Truck Driving Jobs

CreepShow · #31 12-10-2013, 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMAN

Some of the LTL carriers will pay in the $80,000+ range. It usually takes a few years to get into these specialty areas of the industry. Everyone pays their dues.

I'm with Conway and one of the low guys on the board. Our top guys running line haul pulling doubles do pretty good, they run 5 days a week, home every night, longest run roundtrip from our terminal is 416 (213 each way) miles and their hitting around $100k. The next few guys under those guys don't run quite as far and hit $90k. It's not easy work even for a senior driver all though they don't have to work the dock as long as the guys under them.

I was talking to a guy who's been here 9 years and he was saying he ran line haul a couple years ago and hit $83k. As a new guy at our terminal running line haul you'd probably be around $55k and work way way harder than the senior guys. But that's 5 days a week, home every night.

TimberWolf · #32 12-10-2013, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMAN

If you want to make $100,000 driving a truck you will usually need to get into one of the niche areas of the industry. Cars is one area where drivers can earn from $75-125,000/year, but it is hard work and you will be out in the elements. Another is LTL. Some of the LTL carriers will pay in the $80,000+ range. Then there is heavy haul and oversize freight. It usually takes a few years to get into these specialty areas of the industry. Everyone pays their dues.

Lets not forget some fuel drivers out there, not all of us but those that hussle, work days off, take the extra load at the end of the day, willing to go out of town and in general have good work ethic will top out just over 80K this year..

Also home every night as well...
Timberwolf

Roadhog · #33 12-10-2013, 10:09 PM

I bet I'm not the only reefer driver sobbing as I read this thread.

Snowman7 · #34 12-10-2013, 10:51 PM

LTL is not for everyone. Your early years are a mixed bag of covering vacations, dock work, waiting by the phone, layoffs, irregular hours. Generally feast or famine. The job gets easier and ironically more lucrative the more seniority you get. Our top guys have set schedules Mon-Fri, home every day and routinely make 100k. I just took a bid run working aprox 45 hrs/week which will pay me around 80k. Took me 7 years to get it. I've made over 70k the last three years as a cover/extra board driver working basically on call. Most of the work is Mon-Fri. Weekends are volunteer basis. Most road work is nights. New guys start around .40/mi and scratch and claw their way to 40-50k. Top rate is .66/mi and takes 3 years to get. Then its all about what your seniority will get you. Must have doubles/triples endorsement, hazmat, clean background and CDL. 80% of our guys make 75-100k. The bottom 20% make 40-60k. No one quits these jobs so its hard to move up. Well, bottom guys quit when they're starving. Otherwise it takes a retirement, illness, death or firing.

GMAN · #35 12-11-2013, 12:15 AM

There are other specialized areas of this business where drivers can earn up to or more than $100,000, as you can see from some of the others who have posted. You don't start out with these high wages. Like everything worthwhile, it takes time to get to that level. Most drivers are content pulling a van around and earning $40-50,000/year. Others make the decision to get into some of the more specialized areas or to get with one of the major LTL carriers. It isn't easy earning top money in this industry. Any time you get into the higher income earners in this industry, you will work hard for your money.

CreepShow · #36 12-14-2013, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimberWolf

Lets not forget some fuel drivers out there, not all of us but those that hussle, work days off, take the extra load at the end of the day, willing to go out of town and in general have good work ethic will top out just over 80K this year..

Also home every night as well...
Timberwolf

I've been looking long and hard for one that pays like that with those hrs. I'm am an experienced fuel driver and haven't found one to pay that yet. My last fuel tanker was driving 3000 miles a week and hit just over $50,000 for the year driving for Petroleum Transport.