Anyone a Truck Driver? I have some questions...

[hrama803]

I love driving. I have a excellent MVR. I think this would be something i would be interested in.


I understand driving trucks are a complete different world. I would enjoy driving around the country, might as well get paid for it.

Am I crazy?

[Knock Sensor]

From random people I know, it kinda sucks. Always on a tight schedule, underpaid, or paying too much if you own your own truck, cooking the books on how long you've been driving (not sure if thats an issue anymore, if they switched to electronics), dealing with idiots in cars, dealing with idiots while you drive a tractor trailer, away from the family for long haulers, and well some parts of the country aren't all that interesting.

Personally I'd get sick of having to drive all over the US at a top speed of anywhere from 62-70mph.

[Steveo989]

If you have any outstanding debts or are tied down to anything else, do NOT become a driver! My Dad did over the road for a few months since it would offer better longevity than staying as a mechanic.

Anyway, he was pulling insanely long 11 hour days of driving, that's a lot of time behind the wheel. Especially since you need to be much more focused than driving a smaller vehicle due to reaction times and predicting other driver's behavior. The pay also sucked, thankfully his house is paid off and has a good amount saved up. He was saying he was making roughly $300 a month, after he paid to use showers, buy food, pay to do laundry, etc. Factor in trying to sleep in a moving vehicle that isn't as forgiving as a car, a truck bounces around a LOT more than crashing in your parent's mini van when you were younger.

If you have outstanding debts you WILL go belly up since you have 0 discretionary income your first 6 months on the road. This is OTR trucking too, btw, which you pretty much have to do for at least a year before applying for the trucking jobs that allow you to see your family every night.

After 3-5 years you should be able to make $45-70k depending on many factors. Turnover on "loads", time waiting around, company you are working for, etc.

If you are in your early 20s with little attachments it can be a good career I'm sure. Once you are in your 30s you should be able to find a distribution route and drive home at the end of the day to see your family, which you will want to have after a while.

Don't be fooled by the schools quoting they are hiring hundreds of drivers etc. It is artificially inflated numbers, since the Government subsidizes these schools and gives them a check after every student that graduates and gets on the road. The companies have a vested interest getting you behind the wheel and getting you hired, will that exist 6 months down the road, I don't know, but I wouldn't want to be the one to gamble. There are plenty of unsatisfactory drivers getting through school.

[hrama803]

If you have any outstanding debts or are tied down to anything else, do NOT become a driver! My Dad did over the road for a few months since it would offer better longevity than staying as a mechanic.

Anyway, he was pulling insanely long 11 hour days of driving, that's a lot of time behind the wheel. Especially since you need to be much more focused than driving a smaller vehicle due to reaction times and predicting other driver's behavior. The pay also sucked, thankfully his house is paid off and has a good amount saved up. He was saying he was making roughly $300 a month, after he paid to use showers, buy food, pay to do laundry, etc. Factor in trying to sleep in a moving vehicle that isn't as forgiving as a car, a truck bounces around a LOT more than crashing in your parent's mini van when you were younger.

If you have outstanding debts you WILL go belly up since you have 0 discretionary income your first 6 months on the road. This is OTR trucking too, btw, which you pretty much have to do for at least a year before applying for the trucking jobs that allow you to see your family every night.

After 3-5 years you should be able to make $45-70k depending on many factors. Turnover on "loads", time waiting around, company you are working for, etc.

If you are in your early 20s with little attachments it can be a good career I'm sure. Once you are in your 30s you should be able to find a distribution route and drive home at the end of the day to see your family, which you will want to have after a while.

Don't be fooled by the schools quoting they are hiring hundreds of drivers etc. It is artificially inflated numbers, since the Government subsidizes these schools and gives them a check after every student that graduates and gets on the road. The companies have a vested interest getting you behind the wheel and getting you hired, will that exist 6 months down the road, I don't know, but I wouldn't want to be the one to gamble. There are plenty of unsatisfactory drivers getting through school.

wow thank you to both replies!

I have nothing tying me down to where I am now. To be honest I would rather be on the road 11 hours. Family isn't too much of an issue.

