[wepwawet]

Check out Transport America Home weekends 48 out of 52 which means they can force you out 4 wks a yr. just dont cry when your getting 2000-2400 miles a wk.


Thats the way it works the more your home = less miles cause they have to keep you close enough to get you to the house.

There are a few companys out there that have this type of program or did with the flood of exp drivers on the market I will be amazed if it stays around much longer.

[DarthJayhawk]

MidMo, If you get a job that gets you home most weekends, you probably won't be making much more than you are now, if any at all. I have a wife and young daughter at home, and I don't really want to be gone that much.
I looked at several jobs before taking the one I'm getting ready to start. Keep in mind I have nearly three years of accident and ticket free OTR experience, so I had a few more possibilities.
I first looked at a couple of LTL carriers that would have me home daily, but the hours were erratic at first, and there was the possibility of layoffs.
Then I looked at a carrier that got me home every weekend for 48 hrs, paid a percentage, and I would probably earn right at 40k a year. I need to earn a little more than that, at least right now.
Next I looked at a place that promised me every weekend off, with a salary of 46k. Sounded all right until I saw I would have to drive for 13 plus hours a day to make it home by friday night. I might fudge the book a little here or there every now and then if absolutely necessary, but no way will I take that kind of insane risk on a daily basis.
I finally settled on a small company that sends me out for 6-10 days at a time, and I should make about 50k my first year. They have two different busy seasons a year, and for those 6 months I will probably only be home long enough for my shutdown. The other six months are a lot more relaxed, and I should get two and a half to three days home at a time. They have excellent benefits, and it appears a ton of freight to keep me busy.

Is this job perfect? No, but if I am to be gone from home, I want to be compensated for it, which they will do. I'm gonna hate some of the long runs that keep me gone so much, but it is better than having to run over on hours all the time, or not making enough to pay my bills. I'm going to miss my wife and child, but at least I know they will be fed.

I hope seeing how I came to my decision helps you in yours.

Good Luck.

[GTR SILVER]

why not talk to local............. contractors..........demolition.....scrap metal.....and excavating company's...before you go to school........ :arrow: :arrow: :arrow: :arrow: :idea: :idea: :idea: :?: :?: :?: ............. it's all about networking. :wink: :wink: :wink:

say that your very interested in training with them...that you will be

attending school, and when you get out.....you will train on your "dime"

for 1 2 or 3 weeks...that shows a lot of heart on your part........ 8) 8) 8)


just my 2/cents :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :arrow: :wink: 8)

BOL 2 YA....

[unclehotte]

I also would say: DONT DO IT! Especially because of wife and kids. I am happy where I am NOW, timeoff and moneywise.....but the first three years were just HELL!!!

[got mud?]

there used to be a really good post on here from a guy named josh (can't remember his board name) If I remember correctly he hauled flowers in FL. anyway I think the post was a sticky at one point. was about being a driver and family. maybe someone remembers his name and can dig it up for you. tried to do a search but could't find it.

[Useless]

Originally Posted by MidMO

I make OK money for what it is, but at times it seems like it's not enough, were barely paying the bills and unable to keep up with the expense of upkeep and general mainenance of our home. My wife and I both work full time.

Thanks!

MidMo;

Didn't have time to read all of the replies, but it seems to me that there is something missing here;

What is your net monthly income, and what are your monthly expenses.

Remember that driving is an industry where cash flow can become very erratic, and while hometime is nice, it can also bite hard on the paycheck.

BOL2U

[freebird]

Originally Posted by Useless

MidMo;

Didn't have time to read all of the replies, but it seems to me that there is something missing here;

What is your net monthly income, and what are your monthly expenses.

Remember that driving is an industry where cash flow can become very erratic, and while hometime is nice, it can also bite hard on the paycheck.

BOL2U

Add to this that just starting out your not going to see a real check for the better part of month.
Nothing worse then getting into training and trying to live on training pay, it will maybe pay your food bill on the road, let alone the everyday bills back at home!

