what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

[bowman316]

i'm thinking about becoming a trucker.
and i found this program where i can go to school for free, and then work for truck usa for a year making 26 cents per mile.

is that a decent rate?

 

[JRJ]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

It sounds fair for someone with zero experience that I had to teach how to drive.
How long at 26 cents?
How long do is your commitment?
Do you have someone at home that will spend the money faster than you make it?
Will they bounce you all over the country or give you a route?

Could be fun for a young person with no commitments or a real nightmare, depending on your obligations.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

NO, But they will pay for your schooling thats how they get their money back.

They will also lie & lie & lie to you .

This is from a retired truck driver of 32yrs.

Do the math.
10 mi's = $2.60
100 mi's = $26.00
1000 mi's = $260.00

I think thats right or I'm drunk.

 

[gstanton]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

You'll need 3 years experience to get anywhere in the trucking industry... and you'll only get that by giving three years to some of these major companies such as Swift, Schneider, and others. They will train you , but they have you by the shorts, and they know it.

You'll drive all night in order to get to the unload point at 7 or 8 am - when the shift arrives to unload your truck. Unless you have to unload it by yourself. Then you might get to sleep a little and do it all again.

It is a young persons job.

 

[bowman316]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

they say you drive 2500 miles per week.
I have no commtiments and no one back home to spend the money.
i can get 24 cpm if i pay nothing for school. but i still have to pay 45 bucks a week for a year, towards school.

or i can get 26 cpm if i pay 500 upfront. then i end up paying a total of 2 grand for school after 1 year. but for that whole year, i am making 2 more cents per mile.
after 1 year i am free.

the thrid option is to pay 4 grand up front, then make 27 cpm. and get 25 bucks a week back from the company.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

Or the forth option, I can teach you for FREE in 1 week about driving truck.

Well its not really free you'll have to buy the fuel & drinks when we get done for the day.

 

[mscher]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

You'll need 3 years experience to get anywhere in the trucking industry... and you'll only get that by giving three years to some of these major companies such as Swift, Schneider, and others. They will train you , but they have you by the shorts, and they know it.

You'll drive all night in order to get to the unload point at 7 or 8 am - when the shift arrives to unload your truck. Unless you have to unload it by yourself. Then you might get to sleep a little and do it all again.

It is a young persons job.

Where did you get 3 years? Marten will pay up to .45/mi after 1 year and TMC only requires 6 mos experience. (these were the first two places I had checked)

The trucking industry is hurting for drivers now. When I started driving 6 years ago, the scuttlebutt then was that you needed two years experience, for a "good" job. My phone started ringing 6 months into driving for TMC. They figured that I had torn up TMC's equipment enough, that I am now "experienced"

My first truck driving job was flatbed at age 45. You do what you have to do. Got in some of the best shape of my life. No too many fat flatbedders out there, for good reason.

Truck driving is one of the best paying cr@ppy jobs out there.

 

[mscher]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

they say you drive 2500 miles per week.
I have no commtiments and no one back home to spend the money.
i can get 24 cpm if i pay nothing for school. but i still have to pay 45 bucks a week for a year, towards school.

or i can get 26 cpm if i pay 500 upfront. then i end up paying a total of 2 grand for school after 1 year. but for that whole year, i am making 2 more cents per mile.
after 1 year i am free.

the thrid option is to pay 4 grand up front, then make 27 cpm. and get 25 bucks a week back from the company.

Have you shopped around? Everybody needs drivers. You might get a better deal elsewhere.

 

[mscher]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

i'm thinking about becoming a trucker.
and i found this program where i can go to school for free, and then work for truck usa for a year making 26 cents per mile.

is that a decent rate?

Are you prior Military, unemployed, etc.? I had VA retraining benefits that paid for my CDL school, but that was a few years ago. I see driving schools with a lot of recruits standing around. Somebody's paying for it.

Might be worth checking into, as having a CDL in hand, give you more options when YOU choose a company to drive for.

Good luck.

 

[bitterboater]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

Have you shopped around? Everybody needs drivers. You might get a better deal elsewhere.

I don't know where this even keeps coming from. There is not a driver shortage, now or in the near future. With all the people who are giving it a try right now, and most are failing miserably, the industry is not short of drivers.

