Hey too all here!!! I ben on the forum for about a week or so, and read alot of stuff on here both good and bad. As for me ill be getting my class a, unlike alot of people, this is something i have been wanting to do for a while not not something i want to do because the goverment will pay or anyother reason like that. How bad is the industry? Some people tell me there is great money out there in the industry,some tell me its a horrible time to be a trucker, and some say to buy my own truck(nothin new) and do loads for a company that pays by bthe load not the mile. Whats really going on and what should i do

 

it's as good or bad as you make it, get on with a good company, dont consider a lease purchase EVER and dont consider buying a truck until you have a few years experience

 

Well im in nj. And im a painter at a highend body shop. What are the payrates by the hour? Also alot of companies want exp. So who will hire a driver with no exp?

 

most of the better schools offer placement assistance, pay is usually mileage or percentage, you could realistically expect to make around 35-40 grand your first year, maybe a little more if you learn fast and are willing to stay out, you wont get rich anytime soon. however, if you want to know how to make a million dollars in trucking very quickly, I can tell you

 

I cant imagine that the money would be anywhere near what you should be making in a high end body shop as a painter,especially the way things are right now. You will also be very hard pressed to find anything paying by the hour with no experience.

 

Right now you would be much better off in the body shop, I know this is the slow time of year and this year is probably worse than last, BUT it's still better pay than what you can expect as a driver. If things are that slow pick up some side work and hack out a job or two in your garage at home, I still do about 2 a year and make good $$ I just can't do it full time anymore (health reasons)

 

I'll take your job at the body shop, and you take my job driving. I'll bet I make more money.

Wait a minute... Where'd you say it was? New Jersey? Ummm.... Maybe not. Not in NJ.

 

With the way people drive in NJ, the body-shop business would be the perfect one to be in.

 

dang straight,your going from a good job to a suck job. you've got to realize all the time that is spent being laid over in some truck stop, rather than being in your own home. how much is your time worth.:thumbsdown:

 

Wow why are you leaving a great job like that? Trust me the novelty of driving a big truck wears off quick, it happens about the time you have your dispatcher breathing down your neck, the smell of pee bottles while fueling, having lot lizards knocking at your door, and getting in arguments with shippers and other drivers. I mean would you rather make good money work normal hours and be home every night or be out weeks at a time awake at all hours with no normal sleep schedule or life. There is no one hiring inexperienced drivers out there, very very few places are. There is a huge over saturation of experienced drivers right now. Those that are driving are barely moving sitting for days on end waiting for a load not making a dime. Stay where your at then if things recover down the road and you still have the bug then get driving but as of now I would just stay where I was at.