Future Pilot
 

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Check your PMs welle036, sent you one.

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.

I just got rid of my plane. I was sick of going 122mph and no place fast. I
rent a Cessna RG182 now. My plane was a 1962 Piper Cherokee 160. Paid
$12k and probably spent $30k over the past 15 years on maint and enhancements.

Re: Future Pilot
 

I find this very interesting, as I am in a similar situation, but on the reactionary-end versus the proactive end. I am just finishing a collegiate aviation program where I'll have my ratings up to Instrument-rated Commercial Multi-Engine, and a bachelors degree... trained int he 172, and the Seminole for multi. But it's also left me with about $65K in student loans.

I could live a menial existence by getting my CFI and instructing and having a second job, and pay off the loan over 20 years, or I could drive otr for a few years, pay off the loans, save some money, and then evaluate what I want to pursue. And honestly, after four years of a collegiate flight training environment, I feel a little burnt out and would welcome a change for a bit. I am considering TMC, Millis, and a few others.

Just wanted to add some encouragement that you're not the only one considering driving as a stepping stone if you can enjoy and appreciate it as a way of life for a few years. One bit of advice, if you already have your license, make the effort to rent a plane and fly a few times a month. Keep the skills and the passion alive. BOL.

Flying has got pretty old for me now and I only do it enough to be able to rent and stay current. I never got my instrument rating. Here is a pic of my plane with my mom sitting in it who by the way would NEVER dream of going up.

http://mysite.verizon.net/~stevebooth/plane.jpg

[quote="Useless"]Do remember that you all are going to have one hell of a difficult time staying current if you take up driving; not only from am economic standpoint, but from a time standpoint as well.[/quot]

I agree and disagree. If you get with a reefer company that keeps you out for three or four weeks, or if you get with a company where you have to run non-stop to make the miles and money, then yes, it would be very hard to stay current... or, if you have some other expensive hobbies, liabilities, or dependants (car, house, family, etc), it would be financially difficult.

However, if you get with a company that you're home every weekend or every other weekend, can make decent money without running like a slave, and if that is your one expensive hobby, it's very doable. A bachelor with no house or car payments could afford a 1.5 hr flight every other weekend. An FBO near my home rents an IFR 172 for $70/hr wet. All you need is an afternoon or evening to do some landings, shoot some approaches, maybe do a couple maneuvers. The catch is that you have to be dedicated enough to it to WANT to go and spend the time and money.

A previous poster mentioned about things not being as they used to in the aviation industry. You definitey put a lot of money out to learn the skills, and then get a job that won't pay the bills for the training, plus dealing with a lot of BS (both in training and in the workplace). That's the case for a lot of college-trained professions now days. My philosophy is that as long as you are HAPPY in what you're doing and can pay the bills, that's what matters. If it's flying, go for it. If it becomes trucking, stay with it. As long as I can pay my student loans and be happy in what I'm doing to earn a living - whatever it is - I'll never regret the accoplishments of flight training.

sorry double post

I saved $20k in 1 year after taxes. I dont have rent or a car.

Flight school sounds interesting. Do pilots make good money starting out?

No

Everyone knows of someone who is a major airline pilot that makes 200K and works 5 days a month. There are those that do, however, the problem is that these jobs are not and will not be replaced. Major airline pilots have taken massive pay cuts and the wage scales will not recover. The major airline pilots have agreed to keep as much as they can by letting companies outsource more and more of their flying to "code share" or commuter companies that are flying bigger and bigger regional jets for 25K a year and PAY more than that to be trained on the aircraft. UPS and Fedex pilots are the best paid now. Anyone that gets in this business now that thinks that they can get the right resume to get hired by either of these companies needs a lesson in humility. Plus, lower wages are coming to the cargo industry, that is the next thing to come.........

Also, a previous poster commented about the importance of doing what you want in spite of the low pay. I agree in principle, but those that choose to work for peanuts needlessly hurt themselves and everyone else in the industry as well. There was a time that one could make a fine living in this country in many areas including trucking and aviation, it is those that CHOOSE to work for less that have helped let the rest of us down and have played into the hands of ruthless corporate and government exploiters.

Startin out, no. The hardest part is after all of your training is complete, then you have to build up so many flying hours before a good company will hire you. Most people have to become certified flight instructors for this to happen. And you have to be in the right area to get a lot of hours training other students. I want to be an EMS helicopter pilot. Most companies won't hire you unless you have 1500 PIC (pilot in command) flight hours. And flight instructors get paid about $10-12 an hour starting out, and those hours are very inconsistent. It takes a lot of money and patience. This is why I probably will end up not becoming a professional pilot, even though I want to. The best route is going into the military where they will train you. But I couldn't do that because my vision didn't meet their overly strict requirements. But I'm good enough to fly in the civillian sector. So I may just get my privates pilot license one day (around $10k for helicopter) and buy me a little robinson r-22 helicopter when I retire and fly for fun. That would suit me fine.

http://philip.greenspun.com/images/2...n211sh-1.3.jpg

I have a 1947 Cessna 120 that my father and I are currently restoring. We are at the point of putting it back together after having it painted. I got my license beck in the 70's. I spent the last 28 years in the Air Force doing aircraft maintenance and have my FAA airframe and power plant license. I had hopes of getting into the civilian world of aircraft maintenance but the starting pay in not vey good. I've decided to go with TMC starting in September. If you are interested in learning to fly for a little less check out EAA.org and look at the sport pilot/light soprt aircraft information or just do a google search on it.

They're going to lock this topic if we keep talking about planes and helicopters!!!

I agree with sweepwing!!
 

After flying for 14 years, I can't wait to get on the road!! I hope to be an O/O in a year or so. So you want to be a pilot, ah? FYI, I have flown for various airlines and corporations making between $15k-60k / year. Same story as trucking. Bad dispatchers/schedulers and have to fight to get home. I have been around trucking for a long time and believe it or not, there is less BS in trucking. Currently, after my last aviation company shut its doors, I am back flying for a regional airline for only $28k a year. That's as a Captain!! Yea, it can be cool walking through the terminal in a uniform, but that doesn't pay the mortgage. Can you make money in either trucking or flying. Sure. But a price will be paid. Just make sure you are happy in the morning or your day will suck. By the way, it only cost $2k-$7k for a CDL and $60-100K to obtain all your flight ratings (& college, if needed). Not to mention, building flight time. All for the same amount of income, you do the math. It may sound like I'm bitter, but I'm not. Actually, I am very excited to start something new. I wouldn't trade my aviation experience for anything, but it's time to move on. I wish you luck!

i have my private license and about 100 hours stick time and that has cost me a small fortune to accomplish

now figure you will have to accumulate at least 1500 hours before you can get a decent commercial job

get your license and have fun with it but realize the prospects of making a living with it are pretty bleak

i agree!! this is more like it for a newb! :D 20k??? in a year???

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