what kind of pay and hrs. could you expect for otr. or local trucking the first 6 mo. or yr. what kind of freight would be easiest or best to get into? would there be much of a chance of going by yourselve? not sure if would like team driving, are local positions much harder too get? i make around 30k at my factory job now, does the company pay any of the travel expense

 

Hmmm.... should I ANSWER the guy's questions??......

Or just wait til CFM shows up, and then REBUT everything he says?? :shock: :lol:

 

Sorry, newguy!! Inside joke! You'll "get it" after you've been here awhile.


Don't know about local, so.... speaking of OTR.... Average starting pay is about $35k for first year. (But, depending on your situation, weekly EXPENSES might also increase.)

If you are rational, and believe that sleeping (even if in the truck) is NOT part of your workday and should NOT be figured into your hourly pay equivalent.... you can expect "average" workdays to be about 12-13 hours. (compare that to your current day INCLUDING commute time and all breaks.)

Best... depends on what you want to do and how hard you want to work. flatbedding can be hard work. 5 Drop "dedicated" runs like Dollar General may require you to unload you own truck. Dry Van or Reefer (mostly produce) is much easier work, and easy to get "into."

The trucking industry is about 80% GEARED toward the SOLO driver, especially the REGS. Although, you will usually be "teamed" during training, you will quckly wind up on your OWN in your own truck. Personally, I don't think this is ALL that good of an idea.... however, I certainly do LOVE it when I get to "solo."

YES. MOST companies "SAY" they require 2 years of OTR experience to get hired on. This "can" be flexible... but in general.... you will probably need to start out OTR, learn your trade, and pay your dues.

And in 10 years, you MIGHT be making a few thousand more. In trucking, you have the GOOD possibility of making $50k/yr within the same time period.

MOST companies will, yes. However, when you leave home, make SURE you have several hundred with you or at the other end of an ATM. This applies to orientation as well as each and every week of your career.

MOST of your questions have been discussed in MUCH more detail in MANY threads on this forum. Please do a search, of one sort or another, to find nearly EVERY answer you could possibly need.

 

Pay
OTR vs. Local
I'll give these questions a shot. Frankly, you will be lucky to make more than $30,000s the first few years in trucking. We have 70 hour weeks and if you are making money you should/could utilize most of that 70 hours. The companies don't like sending you home without being out 14 days minimum.

Your income usually depends on your dispatcher/driver manager and how hard they work for you to get you the miles. If you are in a forced disptach company-they don't have much say in your miles. Most larger companies are forced dispatch [you take what they give you]. My company allegedly requires 10,000 minimum miles per month but during slow freight that wasn't realistic. I've been at the same company the entire time that I've been driving [almost 3 years]. If you get someone to work with you-you are far more successful in making income. Larger companies will treat you like a number. However, unfortunately, to start you need to go with a larger company. Due to the insurance rates. That's why there are training companies such as Werner, Schneider and Swift.

Local companies don't want to hire you until you have at least 1 year OTR experience. That is because the liability insurance is so high on new drivers. Most of us can tell you idiotic things we all did when we first started. I must say I am a much more confident and capable driver now after three years than when I started it. You will learn every day and if you think you know it all it's time to get off the road.

Type of Freight
Frankly, I wouldn't recommend Reefer because I hear horror stories about the waits at the shippers and receivers. For some reason the Grocery Warehouses have little or no respect for making drivers wait. You won't be able to get into wide loads, car hauling or bull hauling without other experience first. With the larger companies they make the shippers and receivers pay detention pay after the first two hours you're waiting there. Hence, in a larger company you are more apt to be taken pronto. The smaller companies don't have the "pull" [# of trucks] to enable them to charge detention pay to these companies. I showed up at a Costco Distribution Center one day in New Jersey and there was at least 60 trucks waiting. They immediately took me in because my company charges detention pay. [Driver gets $16-$20/hr. after sitting for free the first 2 hours.]

I was really lucky and got into Truck Hauling which is called Driveaway after two months of freight. That was highly unusual because they usually want 1 year minimum experience to do this. My company was hauling Volvos and they let the new drivers get into this. It is much more lucrative than van-freight hauling. You stay in motels and fly. [Companies pay for the flights and motels] You also keep your frequent flyer miles. Imagine never sleeping in a truck in a truck stop and not fighting for a shower every day? I say I was a princess and puff I'm back to a frog. As a female I'd rather be a princess.

