Are truckers really make enough money?
 

Hello All,
I am interesting to become a truck driver.But, i am wondering about how truck drivers make money or how you feel? Are you guys happy with what you earn?I am not asking new drivers or even driving solo. How about driving with team or being owner operator. trucking job may hard for married people.

read through all the pages here in the OO forum and don't be afraid to search. I pay my drivers .40 cpm and they run team and have averaged 5,000 miles per week since I got them on board 1 1/2 months I split the miles between them so 2,500 x .40 cpm they left this morning and will be back in 10 days or so they could be back saturday night if they wanted and then go out again on tue but they would rather be out 10 days or so and have 3 or 4 days off in a row.

Very happy with what I earn, especially considering how much I work.

Today it's all about reducing cost.

In today's market, you'd better know what you're doing and have a good business head on you if you're going to be an owner/op. Read through the forums here and learn, absorb everything you can. There is good money to be made in this industry but you have to be smart about it. Don't think you're gonna make the truck payment and keep the house at $1.00/mile, it just aint gonna happen. There are some good companies to lease on to out there and twice as many bad ones. Get some experience under your belt as a company driver or you aren't gonna find anyone to insure you affordably with less than 2 years of experience.

I have always made a good living in trucking. Being away from family can be difficult for some people. Others seem to thrive. I see more spouses traveling together. In fact, my wife travels with me from time to time. There are more wives who are getting their CDL and teaming with their husbands. That can also by difficult for some couples. It isn't always easy being in such close proximity 24/7, either. Being successful in this business is much like any other. It is a matter of attitude. If you approach this industry with a positive attitude, you can do well. Starting out you will have to pay your dues. If you can tough it out for a year or two, then you should do well.

how much is enough?

In what other job are you asked to work 70 hours every week without overtime and be away from home for 2 weeks before you get 2-3 days off? All of this for about $50,000 if you're lucky.

Farmers work that much but they are home. And they build equity in their land.
I imagine a firefighter at a busy hall could be prety hectic.
A Soldier? Well that just sucks.

d%mn rank maybe you should think of a career change. :D and farming sucks that is why I am trucking now, I have also worked construction as a journeyman electrician I actually did that last winter when farming was done and almost starved at $20.00 an hour.

You were an electrician and you only got $20/hr? And you quit that job to go trucking?

the grass is never green on the other side. you need to cut and wet it yourself no matter were you live.

yep. I was working for someone else trying to get enough hours to take my masters test and open my own elcectrical contracting business but the more I thought about it I did not like that idea, the construction trades have really changed since I worked in it 15 yrs ago its very cutthroat and nasty. I know so is the trucking business.

If money is the only reason you come into this business, you probably won't last long. While you can earn an above average income, there are sacrifices to be made. Not everyone considers being away from home a sacrifice. Some consider it a privilege to be able to travel the highways and getting paid to do it. Some enjoy the adventure. I still get a thrill to jump in the seat and head into the sunset. I hope that I never lose that feeling. Some dread having to get back into the truck. Not everyone who reads this forum will earn $50,000/year. However, many do. Now for some that may not sound like a lot of money. But to others, that is a fortune. You don't need a 4 year college degree to achieve that level of income. Most other professions where that level of income is possible require either a college degree or apprenticeship involving several years of training. You can start a career in trucking after only a few weeks training. While you are training you will be earning a paycheck. I don't recall anyone paying me to attend college. Trucking is one of the most critical aspects of our economy. Virtually every industry relies on trucking to survive. Think about that for a minute. Everything we wear, eat, drive, hear or see involves trucking. If the trucks stopped running, this economy would stop. Now that should give you some pride in what you do for a living, if you drive a truck.

I agree with you gman and although money was not the only reason I got into this business it was one of them, my decision was based on many things including the lifestyle, the pride of doing a meaningful job, being my own boss, I enjoy driving and working on trucks and others. I heard a great quote on the radio today "money can buy you fun but it can't buy you hapiness" it was used in a different context than jobs but still applies I think.

well first of all where do you live? cause no matter where you drive, you have to be able to pay the bills at home. if the cost of living is high, then you'll need to make more money. that's why different drivers will have a different opinion on what is good pay. when you speak to people in person: one driver will tell you he is almost bankrupt from driving, & you can find another one who will tell you he is doing great. both will be telling you the truth. that's the confusing part. lol. i went thru that before i got started. imo... if your going to be gone most of your time away from home & after all your on the road expensis you just have a paycheck... i would just drive local, be home every day, get the feel of driving then decide if the over the road still appeals to you.

Boy have you got that right.

I hate driving into the sun. :)

You can take as little as 40 weeks of classroom training, all paid for by the goverment then enter an apprenticeship program where you get paid to learn. After that, by all means, hit the road jack. You cannot always truck but you cannot always start a career.

But your point is nontheless valid. Trucking is probably one of the better avenues for anyone with not alot of formal education. But that is a negative IMO. I don't kow about you guys, but up here, the influx of immigrants to trucking is mind boggling. I am convinced that the big companies are recruiting in depressed foreign countries, bringing them over here, training them and getting them liscensed. It puts downward pressure on driver pay. You can't do that in a traditional "skilled trade".

