whether the products are manufactured in the U.S. or abroad, they still need trucks to get them from point "A" to point "B". Driving a truck is one of the top 10 professions for growth in the coming years according to a recent study I saw. It would not be prudent for U.S. carriers to rely on foreign nationals to drive most of these trucks. This entire economy basically relies on trucks. Without trucks the economy would come to a halt, regardless of where the products are made.

Great point G-Man! From what I've read on this site it "appears" as if some companies aren't taking in inexperienced drivers, or have slowed down. I saw one comment indicating that Schneider has slowed down on adding new drivers, but then I heard an ad on the radio the other day that portrayed driving for Schneider as the best job out there! That's sure a long way from the cab-over I drove at 55mph :oops:

I've been out 10 years but I'm waiting for a callback from 2 companies, Maverick being one of them so we'll see. I've been job hunting for over a month and all I see are health industry related jobs, and of course sales. If trucking stops this country comes to a screeching halt and we're all in the breadline!!

Roy

jedfxg · Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 553 Location: se buckeye

hey CFM, (EDITED) . why do you constantly get on here and insult otr drivers like you are so much smarter than they are. (EDITED) . how many docks do you bumb a day, 15-20? you are doing the same job as anyother truck driver out there...driving a truck!! so you get home everyday, i'm real f'ing happy for ya as i am sure that everyone else on this forum is as well. you are god damn genius for finding a local job, go on spread more of your vast knowledge to everyone else. oh, by the way, who brings all that freight from other parts of the country for you to deliver??? it seems to me that without otr guys you would be unemployed, (EDITED) .

Rev.Vassago · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 5182 Location: Green Bay, WI

jedfxg wrote: hey CFM, (EDITED) . why do you constantly get on here and insult otr drivers like you are so much smarter than they are. (EDITED) . how many docks do you bumb a day, 15-20? you are doing the same job as anyother truck driver out there...driving a truck!! so you get home everyday, i'm real f'ing happy for ya as i am sure that everyone else on this forum is as well. you are god damn genius for finding a local job, go on spread more of your vast knowledge to everyone else. oh, by the way, who brings all that freight from other parts of the country for you to deliver??? it seems to me that without otr guys you would be unemployed, (EDITED)

Tell us how you really feel. Which one of the mults is CFM?

Personally, I think it is GMAN :D

Twilight Flyer · Joined: 13 Nov 2002 Posts: 5477

All right, knock off the personal insults. They are not needed.

jedfxg · Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 553 Location: se buckeye

i guess when something is done about CFM...Lebron James opening his piehole then i will stop the personal attacks. he can get on here and insult all truck drivers...especially otr drivers, and those are not personal attacks. cmon there twilight flyer, lets get real. he needs to be put in his place, and his whole learn to speak mexican $&!+ he does in other areas of this site is getting old as well.

Twilight Flyer · Joined: 13 Nov 2002 Posts: 5477

Lebron isn't CFM...at least the jury is still out on it. Granted, Lebron has a pretty negative view of OTR, but he hasn't crossed the lines like CFM did. If he is CFM, he's welcome to his views as long as he doesn't start getting personal. That was his undoing the last time. Just maligning the OTR aspect of the industry isn't enough to get you sent packing. Maligning you drivers is.

jedfxg · Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 553 Location: se buckeye

are you serious twilight flyer?/ cfm is not lebron james?? man you need some serious help. one of lebrons firsts posts was making reference to what he thought my pay scale was with my contractor at fed ex ground, even to the penny reference. not enough? lives in teh exact same area as CFM did. not enough? how about the "coolie carrier" references, CFM was teh only one I ever say refer to an otr company as such. Not enough? how about the references to all of us needing to learn spanish to survive in trucking...which is what i read is what got CFM banned. not enough? how about ltl gigs like is are teh best and one should never drive otr...it sucks living in a box 24.7 with no life, etc, etc. man twilight, wake up and smell the coffee, or in this case the CFM..Lebron James BULLSHIT.

BigDiesel · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:11 pm Post subject: Re: summer2008

LeBron James wrote: Bring back those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer...

There are structural changes happening in the US economy which greatly affect the OTR segment of trucking. In particular is the continued offshoring of US-based manufacturing to Mexico and the far east. The more manufacturing we offshore, the less demand there will be in coming years for OTR truckdrivers. You've probably heard that we are transitioning to a "service" or "knowledge"-based economy...well that does not bode well for those who haul point-to-point irregular-route domestic truckload freight. How many offices have docks you can bump?

In addition, people are buying more things like I-pods, on-line music, cell-phones, etc so the weight and density of purchases are shrinking.

ICEBURG!!!!! Get off the OTR shipwreck while you can. Summertime and the livin's easy....check out your local community college or vo-tech school and begin to hatch an escape plan from the dweller society. Healthcare jobs like radiologists, nursing, physician assistants, medical imaging, etc are all in high demand as our population grows older. Those jobs pay an above-board hourly wage with overtime and can't be outsourced. Plus you don't have to wait in line to take a shower. And unlike OTR, illegals can't be shipped-in who will whistle while they work for .ppm (pesos per mile). That's right...OTR is going the way of landscaping, construction, meatpacking, and many other low-skill jobs now done by illegals. Yep, the writing's on the wall and it sure as hell ain't in English!

Forewarned is forearmed!

Another " THE SKY IS FALLING " response from CFM..... :lol:

Twilight Flyer · Joined: 13 Nov 2002 Posts: 5477

There is no IP match. Granted, it's possible to play with your IP and if so, then it's more work than I would have gone through. But the fact remains is that CFM made it personal...Lebron does not, at least he hasn't yet. If he does, he'll be gone. But we have always made it clear that if someone was banned in the past, they can come back under a different name and play by the rules. If Lebron is CFM, he has adhered to that.

CFM was banned because he resorted to personal attacks. Lebron attacks the OTR job. Sorry, but as much as I disagree with him, I'm not going to ban him for his thoughts and his dislike of OTR driving. Heck, I agree with you and have pointed out the same argument in the past: local guys have jobs because of OTR drivers...talk about shooting the horse that pulls your cart.

Anyway, as far as his location, his tendency to speak of "coolie carriers", I can list off a whole bunch of Sparta, NJ guys that speak the same way and have the same disdain for OTR driving. 8)

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