[belpre122]

Originally Posted by got mud?

there used to be a really good post on here from a guy named josh (can't remember his board name) If I remember correctly he hauled flowers in FL. anyway I think the post was a sticky at one point. was about being a driver and family. maybe someone remembers his name and can dig it up for you. tried to do a search but could't find it.

As requested..................................


Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:18 am Post subject: Newbies+wanabe's...don't say, you weren't warned.

Originally Posted by Ardmore Farms Forever

I know, I know.............it will be different with you........"you'll be the exception to the rule."

Disclaimer: I am NOT trying to persuade or dissuade anyone from getting into trucking.....I personally LOVE driving a truck....but, I am extremely fortunate,....because I retired from another profession at a fairly young age and am financially sound....... I drive a truck because I want to......NOT, because I have to.........there is a huge difference.

.....This in my opinion is one of the best post I have ever seen on any trucking board........I pulled it from another board (which shall remain nameless) and in my humble opinion it hits home, is hard-hitting, to the point and not full of the cushy, cushy make-you-feel good political correctness crap. .........Read it, take from it what you want and leave the rest.......in my opinion, an excellent post, not based on hearsay, but his and others personal experience and opinion........It might NOT be what you want to hear, but, it IS the truth........written by a person who has seen more white lines and miles (well over 1,500,000), than most of us will ever see, via his many, many years of professional truck driving....................Josh


================================================== =======================

Newbies: You see me write a lot about the importance of craftsmanship and responsible profession behavior, and the going-rate wages and benefits for new drivers. Here's another side of the story:


OTR takes you away from your family and home for weeks at a time, and when you subtract even minimal expenses living on the road, there's precious little left for the wife, kids and home expenses.

You can make more net money for your family, work fewer hours, and at least sleep in your own bed every night with TWO full-time fast food jobs. The novelty of being a trucker and living on the road will wear-off pretty fast, and what's left is a disgraceful wage for the responsibility and risk, and in most cases, a family and home left abandoned and broke.

If you've got a wife and kids that need you and your support, DO NOT get into OTR trucking with Werner or anyone else. The number of tragedies -- guys who end up in divorce and living hand-to-mouth on the road while most of their paycheck goes to child support -- is staggering. They thought they could be a dad and husband with only a few days home a month and could eat baloney sandwiches most of the time and send most of their money home....WRONG! It rarely turns out this way.

No matter how much your and your family is dedicated to making this plan work, the fact is it will turn your relationships and finances upside-down. Few can make the stress and pitiful financial work -- and even if you do, you're missing the baby's first steps and the little league games and everything else you supposedly got married for. If you got married and started a family, stay home and be a husband and father.

OTR trucking isn't a "mission" to protect the public or your country like being a soldier or cop or firefighter. We're not heroes -- that's just what the industry tells us to take their crappy jobs. We just move paper towels or produce or little boats from one location to another -- just a low-wage worker doing relatively dull, mind-numbing work. Your body will get soft, your mind will suffer from the irregular sleep/work cycles, and your life will fly by with nothing much to show for the sacrifice. There's no retirement, no sick leave, no significant recognition for your efforts, and the trucking labor pool is increasingly dipping into the "working poor" class. This is no longer the middle-class job it once was,and the moment you make a poor decision behind the wheel that gets you in trouble, you're out on your azz facing possible criminal charges and civil action. The company will cut you loose and let you hang.

I could go on and on and on..... But the point is: This is a terrible career choice for a married guy with a family and home life.

You effectively disqualified yourself for living on the road in a truck when you started a family. If you're going to go on the road for weeks in a truck, you might as well just sit down with your wife and tell her you've changed your mind and are leaving for good. Hire a lawyer and get it over with before dragging her and your kids into this charade.

