Re: what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?
SigSar......Do your food cost have to come out of your 11 bucks an hour? And who pays for your time when the truck is stopped at a weight station or being detained by the DOT?
Obviously you pay for your own food and such on the road.
My truck was never stopped or detained at a DOT weigh station I ALWAYS ran a legal log, and kept my truck in top notch condition.
Nothing in life is free and quite frankly if I were single with no obligations I would possibly even go do it again, I know quite a few people who "live" out of there truck and I had some experiences and saw some things I would have never seen otherwise.
I am greatfull for the opportunity that I had I made slightly more money than if I had sat and drawn unemployment (after being laid of from a sales job). Would I do it again not if I had any other choice. I got off of the road after the last time that I was lied too. After my excellent service record 99.8% on time delivery percentage I was awarded the priviledge of a good dedicated opportunity which was to last a minimum of 9 months, so for the first time in 9 months I was going to get to spend time with my family and see them on the weekends, not to mention that the pay was great even better than my sales job. After two weeks of doing the dedicated run they said no thanks we aren't going to do the dedicated run. I said forget it I am not going to watch my wife or son cry when I tell them this and I found a local temp job until I found my current sales position.
It is not a job it is 100% a lifestyle DO NOT LEASE PURCHASE A TRUCK. I REPEAT DO NOT LEASE PURCHASE A TRUCK EVER!!!!!!!!!!! You will lose on the deal, you will most likely make less money and repairs for a truck aren't cheap. $3500.00 for a full set of tires. $680.00 For a set of batteries.
I am just saying there is no shortage of drivers there never has been never will be. All companies basically say the same thing your dispatcher can promise you the moon and the stars but he gets to sleep in his own house every night.
Summer time driving easy as pie just set the cruise and go. Its sleeping that is the problem, as most states now have Anti Idle laws which prohibit you from idling the truck for Air conditioning ever tried to sleep in a temperature that is above 100 degrees with no A/c its basically like sleeping in an oven, and if the state doesn't have an antiidle law you can bet you will be getting all kinds of crap from your dispatcher about your idle time. Up to including write ups termination and remote disabling of your truck.
Winter time is a little different as ALL trucks are equipped with a bunk heater of some kind which will keep you nice and warm in the winter. Driving on the other hand sucks. Try digging a stuck bobtail rig out of a terminal parking lot with nothing but a claw hammer. KNOWING that if you have to call for a TOW you are going to be getting charged with a preventable accident (The last thing you want). Or getting one stuck on ice in an unsalted truck stop and once again digging the thing out with a shovel. Winter time SUCKS.
Moral of the last two paragraphs don't drive for anybody that doesn't have an APU on their trucks.
Or turning down a load that is 110 miles that will burn up three days of your time and knowing that there are several loads in the area, but now you have upset the dispatcher so they are going to let you sit and not give you a load at all you are damned if you do and damned if you don't.
All I am saying is don't commit to schooling with any one company Your schooling is not free you are going to pay for it. Take everything a recruiter tells you with a grain of salt. UNLESS they are going to guarantee you in writing 2500 miles per week it is a lie. If they will not put it in writing it is a lie automatically assume it.
My biggest three tips are:
Get it in writing if it isn't in writing it is a lie. The companies biggest excuse is driver's don't know how to manage their time or want to be lazy and lay around in a truck stop, that is bs.
Do not drive a truck without an APU or climacab system. It isn't about comfort it is about safety. Your equipment is your livelyhood you must maintain it properly, if it goes down your paycheck is GONE.
