[CrazyTulip]

Originally Posted by truckdriverwh

i cant stand listening to drivers belly aching on how bad some company is.. i have been with the same company since i started this business 2 yrs ago.. is this a perfect company, heck no, but i am one of the smart ones who know the grass isnt always greener on the other side. they treat me well here and i have only seen small signs of a freight shortage, but when i am up in the terminal thats all i hear is guys complaining they arent getting the miles! this week i a have 2500 miles and would have more but i am sitting at home cause of this darn weather! they find ways to keep me moving if i want to run and get me home every time i have needed to be.. i am not a kiss butt and nowhere near a perfect driver, have had a few incidents in these 2 yrs. but i have tried to keep a good attitude and look for the light at the end of the tunnel when things werent going as i felt they should. i make .355 cents per mile, 2 wks vac, and got a good dispatcher who really takes care of me... could i make more cpm elsewhere, without a doubt.. but these guys work for me.. truck drivers are some of the biggest complainers i have ever met! oh ya, and i do a lot of stuff for free and dont get paid for all the work i do, but i guess thats part of the job... someday soon i hope i can get into a company where everything i do i get paid for, but i will do that when the time is right.. and theres no way in he@@ ur gonna make 53k a yr at mcdonalds, or anywhere around here in ohio without a college education.. this is by far the most money i have ever made also.. just my 2 cents.

You're right about the grass not being greener and all, but "a few incidents in 2 years?" Isn't that too many already? Sorry to go off-topic but I saw that and was wondering...

[truckdriverwh]

um, probably too many... but fortunately neither one was serious and only 1 was my fault...

[jwk]

Interesting thought.....I guess it can apply to most every industry. I want to get into the business with the goal of being an independent w/in 5 years....That's my goal and that's what I will accomplish. I am currently trying to decide whether or not I should sign on with Swift or Usa Truck or maybe even foot the 3800.00 for the college CDL program and sign on with a more "reputable" company....honestly........After 1 years time on the job they're all the same. The numbers all come up about even....So why should I pull out 3800.00 bucks to do something that someone else will pay for in 12-13 months time? Hell, I need the experience anyway. I realize the first 2 years are the hardest and by god they should be. I want to learn both the good and the bad of this business.....That'll make me a better driver / owner in the future.

[Mtc_Is_Hell]

Originally Posted by jwk

Interesting thought.....I guess it can apply to most every industry. I want to get into the business with the goal of being an independent w/in 5 years....That's my goal and that's what I will accomplish. I am currently trying to decide whether or not I should sign on with Swift or Usa Truck or maybe even foot the 3800.00 for the college CDL program and sign on with a more "reputable" company....honestly........After 1 years time on the job they're all the same. The numbers all come up about even....So why should I pull out 3800.00 bucks to do something that someone else will pay for in 12-13 months time? Hell, I need the experience anyway. I realize the first 2 years are the hardest and by god they should be. I want to learn both the good and the bad of this business.....That'll make me a better driver / owner in the future.

It should be a big decision on whether to get out there and get that cdl and take that first OTR job. I did it, was happy for a while then I started getting upset over the hhg mileage system and all the waiting around at shippers. So I was OTR for 10 months. I saved up 12 grand, Had nothing going in. I paid off my loan (2,200) and quit my job. I've only worked 3 months out of the last 7 months since I quit. I have a hard time finding a normal job, They all pay 10 per hour, now I'm looking for a dedicated job opening. Been out of work for the last 3 months!

[redsfan]

The answer to the OP's question is easy. It's because there is good and bad in all of them. Like an older fella told me when I was first getting started "Throw them all in a hat and just pick one out, they're all the same". I know that there are some better than others, but for the most part every company out here has happy drivers who make a good living.

No matter what the profession, I am convinced that the driver him/herself has far more control over how successful they will be than any company ever will.

As for UPS having the worst drivers, I couldn't disagree more. Most that I have seen drive about 60 mph everywhere they go and are more courteous than other drivers I see out here. Wal-Mart drivers generally fall right in with the UPS drivers. They don't ever seem to be in a big hurry, yet most I meet seem to make a good living.

There's money to be made with almost every company and the vast majority will allow you to do it safely and legally also. Taking advantage of the opportunity is up to the driver.