For a single guy...? That's another story. You can give-up your permanent residence, live out of a post office box and put away some money for a few years while living relatively comfortably on the road with all the cool gear. But there's no point in having a "real" home if you're never home to enjoy it. Your car will sit 26 days a month for all the payments and insurance, etc. And you'll effectively lose most of your friendships as you disappear from their lives.
But hell -- if you're single, want to destroy your health and set your course on slow suicide, who cares. At least you're not dragging anybody else down with you. And if friendships don't come easily anyway and you don't care much about a "normal" life -- OTR is actually a pretty good way to escape that reality. That's MY reality - to be perfectly honest - and I love this life. I'm a social misfit and a perfect match for this nonsense. But I wouldn't even consider it if I had the slightest responsibility beside my own admittedly self-destructive selfishness.

Got it? This job SUKS unless you're a little crazy and have nothing to lose. It's an irresponsible career choice if others depend on you, or you want anything like the "normal life" so many truckers come to miss after the novelty wears off.

40k may sound like pretty good money, but it's crap for the quantity of work, the responsibility and risk, the toll on your mind and body....and most of all, the family who'll see precious little of it from the dad who abandoned them to go live on the road.

Stay at home where you belong. Pretend you're an illegal immigrant and get into construction...ANYTHING but abandoning your family trying to be some hot-shot young buck again. Open your eyes and see the reality. The turnover is way over 100% a year -- even higher among newbies -- because most first-year drivers realize they've made a mistake and leave the industry, a little embarrassed and a lot poorer having been fleeced by a truck school and everyone else along the way.....

"...fair and balanced - you decide."

Here is a link to the actual thread; http://www.classadrivers.com/phpBB2/...=18642&start=0

[GMAN]

Over the years I have met a lot of people who have come and gone in this business. Being away from home will not break up a solid marriage. If there are already problems it could compound them. I have known of some who have told me that their marriage has survived due to being apart. Some people need more individual space. There is no cookie cutter approach that works for everyone. If I were you, I would sit down with my wife and discuss the pros and cons. The realities are that you will likely be away from home 2-3 weeks at a stretch during your first year or so. That could continue, depending on the company. Once you gain a year or two there are some carriers around that will get you home a day or so per week. Much of what will be available to you will depend on where you live. It is important to have the support of your spouse when starting this type of career change. Your first year earnings should be somewhere between $30-35,000. You can eat cheaper and more healthy out of your truck. If you eat every meal in restaurants you should count on about $10-12/meal. If you eat cold cereal and perhaps a sandwich for two meals and then a hot meal with vegetables, you won't spend nearly as much money on the road and can eat fairly healthy. One reason a lot of new drivers don't do as well starting out is they get started playing video games at the truck stops. You can drop a lot of money on those video games. If this is something you really want to do and you have the support of your family, then it could be a good thing. You will miss a lot of things with your children. I would sit down and make a list of what you want and/or need in a carrier. Since you emphasized home time, I would certainly include that in my list. If you do find something local, your pay may not be much more than minimum wage. Some do much better, but others do not. Pay is always lower starting out, regardless of the career. You may also want to check with your local state employment office. There could be companies in your area that might be a better fit than the major carriers.

[mt1trucker]

I have been driving for 18 months now and I can tell you this.......
When I started training, my daughter was 20 years old, engaged and living on her own and my wife has been on the road with me from day 1. If that were not the case, I would never have started in the first place. Local jobs are hard to find and even when you find one the usually want 2-3 years exp. My advice is to stay home and concentrate on being a good dad/husband. Unless your kid(s) are almost 18 or something, don't even consider it.
There is no driver shortage anymore and therefore the money isn't anything great, especially when you are just starting out. Forget all the ads that say you will make around 40K the first year. I busted my butt for my first year, went home only a few times for only a day or two each time and I took almost every load that came my way. Heck, if I wasn't preplanned by the time I got to my destination I was on the phone with my DM or the planner getting another load........
all that time on the road got me around 29K...........and I was home for realistically 10 days out of the 365.
My wife and I enjoy the travel and look forward to the future but being a family man should disqualify you from consideration :wink:

Don't take my post the wrong way, I just don't want you to give up your family time to chase 40K a year when thats not realistic. A few years in, sure 40K isn't hard, but not for a new driver.