I've heard it all before. The trucks will never stop running. Not as long as there is a relatively uneducated, relatively uninspired or recently relocated person looking to make realtively good money for not breaking a sweat.

Please post link.

The trucks did stop running back in the 70's or 80's. The Teamsters were strong back then. The country virtually came to a screeching halt. You can't do that without some sort of organization. There are too may people living pay check to pay check taking cheap freight who think that they cannot afford to sit for a day or two.

I dont think what happen in the 70s or 80s will happen again.. Right now its every man for himself which is so sad we can do better in trucking if we got together..

The only way it's going to happen in this country is if the new canadian drivers all get together and form a union. That would be big trouble for the mid size to large carriers.

Here's some retraining links. These could be valuable for a truck driver. :)

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/tcu/job...velopment.html

http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/e...c_skills.shtml

It would be interesting to see a comparison of the debt to income ratio of the average trucker in the 70s compared to now. Generally people feel a lot more free to go in debt now. So they don't have the room to do things.

If there were only about 20-30% of the driver workforce were union and decided to stop working for a week, it would have an impact. I doubt that there are that many who would join a union. If the fuel tanker drivers were union and went on strike that is all that would be needed. Without fuel we all stop, whether we want to or not. One difference today from back then is that there are so many lease operators and owner operators. These people are considered independent business people and not employees. We didn't have so many people in that situation back then. Most people were either company drivers or owner operators. I don't recall any lease operators at that time. I don't remember when the lease programs started. The lease operators are working so close on their money that they cannot afford to take a week off or they will lose their shirts. But like I said, if the fuel tanker drivers stopped for a few days the entire country would stop.

No disrespect to tanker drivers, but they ain't no air traffic controllers and look what happened to them. :shock:

Truck drivers are nothing but slaves to the people that buy the goods. Laws will always be changed to the benefit of the people that consume. 13 hour work days. No overtime. Piece work (pd by the mile) is the industry standard. It's all setup so that the driver has to work insane hours.

Do we really think that governments will allow truck drivers to get in the way of the economy? Look no further than Mexico and the middle east for the future of truck drivers.
:asta:

Hmmm just wondering...why ask owner ops forums about just wanting to be a driver....I mean shouldnt the question be...going to own my first truck.....can I make $?...hate to be picky but just seems logical
Hmmm so just my 2c....I think ill take Gmans advice n lease on to Landstar next year...this having my own authority just hasnt worked out for me that well.

Sorry to hear that PEPE but i think that alot of people think automatically that getting there own Autority equals more money but in most cases it does Not and I think its because of lack of experiance. It too bad that there is alot of bad information out there and people willing to empty there saving thinking that they will get rich quick and endup going broke..

Good luck and happy motoring

Yeah certainly not going broke...Ive made a little $ n made back my investment.
I certainly didnt expect to get rich, but after 6 months I cant justify enough extra $ to keep the maitence on the trailer, worry about brokers screwing me or stiffing me, n all the DOT own authority complience hassels

Landstars looking better n better if they really will let me keep my independence.

Pepe you're making money, but you dont like the back office work involved with being a motor carrier. Find someone else to do your back office work. Use those shippers, pay a pretty waitress to call on shippers, you tell her what to say. If you add 17% to every broker load that you have hauled and assume thats the least the broker made off of your hard work, you might start calling those shippers and stop giving us the woe is pepe story. I'm riding you because you have taken the jump, arent giving it your ALL, and are discouraging those who want to jump behind you. You are encouraging those nay sayers who will never jump but want to say I told you so. Theres money to be made right NOW while im typing and when you are reading. You have INDEPENDENCE right now and you are going to pisss it away.

When I first started driving most of us either paid cash for what we wanted or didn't get it. About the only debt we had was for a car or house. Other than that we just didn't have a lot of extra debt. The bank cards were just starting. Of course, there was American Express, Carte Blanche and Diners cards, but those were mostly not for blue collar workers. I got my first credit card in the 1970's. It was a BankAmericard. The name later changed to Visa. It is much too easy to whip out the plastic to pay for something. The debit cards have only compounded the issue. Most of us have gotten used to using plastic. Things are much more expensive today and more cash is needed. It is easier to just pull out a piece of plastic rather than take so much cash with you. It doesn't take nearly so much money to live or maintain a certain lifestyle if you don't have the debt. It might amaze you to see how much less you actually need to live when you don't have debt. We have gotten in a pattern of buying things we cannot afford and paying for them tomorrow. Using credit costs everyone more money. Lenders must cover their losses due to some not paying their bills on time. As consumers, we have to make up the difference. Imagine how life would be if we all paid cash??? I remember those days. Things were much simpler....and cheaper. We pay a high price for credit.

Yeah, but 'll bet buggy whips, harnesses, and even spare horses were a lot cheaper then.