You have a new truck every time you get into a truck and you can't "slob it out" like freight drivers do with crap every where. You must show up to the dealerships with a clean truck. Hence, you stay more organized. I learned every gear pattern in those 19 months because you will have a different gear pattern every time you get into a truck. I learned about teflon fifth wheels and air tandems. I would have never had that opportunity by being in freight with one truck. I also made a lot higher income and drove far less miles. [27 cents per mile freight vs. 70 cents per mile truck hauling]


The truck hauling company that hauls the Volvos, Macks, Freigthliners, Sterlings and Western Stars is Auto Truck Transport out of Joplin, MO. Their number is: (877) 893-2060. Their sister company Active hauls the Kenworths and Peterbilts.

This year isn't a good year to get into truck hauling because the EPA standards changed and all the truck manufacturers have to retool the equipment to change the engines to pass the EPA standards. Most companies I've interviewed with aren't buying new trucks this year. Hence, the factory people have been laid off and in turn since less trucks are being manufactured and sold there isn't a need for driveaway drivers.

Next year after you have a year's worth of experience I would highly recommend doing that. It isn't an easy job. You have to put the trucks on the ground and put axles in. However, you will learn so much about trucks that you will be leaps and bounds above freight drivers who don't have a clue how to take an axle out or put it in.

I was making 27 cents per mile in freight and immediately started at 40 cents per mile when I started hauling trucks. That's a no brainer why I chose to do that. I also got to travel almost exclusively to Canada because most drivers couldn't go there. [If you have a misdemeanor, felony or owe back child support-you can't go up there.] I had amarvelous experiences up there and would love to go back. All freight drivers complain about Canada. It's much easier to get into Canada than to get back into the U.S. Don't listen to them, once you understand the paperwork it's a piece of cake and a wonderful learning expereince as well.

Going by yourself
You usually have an option to go by yourself unless you go with a team driver company like CRST. Most drivers I know hate to team-it's very difficult to sleep while the truck is moving for me. The motion and noise keeps me awake. Especially, when someone lays on their jake brakes or rides the strip on the right side of the road.

Travel Expenses
When you are a freight driver the companies always pay the fuel, scale tickets, toll fees and some [like mine] pay the shower fees. Although, most drivers use their fuel cards to accumulate free showers. You get points for each dollar of fuel you put in and when you need a shower you usually accumulate enough to have a free shower. You get these driver cards at each truck stop and after putting in your fuel card it will ask for your driver card to put the points on it via machine in the fuel isle.

So basically, you are responsible for paying for your food only. I don't like bringing a cooler or refrigerator with me. Consequently, I spend tons on eating out. I figure it's my one luxury so I enjoy it. Truck Stop food is usually mediocre at best so I try to go to regular restaurants which is hard in an 18 wheeler.

Buying a truck
Wouldn't recommend it until you understand the industry. It's very hard out here right now with the fuel prices to make a living as an Owner Operator. Don't ever buy/lease one from the company you are driving for. They hold all your income potential. If they cut your miles you can't make the truck payments, insurance payments, fuel costs etc... You should always lease/buy a truck from an independent place such as a bank or any source outside of the company you work for. The trucking companies will entice you by saying that you only have to put down $1,000. Rarely, have I heard of anyone ever ending up owning the truck other than the company. You want to be independent so you can take your truck and boggie to another company if they cut your miles on you and you can't make a decent living.

Good luck. Don't truck unless you like to drive. I've met drivers who hate driving and can't read an Atlas. This would be the wrong profession for you if you don't like driving and can't read an Atlas. 8) :lol:

 

You should be able to make around $30-32M/your first year, $35-38M/year 2 and around $40M/year+ thereafter depending on which company and type of freight you haul. There are some carriers who start new drivers out at a higher rate, but these numbers are achievable if you do your job. Hours will typically be long and irregular. You will usually be out 2-3 weeks at a time with 1-2 days home. There are a few carriers who will get you home on weekends, but most will not. If you want to get home often, most carriers are unable to do that. Most local driving jobs will require some over the road experience. If driving locally is your objective, I would expect to spend at least a year otr first. You can earn an above average income, but will make some compromises in time away from home. It has been good for me.

 

I really screwed up when giving the cents per mile for driveaway:

"I also made a lot higher income and drove far less miles. [27 cents per mile freight vs. 70 cents per mile truck hauling] " it should have said 40 cents per mile. OOPS sorry.... 8) :lol: :?