So me and my wife are concidering getting our CDL's and hitting the road and we have some questions and concerns we were hoping the folks on here could help us with. Yes, I have read thru a hundred of post both on here and other forums but all are 5+ years old and time changes things, so we wanted current info. A little backroound on us: We are both currently employed but not enjoying our jobs/carrers. Me 38, wife 44. We do about 80K/yr. But, after 3 thru college have limited savings. Our kids are grown and about to be out of college and we have no ties to our current house or town. Married 12 years and love to travel and the outdoors. So, thinking of selling out and hitting the road. Game plan is to pay dues the first 2 years, buy a truck and do O/O w/ athority and make a nest egg. Sounds simple right? I know enough to know better. I have a small amount of experience driving. No CDL's but drove for a Moving and Storage outfit for 2 years back in my early 20's. Box truck, mostly short runs, 2-3 days. Wife has no experience. Concerns are:

1. Being seperated for training. I know this is a small hurdle but still.
2. What we can expect out of our trainer. We have read mostly horror stories. Yes, I know the bad stuff is all that makes the internet, thats why I'm asking.
3. Company recomendations. Looking at Scheinder, Watkins&Shepard, US xpress curently. Hoping to find someone who does H/W team training.
4. What can we really expect pay wise year 1, year 2. Most are advertizing 40+K/yr, 5K-6K mile per week. I have a feeling this is probably not the norm. We are looking to stay on the road w/ limited home time. We like the travel aspect and would prefer using our "down time" to see somewhere other than home. But, just because we want to drive does mean the friegt will be there to support it.

 

#2. Your trainer(s) should basically help you refine the skills you'll learn in CDL school (backing, maneuvering, hours of service, etc.), and will help you learn company policy (logging, either paper or computerized, as well as company-specific quirks). At the site where I work, there aren't many trainer gripes, and with large companies, there's a dedicated student department to address any issues that students have with trainers.
#3. I don't know much about Schneider and Watkins & Shepard. I do know a couple (now a husband/wife team) who are with USX, and they've been getting run quite well. They didn't train with them, though. The husband trained with Werner, ran as a solo (with her riding shotgun for some time), became a trainer, trained her, and they've run team ever since.
I hope this helps.

 

Chief said:

We'll try. But, what made you think about doing this?

80k is nothing to sneeze at... but, if you don't like what you're doing... You MAY only make about 70k the first year or two, but it gets better. I guess you mean that you rent. Okay. WHERE are you? This makes a difference in what is available to you.

A stable (long term) marriage is a great asset for trucking as a H/W team. My brother and his wife survived it for a few years.

You sound like a smart man. 2 years is probably long enough to pay your dues, but I would think long and hard about becoming an O/O that quickly. There ARE other options.

1. Being seperated for training. I know this is a small hurdle but still.

Some companies will train you together. My brother started first... and then was allowed to train his wife. And you're right... it IS a small hurdle.

2. What we can expect out of our trainer. We have read mostly horror stories. Yes, I know the bad stuff is all that makes the internet, that's why I'm asking.

That's a coin toss. But, still... in the greater scheme... a small hurdle. If either of you feel your trainer is breaking the law, call your safety manager and ask for another one. I've heard/read the stories too. But, I had no problems.

3. Company recommendations. Looking at Schneider, Watkins&Shepard, US Express currently. Hoping to find someone who does H/W team training.

I don't like to DO recommendations. Don't know enough about these big companies. I wouldn't normally suggest ANY "lease" deal.... but, Schneider is currently offering a $12,000 sign on bonus for teams (with a lease deal obviously.) Be VERY careful about this... but, I would trust them over C.R. England or PRIME.

This is usually where I interject the idea of looking at smaller companies that use teams exclusively. My brother was able to go out with a trainer for a few weeks and then train his wife. Smaller companies often will "work with you" on such situations.

Are you on one coast or the other? If so, there are many companies that haul SOME commodity to the other coast, and bring back produce. It's not a bad deal.

4. What can we really expect pay wise year 1, year 2. Most are advertizing 40+K/yr, 5K-6K mile per week. I have a feeling this is probably not the norm.

$35k each the first year or two. After that... if you're STILL in trucking... the sky is the limit (but the norm would be $40k each.) 5-6k miles a week is certainly doable as a team who is willing to run.

This makes you a dispatcher's DREAM! That is why I said the miles would not be a problem with MOST carriers.

This is not always so easy to do. But, I have done it, and others I know have done it. You may need to rent a car, or be able to drop your trailer (company consent needed.) I knew a couple that strapped bikes to the back of their truck and spent every weekend "touring" the Oregon coastline.

I, personally, have seen/crossed the London Bridge in Lake Havasu, and took a train to see the Grand Canyon. Also, dropped my trailer and bobtailed down to Mt. Rushmore. Gambled in Las Vegas, walked on the California beaches, and "stood on a corner in Winslow, Arizona!"

The economy is getting better. I think the freight will be there with the companies you mentioned. If not, check some others... like LandAir, ForwardAir, or LandSpan.

 

Thanks for the info golfhobo. To answer your questions, we are in Monroe, Ga. About 40 miles east of Atl, Ga. We own not rent. Probably rent our house, hopefully to one of our kids who are just getting started. Got the idea from one of wifes cousins who are now retired 10 yrs. They did it and now own a big horse ranch. (means to an end). I have driven a little and liked it so. 70k is doable. We will go I. With very little financial obligations so. The recomendations I was asking for were more along the lines of team friendly companies. I have had a lot of people mention goung with smaller outfits but I have yet to find one that takes new drivers. All require 2+ years.

 

It's been awhile since I drove for USXpress, but when I was there I know they *LOVED* team trucks. Solo drivers would go through the BS of getting the truck loaded, drive 60 miles and hand it off to a team truck to take it across country. I've heard that it's still about the same. Also, USX has some great equipment, with teams getting the newest trucks.

 

Actually contrary to popular belief on here, a husband wife team not wanting significant hometime would do very well at cr England. And they do allow a trainer to take 2 students, but stand your ground and make it clear that you school together and train together, don't let them try to split you for training. England has their lease program set up for teams, and its typically the solo guys, and trainers that fail there. I have not met an unhappy h/w team at England. I've been here almost 5 years, kids were grown and had no obligation other than to make my business succeed, and im doing very well as a solo. I have 3 very good friends I've made here. One is a trainer on a dedicated autopart run, owns his truck now and clears at least 3000 a week after expenses and is guaranteed 5000 plus miles each week and is home every weekend. The other is a couple running team on a dedicated Walmart run out of cheyenne and they are clearing about 2k a week, but run only about 4k miles a week. I'm solo and and now clear anywhere between 1000 to 2000 a week after expenses and we are all at england.

 

you make 80k a year and want to drive a truck???? If I had made that with my late husband I would never have even thought of doing this.

As a team you can make that, or even a bit better, but the cost of living on the road, added to all the stress of living in a sardine can would hold me back from taking the step. Yeah, you can take time off on the road, but I am so tired most of the time, that after doing the mountain of laundry and cleaning the truck, restocking it, I don't feel like doing anything.

I would really stop and think about it. And secondly, while I know you love and trust your kids, I am not sure renting your house out to one of them is the smartest plan of action. The lines get to blurred when renting to a relative. And after all, I am sure you want to make money on this too.

Good luck in whatever you do, but as I said, considering the money you already make, you may not improve your earning power much, or at all, and living on the road is not cheap.