what is a good starting pay for a new trucker?

[Bob_VT]

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

I do know that if you are serious about driving...... go get a CDL with an endorsement for Passenger and or Hazmat

I know it is an extra hassle however if you can drive a bus....there are school buses or passenger trip buses

A hazmat is a tougher endorsement to get due to the new background investigation but..... oil delivery trucks, propane trucks and many other's which are probably LOCAL!!! you know home more often and the hazmat pays better

 

[mscher]

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 have to chuckle at the number of time I have heard this analogy.

If a trucking company and it's starting pay is decent, he'll average 2500 miles per week, grossing $800-850/week. Sure he will put in the hours, but its about miles out there, not time. Within a couple of years, he could be making $1300-1400/ week.

Millions of truck drivers out there, missing out on food service career opportunities, of a lifetime.

 

[mscher]

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

I do know that if you are serious about driving...... go get a CDL with an endorsement for Passenger and or Hazmat

I know it is an extra hassle however if you can drive a bus....there are school buses or passenger trip buses

A hazmat is a tougher endorsement to get due to the new background investigation but..... oil delivery trucks, propane trucks and many other's which are probably LOCAL!!! you know home more often and the hazmat pays better

No way would I drive a bus, but hazmat is a must if you want to make really good money driving. Tanker endorsment even better.

Hazmart is not really harder to get (unless you have been in trouble). You just have to pony up $150 now to get it.

 

[thefairlaneman]

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

My brother has been a trucker for 30 years and some things never change. You will drive your *** off for 2 or 3 weeks away from home and then get 1 or 2 days off if you are lucky before you hit the road again. When the truck breaks down (and all of them do) you may sit for days without making a dime because anytime the tuck isnt rolling no matter whose fault it is you aren't making money.. You will NEVER be able to be sure when you will get home....forget that and if your wife thinks for a second she can make plans to include you in advance.........forget that too. OH YEA IF BAD WEATHER makes you late for a delivery and you have to sit overnight in your truck until your drop off can be delivered that wasted time is on your dime not to mention your boss being pissed at you because you missed the drop off time....If what Im saying isnt true I hope someone else will join in and say so.some people love it but I could never have done it.

 

[bruceb58]

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

I have to chuckle at the number of time I have heard this analogy.

If a trucking company and it's starting pay is decent, he'll average 2500 miles per week, grossing $800-850/week. Sure he will put in the hours, but its about miles out there, not time. Within a couple of years, he could be making $1300-1400/ week.

Millions of truck drivers out there, missing out on food service career opportunities, of a lifetime.

2500 miles a week is a long week!

 

[JRJ]

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

Get all the endorsements while you are at it. You don't have to use them. For a single guy with no commitments, its a good way to see the country.

 

[bowman316]

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

ok, so this company said that i would have my own truck to take home. I don't know how far from home i would have to drive to pick up my load. (I guess the miles from home to my load do not count for pay?)
but couldn't i really live about anywhere in the country?
i basically woulld not need a home. just live out of the truck basically. i know i would not pay rent, maybe just get a hotel room when i have a few days off. or go home to the parents.

 

[bowman316]

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

plus since i live in the communist state of MD, they said i can't train for my cdl in another state. the only other state i can train in is texas.
some weird md law.

 

[skargo]

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

Every trucker I have ever known says it's a crappy way to make money.

 

[bruceb58]

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

i basically woulld not need a home. just live out of the truck basically.

Why does this not sound very fun?

 

[dlngr]

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

every thing BAD about driving truck you read here,multiply by ten. Anything you read good here,divide by at least 2. No one can tell you how bad it is out there,or how good it is. There is no way except to experience it for yourself. [which I don't recommend to anyone]
2500 miles per week x blah blah + - blah blah = $ .It's not that simple. If truckers were at all honest,you would find out that the trucker grossing 50k a year is very possibly taking HOME less than his wife working at McDougles..
Yes,2500 miles is a loonnggg week,depending on the season and the route of travel.

 

[mscher]

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

2500 miles a week is a long week!

It is and it isn't.

When you are out on the road, there are basically two things you need to do - Drive and sleep. You're out there to make money, and money is only being made, when the wheels are turning.

There is really not much else to do.