They are short of experienced driver, those with over 10 yrs.

Might be worth checking into, as having a CDL in hand, give you more options when YOU choose a company to drive for.

Good luck.

Be careful with just getting the CDL to have another option for future employment. Many companies are now requiring driver to take a refresher course to get a job. Even if they just got the CDL, but haven't used it within 6 months.

 

[bitterboater]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

BOWMAN, by pass that deal. Roehl, is training and starting new hires at .33 per mile. There are many other companies that will train to hire. SWIFT, is another one that has its own training academy.

However the better get is to get the education at a community college or other private training facility. That way your not beholden to a particular employer for as much as two years, to repay the cost of training.

No matter what you do, all employers will place you with a trainer for up to 3 months or more.

 

[mscher]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

I don't know where this even keeps coming from. There is not a driver shortage, now or in the near future. With all the people who are giving it a try right now, and most are failing miserably, the industry is not short of drivers.

They are short of experienced driver, those with over 10 yrs.



Be careful with just getting the CDL to have another option for future employment. Many companies are now requiring driver to take a refresher course to get a job. Even if they just got the CDL, but haven't used it within 6 months.

I hear commericals on satellite radio all day and night, of Companies offering sign on bonuses to experienced drivers and training deals to new drivers. There are billboards every where for trucking companies hiring.

This was not the case two years ago. Many older drivers retired and the younger ones (that were liad off) are just not coming back.

If you get a CDL independantly, your jobs options are much better (for you) as you have no "strings" attached. The trucking companies won't care anyway, as they will send you through their own new hire road training program - regardless.

 

[roscoe]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

Pass on the deal, you can do better.

The best larger train-to-drive employer is Schneider. http://www.schneiderjobs.com/CompanyDrivers/index.htm

They will work you, but the training, experience, and local/regional/dedicated opportunities are worth it.

Just don't commit to drive as a "team".

Sharing your sleeper with someone 22 hours a day is no fun.

 

[JRJ]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

A young friend and his wife drove as a team for awhile and banked enough money to get off the road, buy a house and start a family.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

Let's see...1000 miles averaging 50 MPH is 20 hours. $260/20 hours is $13/hour. In-N-Out Burger pays $10/hour here with paid vacation and training doesn't cost a penny.

 

[carbineone]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

I currently do not drive but have for 20 years.I would never had gone to a truck driving school to learn how to drive anymore than I did when I started driving a car.

I started out driving after working for a Sand Pit locally and after about two years they let me learn to drive.Another employee took me out twice for a couple quick lessons and had my CDL in a weeks time later.

I am just saying that you should not commit yourself to someone at that length of time and you would be better off finding a local guy that will offer you a similar opportunity as this guy did for me.

I do not drive for him anymore but did for close to ten years.I also do not like the over the road thing.I always figured I made more driving locally when you consider that if you are on the road 7 days a week,days and nights it comes out to a miserable amount if you figure the hourly rate you get for a 24 hour day.Just not worth it especially if attatched and have family...Good luck on whatever you do though...Bruce

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

$260/20 hours is $13/hour.

First of all you can't drive 20hrs a day. . If I remember right its 10hrs on and 8hrs off.??

Then minus $$ for food & laundry & layovers. = dog poop pay.

Back in the old days we would run with double logbooks.

 

[Mark42]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

Let's see...1000 miles averaging 50 MPH is 20 hours. $260/20 hours is $13/hour. In-N-Out Burger pays $10/hour here with paid vacation and training doesn't cost a penny.

I don't know anything about the trucking industry. But I can tell you that $13/hr is about $26K year based on a 40 hour week. You would be hard pressed to live on that in NJ unless you are living with your parents. Especially after taxes, health insurance, disability, etc.

 

[avenger79]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

do some research here

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/?vbseourl=a/

sounds like a pretty low start number. I would call Roehl or Millis if they're close to you.

 

[mscher]

Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

First of all you can't drive 20hrs a day. . If I remember right its 10hrs on and 8hrs off.??

Then minus $$ for food & laundry & layovers. = dog poop pay.

Back in the old days we would run with double logbooks.

It's currently 11 hours driving, 10 hours off.

Running double log books, is a great way to prepare for prison time, in 2010, if you get into an accident (even if it not your fault) and somebody dies.