I am 25. I used to talk to out Drivers that dropped off the trailers at Walmart. They said pretty much the something you did about working for the right company and how hard it is with owning and paying your own tractor.

I do have substancial medical bills. I am
currently doing the 5.00 a month thing. I have over 200k in medical.

it was much higher then that at one point.

[hizen]

wow thank you to both replies!

I have nothing tying me down to where I am now. To be honest I would rather be on the road 11 hours. Family isn't too much of an issue.

I am 25. I used to talk to out Drivers that dropped off the trailers at Walmart. They said pretty much the something you did about working for the right company and how hard it is with owning and paying your own tractor.

I do have substancial medical bills. I am
currently doing the 5.00 a month thing. I have over 200k in medical.

it was much higher then that at one point.

I also have looked into driving OTR, depending on what town you are in expect to be out on the road for 3+ weeks straight, sometime longer, sitting waiting for loads usually nets you no money what so ever. There are a TON of headaches with being a driver, if anything look at your local city jobs and drive a city bus, make decent money and your home every night. Or try to get into a line haul type job.

[hrama803]

Thanks!

I was riding around town today and passed the School Bus Parking area gas/BusWash. I was amazed at the kind of cars I saw at the Driver Parking. From the 20 or so cars I saw, all but one were newer. Most of them were actually really nice.

They driver better cars then some of the office workers I work with. They must make good money.

I recently went to RoadMaster CDL School In Tennessee. First week was Drug screening and Physicals, which was a Monday. No issues with the Drug Testing, but the physical part was kind of "iffy". In 2008 I broke my neck and many many bones, 2010 I had neck surgery to fix some things they did not in 2008. With my neck the way it is the doctor would not clear me right away and needed more information.

The rest of the week I was in class. Aced all the practice tests, felt so comfortable with all the information. My MVR came back spotless which I was not worried about. One stop sign ticket in 2006. I always knew I wanted a career in Transportation so I was always careful about speeding and I own a street bike so its not like I cant speed. Anyway, jump to Thursday I find out they wont clear me until 2014 to drive a truck. Im guessing with some of the job functions they were afraid I would hurt my neck.

I left very disappointed on Thursday afternoon. You might wonder why I didn't just stay and get my CDL: The school wont approve my tuition if I cant be placed directly into a Job. I either had to come up with the cash or try later. I opted for later to decide and research more paths.

I left very disappointed on Thursday afternoon. For those who care the RoadMaster school staff exceeded my expectations and reviews I had read online. They need a guy like me to organize and prepare all the class work, that part of it was a cluster f***. The best part was I shipped my bags and took the motorcycle. I left class everyday and hit the mountain road all I could. Great weather and great roads.

& I called my office and was immediately rehired! I was back at work today! I would never leave a Job in bad terms but on my last day we all laughed about how I should make a scene and walk out. Good thing I have good work ethics.

Thanks for reading. Im sure ill think of somethings and add them later. I wished I would have taken more pictures of the Volvo and Freight liner. What an amazing piece of machinery. I was intrigued.

From my Hotel Room:


Another training Center was across the street.


WTF is this contraption

What we learned on:

[bigteal]

Don't do it. I've had my CDL for over 7 years, I did the "regional" thing for a year ( going from southern pa to mass. and conn. and back) and it sucked. I made $40k, and was home every day and weekends, but I had to run 20 +hours a day. Which is illegal as hell BTW. Got tired of it and found a local rental company. That didn't pay anything, so I found my current job.
I don't drive as much anymore, or go as far for the most part. When I do have to drive, its usually 120000 pound oversized load.
This only weighs 94000 lbs

[hizen]

The contraption on the back of the trailer is supposed to reduce drag and increase fuel milage same as the "skirts" that are on the bottom of trailers.

[22AudiQ]

I had an uncle who did it for a few years. It's essentially a pyramid scheme for the trucking companies.

You pay back your schooling. You pay for fuel, repairs, maintenance, etc. if you're leasing your own truck (which they make sound glamorous). You pay for everything and then your paycheck is miniscule.

My uncle ended up basically breaking even each month and, after two years, had nothing to show for it. It's a horrible joke of a career if you're not with the right company-- and it sounds like there are few good companies out there.