 

[mscher]

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

every thing BAD about driving truck you read here,multiply by ten. Anything you read good here,divide by at least 2. No one can tell you how bad it is out there,or how good it is. There is no way except to experience it for yourself. [which I don't recommend to anyone]
2500 miles per week x blah blah + - blah blah = $ .It's not that simple. If truckers were at all honest,you would find out that the trucker grossing 50k a year is very possibly taking HOME less than his wife working at McDougles..
Yes,2500 miles is a loonnggg week,depending on the season and the route of travel.

Funny thing, the negative stuff you hear about trucking, is usually biased, misleading and incorrect, much of the time, also.


No lie - I averaged 2500 miles per week and grossed $48k my first year driving flatbed, 5 years ago. Was it easy money? not hardly, but it paid the bills, keeping us out of bankruptcy.

This is one of the biggest problems in America today, IMO. Nobody wants a job, unless it's a "good job". High pay, great benefits and easy work. That's the ticket. Well , the $27/hr factory jobs, with the Blue Cross and lavish pensions, are gone for good ($12/hr jobs are going too). Many consider auto mechanics as too dirty and too technical. Construction work is too hard work. Nearly no one will milk cows, sort hogs, or hand-pick crops.

Truck driving is a tough, often lousy job, but name another job, where one can earn $75k/year with a 9th grade education. There is talk about how truck driving is "Hard on the family". Well, life is hard, it always has been. My grandfather was a carpenter and he had to travel where the work was. Sea Captains are away for months. Our troops live at death's door, for YEARS. Is life not tough for their families also? If the family posses the inner strength, they will get through. Many do not.

And really, truck driving is what you make of it. Some complain because they truely hate driving and some just complain, because that all they know. Many are quite happy with their driving job. Everybody is tired all the time and it's stressfull to make time, drive safely, avoid fines and comply with endless regulations - just like about every other job any more.

It's not a "dream job", but it is a good paying job. Not too many other jobs around anymore, any way.

 

[skargo]

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

And some of us don't want a job at all.

 

[roscoe]

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

There are good companies out there.
THere are good dispatchers out there.
There is money to be made out there.

Aunt and uncle drove team, were able to leave every Monday am, and return every Friday afternoon or evening.

I had a chance to drive team, 3 weeks out, 1 week off. Over 6000 miles a week on a dedicated run from Minn to LA, to St Louis, Milw, back to Minn. There was good money tempting me, but could not bring myself to spend 21 days at a time with a stranger.

I drove for 3 companies in 4 months, then settled in with one for a year, made $33,000 in 1994.
THen found a so called local job. I did my 400-475 miles a day, but was payed hourly.
This was in 1995 and 1996, made $45,000 both years.
Quit driving when I relocated and other responsibilities required I work more regular hours.

Most of the companies will push you around, even flat out lie to you.
You just take it for a while and keep looking for the right company.

You need an address to call home and to store your stuff.
You can't keep it all in your truck, some companies will move you in and out of trucks as yours is turned back in when the lease ends. Happens more frequently when you are new, eventually you stay in a newer truck, but even then, it may be in for service for a week, and you can't leave all your stuff in there.

Seriously, Schneider is one of the best at training, getting you real miles with attainable deliver schedules, pay rates, and guidance to keep you on the straight and narrow while you learn the ropes. And they really do have lots of dedicated regional runs available after you get a little experience.

Another good company to work for after you get some experience, is Walmart. You deliver to stores and back haul to your distribution center.

If you relocate to another area, look for a city that has an industry that creates a lot of freight, that is almost recession proof.
For example, Green Bay or Oshkosh WI. THe paper industry is huge there. Everybody buys toilet paper and paper towels regardless of the economy. There is always plenty of back hauls into Chicago, Milwaukee, or paper going back to the mills to be recycled.

Really good money to be made hauling tankers, but be careful how you are paid, as many of these jobs are one way hauls with no back haul.

If you want to drive the upper east coat cities, there are lots of companies that drop their loads and let local or regional drivers make all the delivers in NYC and Jersey.

Lots of opportunities out there, but you need to cut your teeth and decide what you want to do.

 

[SigSaurP229]

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

Trucking is what you make of it.

The job is enjoyable if you can tolerate being alone all of the time. 26 cpm is pretty much average for starting out.

