Anyone here drive trucks for a living?

[Little6pack]

Just wondering if anyone is a trucker for themselves or works for a freight company.

I have a couple of question to ask about the industry & getting a CDL.,
CDL-a or b

 

[Pronto]

Yeah, breaker one-nine, this here's the Rubber Duck,
you got a copy on me Pigpen? C'mon.
Ah yeah, ten-four Pigpen, for sure, for sure.
By golly it's clean clear to Flagtown. C'mon.
Yeah, that's a big ten-four there Pigpen. Yeah, we definitely got the
front door good buddy. Mercy sakes alive, looks like we got us a convoy.
:biggrin:
Keep on Truckin'

 

[milesengineer]

Class A if you want to drive a combination, meaning truck and trailer, class b if you want to drive a single vehicle that will carry more than 26k lbs.


HTH

 

[tommynos]

Just wondering if anyone is a trucker for themselves or works for a freight company.

I have a couple of question to ask about the industry & getting a CDL.,
CDL-a or b

i can pm you a great friend of mines # that owns a truck and drives all over the U.S moving for a company,he is on the road and is mostly board and loves to talk exspecially about fast cars..pm me if you want it...he is a great guy,very nice...

 

[turbot2496]

I have a couple of question to ask about the industry & getting a CDL.,
CDL-a or b

Check with your local unemployment office. Most states have programs that will pay for truck driving school. Also go to a good one and not just one that gives you your license and kicks you out the door.

Check into route delivery jobs like ups, fedex, sysco, performance foods etc. The food service companys are desperate for good drivers. These are great secure companys with good benefits and you can't send these jobs overseas. Sysco for example has a pension plan, 401k match, stock purchase plan and everything.

You'll make as much or more than an otr driver and be home alot more often. You'll have to unload yourself but the exercise keeps you from becoming a fat slob like some otr guys. LOL

Also, don't get talked into buying your own rig. You'll probably end up a slave to it.

 

[tommynos]

Check with your local unemployment office. Most states have programs that will pay for truck driving school. Also go to a good one and not just one that gives you your license and kicks you out the door.

Check into route delivery jobs like ups, fedex, sysco, performance foods etc. The food service companys are desperate for good drivers. These are great secure companys with good benefits and you can't send these jobs overseas. Sysco for example has a pension plan, 401k match, stock purchase plan and everything.

You'll make as much or more than an otr driver and be home alot more often. You'll have to unload yourself but the exercise keeps you from becoming a fat slob like some otr guys. LOL

Also, don't get talked into buying your own rig. You'll probably end up a slave to it.

no way he will make more unless some local place is paying 5k a week because thats what he can make and no less than 2k,but my friend owns his truck...so im not sure how it works,like i said ill give you his #,but he is on the road alot,but when he is home man he gets me and the family out everywhere mostly on him......

 

[Pronto]

Don't think Chris would allow you to be away from home.

 

[turbot2496]

no way he will make more unless some local place is paying 5k a week because thats what he can make and no less than 2k,

Hmmm... Looks likes it's time for a little math.

5k a week times 52 weeks = 260000/year...

Now is your buddy living like he's making 1/4+ mil a year? I didn't think so.
So we can assume that he's not deducting expenses from that 5k.

But lets look at that 5k a little closer. If your buddy is getting 4000 miles a week he's doing extremly well. That would figure out to about 1.25 a mile but in the interest of reality lets say he's pulling down 1.50/mile and averaging about 3300 miles a week which is really good. There are some owner ops making 80 cents a mile and I don't know how they live. Look in the paper you'll see the ads.
Fuel cost alone at 6mpg will cost him 1375/week.
Truck payment for a new driver is about 375/week.
Then you've got road taxes, tolls, insurance, scales, truck maintenance, truck downtime, lumpers etc. etc........... anyway you get the point.


After all is said and done the 'average' owner operator who's a decent business manager makes around 70k a year after all the expenses are totaled up and doesn't see the house very often. Once you figure in benefits a route driver with a good company compares pretty favorably. Especially when you figure up the home time.

If you can stumble into a military contract hauling explosives or something special like that you can make big money as an owner op.... but those deals are few and far between. Hope this helps. Lots of websites out there to research the expenses of owning your own rig so don't take my word for it.

 

[10secvega]

I drive truck for a local company,i run dump bucket and rool offs.The dump bucket pays by the load,the rool off pays hourly.I work between 40 and 50 hours a week.I bring home about a grand every 2 weeks.Normally out of my truck and on my way home by 5pm.I know i could make more someplace else,but i would have to work more hours and be home less.It's a small family owned business that treats you like a person and not a robot.
Getting my CDL is the best thing i've done in my career choices.I could quit or loose my job in the morning and have another one by that afternoon.
Worst part of my job is a drive a Mack.

 

[tommynos]

Hmmm... Looks likes it's time for a little math.

5k a week times 52 weeks = 260000/year...

Now is your buddy living like he's making 1/4+ mil a year? I didn't think so.
So we can assume that he's not deducting expenses from that 5k.

