One more newbie thread from me for the day..
 

I know people are getting tired of listening to my ramblings, but I think this may be all I need to know.
Of all the companies that either train, or hire newbies which one pays the best cpm? What can a newbie expect to get paid in general?
I have seen 25 cpm, which is crap..is that normal? There was another company I remember seeing, cannot recall the name, that said 43,000 first year. They did not have a cpm pay listed..
What would you think is minimum? I know we all need different amounts, but what number would you not go below fo rthe work you do?
THanks for the help and understanding for all these newbie questions.

SR

I think you may be referring to Watkins-Shepard, their website if I remember correctly stated $43,000 first year earnings. At this point and time I just do not think that is realistic. Even when things were good the stated pay was based on bonuses and no service failures and a steady 2500 miles per week. If in your first year all those things came together then, yes you could gross that number. But is it realistic in your first year, doubtful. Just by nature of being new and unfamiliar with your job, the liklihood of doing everything right is very slim. I never got my bonuses with SNI, because there was always something that I did or did not do, that was in writing, but I either did not read or did not remember. I knew very few who actually got their bonuses, and many times it was due to poor dispatching, unrealistic expectations, or getting detained by shippers, etc... There are just too many things working against you in your first year to meet all that is required to make the stated first year earnings.

I averaged $600 a week my first year, but I ran teams, our pay rate was a little higher, we got great freight, and we rarely stopped moving. We also stayed out alot just to make what we made. I have said it before, if you can just put your homelife aside for 12 months, don't expect to take much time off, keep the left door closed, deliver and pick up on time, you can make decent money. But there is also staying on top of your dispatcher, and load planner, always working when you are not driving to make sure you have another load planned. Just because you shut down, the work does not stop, we were always on the phone asking for another load, they would always say freight is slow, but if you are persistant, somehow they will find freight for you.

I really think in all honesty most all the training companies wil pay you about the same, Schneider seemed to have a little better start rate than the others, but we are talking just a penny or two really. They were however, the highest recommended when I started, and i liked running for them, they really did not treat me badly at all. I have heard otherwise though lately, but things are tough for any one behind the wheel now, and all companies are all cutting back anywhere they can, and usually that means cutting back on the extras for the driver, like CPM. I would say now you could expect to make in the mid to high $20,000 range, but that may even be tough now.

Good luck, i hope things work out for you, unfortunately, you kind of got started at a not so good time in the indusrty. But if you can get on with someone, tough it out for a few months to a year, you may be OK.

If you are looking to start out with a company that pays a reasonable amount....for new drivers....then I suggest that you look into "CFI".....they are now part of Conway, and are the "truckload" division of it. I don't know if they are still running their training program or not....but if you call 1-800-641-4748 between 8 and 5 CT....ask for recruiting and talk to them. I drove for CFI prior to their purchase by Conway.....

Its worth a call....afterall, its free:smokin:

Yea CFI, they actually had a pretty good training deal. You would would front around $1100 and they would pay the rest, no contract to sign. You quit or are fired you owe nothing else. Christine is who I talked to in recruiting, but that was at least 2 years ago. Looking back that would have been the way to go, but I wanted to train in CA and their school was in.........can't remember, a midwest state, I believe, Oklahoma comes to mind for some reason.

Most of the companies that I see put up numbers like $40,000 first year earnings have in the fine print bonuses included. They also seem to find some way to not pay you for the bonuses either. I would never include those in figuring out my pay as you have no control over mileage.

Example: With Roehl Transportation I was available to run and never turned down a load and one quarter I fell 290 miles short of my mileage bonuse through no fault of my own. You can't make a mileage bonus if they don't run you. I argued about it but they wouldn't give it to me. I didnt last much longer there either.