I went through the Swift acadamey and did my year on the road.

I enjoyed the job but I am 27 and have a family, and couldn't tolerate my wife in tears everytime I left.

I had a good driver manager/dispatcher BUT I VERY rarely got more than 2300miles per week and most of the time averaged 1900 to 2100 miles per week and I was a runner I did everything I could to get the miles.

The Winter time SUCKS majorly. It really takes time to learn the system, its not all just getting in the truck turning the key and going.

STAY out of the northeast for a while for two reasons. ONE you need to take some time to learn the rig and how to operate it without the stresses of driving in the North East. Even though you are used to Maryland traffic and such Driving the rig is WAY different then pulling your boat even.

NUMBER 2 IT really sucks up your miles and burns your clock driving up there all cities are reasonably close together and its easy to get freight going up there but at times impossible to get freight coming out.

Swift's acadamey is just a CDL mill go to a reputable school and get your CDL, Get private financing or put up the cash, either way you are going to have to pay for it and in the end you really don't want to be tied to one carrier.

Look at it this way current DOT regs are

No more than 11 hrs driving in a 14 hr Period, but YOU can work and most likely WILL work all 14 hrs.

In a 62 MPH truck the most mileage you will make in a day is 620*.26 =161.20 NOT bad BUT 161.20/14=11.52 per hour. Three hours of your time are Uncompensated.

$11.51 per hour is the most you will make.

I worked a 70 hour weeek and only made $275 for the entire week after taxes.

That was before taxes Gross pay $3.92 per hour. YEP thats right LESS than Minimum wage. Ohh and just because you work more than 40 hrs that law doesn't apply to truckers your Cents per Mile do not go up.

Now the thought is you need to work smarter not harder BUT that is not within your control everything to do with the truck or the load takes away from your time clock. Pre Trip inspection is 30 minutes of free work your company gets everyday. Drop and hook (these are the loads you want) 30 minutes of free work.

I am willing to work hard I did work hard BUT why should I work for free?

The most I ever did in a pay period was 3150 miles legally in a 62 MPH truck, it was all I could get, and it only happened once.

NOW you can make good money as a driver it started getting better as my cents per mile increased when I left I was making 34 CPM, and making around $710 net per week.

For an on average 78 hour work week Gross was around $860 per week

Hourly wage was $11.02

 

[thefairlaneman]

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?

 

[bowman316]

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

well at most jobs you still need to pay for your own lunch.
i did get free lunch when i worked at a reasturant. but most resturants nowadays make you pay for your lunch.

my theory is that i don't need to rent a place to stay. i will just get a hotel room when i have an off day. the rest i will spend in the truck.
there is an extra 600 a month.
plus no utility bills.

 

[bowman316]

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

i am kinda worried about going over the rockie mountains in the winter.
i have some experince with snow chains, but they are a pain.

 

[roscoe]

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

Most drivers do not run coat to coast.
You are going to be in one part of the country most of the time, because most companies do not have loads going to all parts of the country.

No one is going to put you in a rig by yourself, in the mountains, until you have driven them with a trainer. They can't afford to lose the rig or the load.

And by the time you get through school/get a license, then get through training, it will be at least February.

If you are really good with the rig, on the road, in the docks, with the paperwork, staying on schedule, keep the rig moving, make your delivery times, your on the road training will be 1-2 weeks. Longer if you are having trouble in any area.

You don't have to be with "THEE" best company to start out.
Just find one with a good training program, that supports its new drivers so they can succeed.

You can always switch carriers in 6 months or a year.

If you are willing to be out, for 2-3 weeks at a time, you have more opportunities.

If you insist on being home every weekend, you limit your choices.
It limits your choice of loads.
It limits your miles.
All these will limit your pay.

I second the advice to stay out of the northeast.
At least for a while.
Its hard enough out there, without throwing the extra hassles of the NE into the mix.

If you are willing to relocate, find someplace in the midwest to call home.
The region from Texas to Minnesota, east to Ohio, roughly outlines a region with a lot of trucking opportunities.

If you really want to see the entire country, then get some experience and look for a reefer job in a couple years.

Stay away from the lizards and away from the poker machines.

Good luck, keep us posted.