Quote:
Ok I'm off my soapbox and wish you well in whatever you do. |
Look, I am not trying to tell you not to drive a truck, if thats what you want to do by all means do it. What I am trying to convey to you is this, getting into truck driving to make a better life for you and your family is not a good idea. You will essentially remove yourself from your families life, take a big cut in pay, and can't be a parent to your kids or a husband to your wife. Being a good husband and father is not just bringing home the bacon, so to speak, it is being there for them, when they need you. You cannot possibly be there for them if you are in a truck 2000 miles away. I learned this the hard way, and I am trying to help you so you don't have to do the same.
If you are wanting to drive a truck just to drive a truck, then that is a different story. But if you are using OTR to say you want to provide a better life for you and your family, sorry, OTR and family do not go together. If you really want to provide fo ryour family and be separated from them, find a job locally, and then go to school at night to get an education. You will have accomplished the same, you can make the same money as driving OTR and still be away from them at night while in school. It will allow you to work the same amount of hours for the same pay. But in this case you will actually be doing something for them, getting an education so you can make better money down the road, thereby being able to provide for them and not having to leave for weeks at a time to do it. I really wish you the best, and if your dream is to drive a truck, get it out of your system now while you are young. Then you can come back and really concentrate on what is important to you, or should be, your wife and children. Please believe me, you are doing your family no favors by going OTR, no matter how noble the intentions are. |
Quote:
He described working for a large OTR company to a T. But yet still wants to jump out of the frying pan into the fire. Why oh why, would someone who dislikes that type of work environment, want to do the same thing away from the comforts of home? I wish he could realize what he described in his post is a blueprint for the OTR driver. |
Quote:
THIS IS A BAD CHOICE!!! this is the wrong time to get into driving and you are doing it for all the wrong reasons. Get a second job to make the ends meet. you have no idea what it is like to leave your house for three weeks and never get home. you leave for work and your gone. no hey honey can you get some milk. etc. your basically leaving your wife to raise your kids alone. you won't even be in the same state if something happens. as for the money if your lucky you will make 36,000 your first year. also your expenses will stay the same at home but you will paying more to support yourself on the road. You can count on being without pay for a least a month with school and another week waiting for a trainer to take you (if your lucky its only a week) The fail rate in this business is very high. there where ten guys in my class. only 2 made it threw training and only one made it past a year. |
Quote:
|
Rather then tell this young man why he shouldn't drive a truck we should welcome him with open arms. Please come on in and have a glass of Koolaid. We have orange and grape.
|
It is possible to make 36k first year, but as most everyone said, it will be damn tough. From my time with Swift, I still have a lot of friends and a few insiders with them, most of them are sitting, getting lucky to get 2000 miles a week. Swift starts you Solo at .26cpm. Your first couple of paychecks probably won't be more then $300 each after going solo. If you do go with Swift, try to get into a regional dedicated run if possible, but that probably won't happen. There are other companies out there that pay much better and hire newbs, but you would have to get your CDL first. If you are bent on doing it, then do that refinancing, and take a couple grand to get your CDL from a good reputable school local to you, that way you can do the schooling while still working. Swift's school is 3 to 6 weeks, and you do NOT make any money during that time. Consider this, Swift's schooling is $4200, now you don't pay any of that upfront, they deduct a certain amount every week, and after the first year, they pay you back in incraments once a week. BUT, let's say you take that $4000 and go to a local school, where you can still work while doing the school. How much money are you making for that period of time you do your schooling, versus the 0 you make while at Swift school. Not to mention you can find a good school for less then $4000.
If I where in your shoes, I would stay put. Gonig OTR is going to be tough on your family, and you will have to work your arse off PLUS have some good luck on your side to even meet the low end of your expectations. |
I'm on pace to make 36K for my first year, But i work 6 days straight and 2 days off, i know most drivers will say "i wouldn't turn my key for that much" but i'm working towards something better... i have a future in the business and if it's being away from home six days straight just to get to it then it is what it is..
I will say this much i don't have no kids to watch grow up so it's not that hard out here for me plus my job is local/regional so i know this area clear as day, but i do miss hanging out with my friends, i do miss the late night booty calls from my skeezers, i do miss playing my xbox360, and i'm def. going to miss coaching little football, but i am making more money then two of my friends combine and not to mention my savings account is looking better by the week!! Being in a moving fiberglass box all day is what you make out of it, there will be lots of times where you want to just say f-it and ask your self what did you get into.. But if you want to start off at the bottom of the totem poll and work your way up then hey go for it.. but remember you got babies and old lady to support on the other end.. The ball's in your court hand!! |
Quote:
If he could get a gig like yours, then yes he would be much better off and it would be close to an ideal job. But SNI is not hiring new drivers and the liklihood of him getting on as a student and getting a regional job are slim to none. I did my training with a dedicated driver and it is a whole different ball game than running OTR. During training we were home each night, when I got out and on my own home became a place that was a thing of the past. Freight is a bit more stable for a dedicated driver than an OTR driver, once you get out and deliver, you just have to hope that there is a load waiting for you. Now that frieght is slow the chances of waiting for your next load is much more of a possibility. So there you wait in the summer heat and you aint getting paid to sit and wait for frieght. Now you are idleing away your bonus, sweating your ***** off and still not getting paid, not a good way for a man with a family to support. |
Quote:
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 03:59 AM. |
User Alert System provided by
Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Lite) -
vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.