But lets look at that 5k a little closer. If your buddy is getting 4000 miles a week he's doing extremly well. That would figure out to about 1.25 a mile but in the interest of reality lets say he's pulling down 1.50/mile and averaging about 3300 miles a week which is really good. There are some owner ops making 80 cents a mile and I don't know how they live. Look in the paper you'll see the ads.
Fuel cost alone at 6mpg will cost him 1375/week.
Truck payment for a new driver is about 375/week.
Then you've got road taxes, tolls, insurance, scales, truck maintenance, truck downtime, lumpers etc. etc........... anyway you get the point.


After all is said and done the 'average' owner operator who's a decent business manager makes around 70k a year after all the expenses are totaled up and doesn't see the house very often. Once you figure in benefits a route driver with a good company compares pretty favorably. Especially when you figure up the home time.

If you can stumble into a military contract hauling explosives or something special like that you can make big money as an owner op.... but those deals are few and far between. Hope this helps. Lots of websites out there to research the expenses of owning your own rig so don't take my word for it.

well i make over 125k(on the books) and he spends way more than me... i gaurantee he is not walking with 70k,i wouldnt get out of bed for that personally..and yes he spends like he makes it,he has 4 awesome vehicle payments to build credit,his wife dont work,and his house tells the story,so like i said,im not familier with how the pay goes per mile,but i do know he moves people and then picks up in the area to move again....so hmmm..i think so

 

[tommynos]

o.k i called him..he says he does household and only works around 7 months of the year,and on the road averages 3.2?and he made 208,000 this year,but only walked with like 120k,which he said he could do more,but took off alot of time due to knee surgery...but he said one guy does over 400k,but i guess thats before everything...i guess he pulled some equity out of the house,thats why he was spending soo much on other things...and he averages around 65,000 miles for the year.....like i said i didnt know,but my broker friend did some refi for him and was amazed that he averaged around 5k a week by bank statements,so is it worth it?not for me i have 2 kids...

 

[TexasT]

back to the thread

what questions do you have? I too have been driving quite a while. Maybe too long to know what you want to know. I personally don't want to go for weeks/months out so I never have. All local for me. The current employer is the longest I have ever been out but it is usually only a night or two out. This is Oilfield work so it could crash anytime but it is good money and benefits for now. I will say the O/O guys I know who do well are out running most of the time but they do quite well.

 

[Quiky One]

No offense guys, just because you spend, doesnt mean you have it. Sure some guys have it and spend it, but others want to appear like they do. Not saying your friend does this, because I don't know him, but like I said you can't read a book by it's cover.

Jason

 

[Turbo Indian]

littlesixsteve

pm me I will answer any questions I can.

as for those that say O/O is not the way to go, all I have to say is it depends on what you do. I move heavy equipment for my self, & things are going pretty good. since I started in July of 04 I have added a second truck, & as of this spring I will be having a 3rd truck subcontracting under me for the loads I cant keep up with. don't get me wrong, the first winter I was scared to death, wondering where my next paycheck was going to come from. but I survived & this winter I am alot more relaxed. turbot2496 sounds like to me you know the buis. but one thing you forgot, if you have your own authority add about $9k per year for insurance.

 

[Little6pack]

Check with your local unemployment office. Most states have programs that will pay for truck driving school. Also go to a good one and not just one that gives you your license and kicks you out the door.

Check into route delivery jobs like ups, fedex, sysco, performance foods etc. The food service companys are desperate for good drivers. These are great secure companys with good benefits and you can't send these jobs overseas. Sysco for example has a pension plan, 401k match, stock purchase plan and everything.

You'll make as much or more than an otr driver and be home alot more often. You'll have to unload yourself but the exercise keeps you from becoming a fat slob like some otr guys. LOL

Also, don't get talked into buying your own rig. You'll probably end up a slave to it.

Yes this sounds like something that I could do. I hear you about the staying fit part. i rather a job with some physical aspect 45% of the time. seems like a good mix.

As others mentioned some schools boot you out the door with a CDL license but schools are far & few between where I live. I figure as long as you get the paper in hand you can start applying for jobs. True the 1st get your feet wet job will get you some seat time but then you can look around for something different.

 

[Little6pack]

Don't think Chris would allow you to be away from home.

She doesn't care as long as I am bringing in CASH home
or
as long as I am not up the drag strip or strip club with you. LOL

 

[Pronto]

Maybe you can work at a strip club as a bouncer, then I can come visit you at work and you don't have to ever go home.

 

[10secvega]

Yes this sounds like something that I could do. I hear you about the staying fit part. i rather a job with some physical aspect 45% of the time. seems like a good mix.

As others mentioned some schools boot you out the door with a CDL license but schools are far & few between where I live. I figure as long as you get the paper in hand you can start applying for jobs. True the 1st get your feet wet job will get you some seat time but then you can look around for something different.

I passed my test on a sunday,got my license on monday,and had a job on tuesday.Start asking all your friends if they know about any local jobs.