Everything was less expensive including wages. You could actually make a living on $150/week and have steak several times a week. Most need that much or more per day to take care of the basics. Using credit is expensive. Those costs are passed along to the consumer. Diesel was between $0.15-0.25/gallon. Most people didn't rely on the government for their living. We took care of ourselves. It costs a lot of money to feed several families off of one paycheck. If you get rid of your debt and subsequent interest payments you would not need nearly as much money to get along. Most people think they own a car when the bank is really the owner. We don't own anything until it is paid off.

Yep, you could buy a brand new decked out buggy with all the whistles for between $500-800. A horse would go from $100-500. But we would pay cash.

:shock:

Are you from Utah? Or is it Tenessee where bigamy is legal?

And Steve Booth thinks you don't have humor.

But yeh, I can't figure out what Rank wants to know either. Perhaps we should just leave it alone. :P

Pepe,

Don't give up. I agree with LOAD_IT, if you don't like the backoffice work and can afford to hire someone to do the paperwork for you, do it. What I have notice is that company drivers jump into being an O/O or Motor Carrier without understanding that it's a business, no matter which option you choose. You are going from employee to business person then they get so frustrated with operating the business. Being an O/O or Motor Carrier is more than just driving the truck.

Pepe, even if you run for Landstar, it is still a business. You still have to get to know their system in order to do well. Hang in there! You have plenty of support here.

A couple thoughts Pepe. Hire a girl in the Philipines for cheap money to do the paperwork or a retired Walmart greeter. Worst case. Don't do any DOT paperwork and let them figure it out for you. :lol:

Glad you're still out there Pepe.

I don't understand this calling shipper thing. Excuse my ignorance as I'm really on two weeks on my own after cutting ties with other guy, but what type of commitment can I offer a shipper with one truck and when I'm all over the country? It makes sense to make contacts with them for when I am in a certain area is that basically the gist of this?

I would say it might work if you were in his neck of the woods fairly often. You woudl need to offer a better rate than teh broker he is currently dealing with....which you might be able to do if the broker is gouging him.

Other than that youe are better off staying at home and doing local work for local shippers than going OTR is this market. I'm thinking short trips of 1-500 miles. Sleep in your own bed and be on call 24-7 for them. That is a service that a broker can't really offer them.

Merrick- Rank makes an excellent point here. Since you are from Florida you could do this with produce, nursery steel or other products drayed from containers in the ports. Shorthaul/regional is really where the money is. You may touch 6-9 loads and make $4500 on 2200 miles versus running OTR to make $4500 on 3000 miles in a week. Dust off your old company driver notebook and call some of those Florida shippers. What made you cut ties with the other guy?

Load It,
In a nutshell, he was being sent on low paying runs, and being fed the "your a newbie ,..thats how it is line"
I commend merrick for going out on his own,.....maybe someday I will :lol: :lol: (I mean actually go out,..but my truck is so clean,...I don't want it to get dirty)

I think my Jeep Liberty does more trucking than your truck Doghouse LOL. Things take time, I understand your situation.

My Jeep Wrangler does more trucking than my truck does :roll: :lol: :lol:

It's funny,..but at a certain point you just have to throw your fate into the wind,.... :roll: and now my girl is telling me that my "Fensui" (spelling???)is all wrong, and I have to change my TV to a smaller unit, and get a diff. shower curtain :roll: ,......if I couldn't lift her over my head,.......she'd be gone for sure :!:

You tell her real sleepers have a pillow, matress and blanket, leave the showers at home, bathe in a stream LOL. I ran into a guy taking a sponge bath in a Flying J bathroom once bragging about 14 days hard running. I said 14 days hard running would earn you shower credit or enough money to pay for a shower. Hr must have thought I was driving my Liberty. hahaha

Doghouse summed it up why I cut ties LoadIt but it was more than that. This guy has 11 trucks but he has a day job. He is on the phone all day micromanaging his trucks because from what I could tell his brother-in-law dispatcher was not too bright. He was always complaining to me that he's just an employee and doesn't care.

Well I read something one time that at first I was a little shocked but I have come to think is true. Namely that the world is a mirror and the faults we see in others are those that we have ourself. Well this guy was always complaining that his brother in law didn't care because in the end he got a salary no matter what.

Well I paid this guy $600 and he took that and never bothered to watch my truck like it was one of his own like he was supposed to. I know nothing of this industry and needed his help.

Also I began to realize that he has limitations that I don't have. He has to haul for CH Robinson cause they pay fast. (He didn't know anything about factoring) and he doesn't have that kind of cash to keep all those trucks running and waiting forever for his money.

Further, he has drivers and needs to keep getting them back to Florida for there hometime. I don't need to get back to Florida all the time.

When I told him I was going on my own, he made the comment that I have the ability to sit but he has to keep his trucks rolling.

He runs his business his way but I want to run mine my way.

For me big deal he has year round freight in Florida if I have to go on these 5 day trips to bad places with the reefer running for $1.30 a mile. I'd rather deadhead out with the reefer off and and then choose where I want to go.

Well that about sums it up LoadIT