What am I getting into?
Posted by TriStateAmoeba@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 38 comments
Hellošš¾ Im about to get my cdl and start otr driving. I love being behind the wheel. I have no kids/wife/family, so I'm looking to spend most of my time in the truck my first two years; partly to get out of debt, partly just for the freedom. I've worked some pretty shitty jobs with relatively low pay and terrible bosses. I've also lived in employee housing situations with "difficult" roommates, so I'm really looking forward to not dealing with annoying bosses, coworkers, & just the general grind.
What am I missing though? What are some of the caveats that you wish you had known prior to getting behind the wheel? Is banking $100-$150k in the first two years a reasonable expectation? Anyone been "let down" by their experience vs their expectations? Also, are cb's still a thing? Do y'all chat on the radio?
Thanks y'all & stay safe out there!
Connor4543@reddit
Despite all the bad things youāll read, I consider getting my cdl the best move I ever made. I got my cdl through Heartland. In my first year idek if I made 50k, due to just being new, not efficient, and also not understanding how I was getting screwed over at the start. My second year I grinded the entire year as hard as I could and made about 71k from driving and another 10k in referrals. The amount of time you put in is kinda insane and if you broke it down hourly itās pretty bad. But I just recently got a job with Averitt and itās significantly better. It now feels like it was all worth it. Iām looking to get into their On-Tour division so I can haul stuff for concerts and events
barre9388@reddit
Banking 100-150k in two years? š bro youāre gonna be making 50-60 k a year and getting taxed to death. I canāt stress enough with people getting into the industryā¦ you arenāt gonna be bank rolling. Itās gonna be quick burnout, low pay, lots of sitting, getting dicked around on pay, etc
TriStateAmoeba@reddit (OP)
I figured between working near non-stop for 2 years coupled with fewer living expenses, I'd be able to come up a bit. š¤·š¾āāļø
barre9388@reddit
Go to welding or plumbing school my guy. This aināt it for what youāre looking for. Just being up front
pseudoexpert@reddit
Why welding or plumbing?Ā
ProbablyAnFBIBot@reddit
Because there's a myth out there that doing the trade is somehow going to equal a better opportunity for everyone, despite the fact that there's plenty of people working for companies that are struggling to find clients due to the fact that nobody can actually afford an overpriced repair they can easily do themselves.
I just dont get the negative responses, you get taxed at 50-60k regardless of where you work. Is OP going to open a business with 2 years of apprenticeship and start doing 1099s without hiring a tax expert.
What are people smoking in this sub?Ā
barre9388@reddit
Because my brothers make 2x what I make as a journeymen then master plumbers and welders. Far better pay even as a journeyman
north_coast_nomad@reddit
add inside lineman to that.
OkSeaworthiness251@reddit
Youāll be good treat it like a hustle but be professional you can put away 65% get a fridge and stay healthy bump it up to about a 75% SR
Always_Shifting_4459@reddit
True story. Recruiters be lying to the new people. Like when I started at Stevens Transport I was already making 400/week and home everyday where I worked before but drivers kept telling me to go get my cdl... so yea I was lucky to make 400/week about 10 years ago
In theory and on paper I should've been making 550 or better per week as just a company driver š¤£ Fast forward about 10 years and it's crazy how many are still being shafted and barely making slightly more than I was when I started
Banking 100-150k in two years? OP must have some really good knee pads and no gag reflex šš¤£
north_coast_nomad@reddit
eh. i made 38k my first year because mega carriers dont count military experience like fml right? biggest issue I've seen with drivers is situational awareness, time management and personal well-being. know your equipment maintenance as well as your own health/maintenance. practice meal prep, and healthy eating habits at home and get the hang of living in 25sqft of space before you head out over the road.
TruckerBiscuit@reddit
$100-$150k/yr after 2y is unreasonable in the current freight economy. I'm paying my truck off in November after which I'll be north of $100k/yr but that's because I've sacrificed more than most men would to get here (grown kids, no home, no wife). In my case my profitability is contingent on driving for an outfit with shitloads of contract freight that keeps me rolling.
Dive deep into the economics of freight. It's possible to earn bank but you've got to be smart about it.
RestoWolf629@reddit
Maybe for OTR. Food service it's possible just hard work. Made $102k my first year doing food service and I'm home daily.
TriStateAmoeba@reddit (OP)
What...like sysco/us foods type?
RestoWolf629@reddit
I work for McLane. I hear Sysco pay is good but you work like a dog lol
legendarygarlicfarm@reddit
I made a 96k my second year and 146 my third. 156k last year. Next year should hit 160k.
The only way to make that kind of money is to specialize and specialize early. Hazmat. And be willing to move wherever the money is
Odd-Improvement-2135@reddit
Hubby is regional otr, home every weekend, off 2 weeks at Christmas and 2 weeks in summer.Ā Year 1 flatbedding, cleared approx 67k.Ā Year 2, 82k.Ā Year 3, hubby became trainer and hit 6 figures.Ā He's on year 4 now and is busier than ever.Ā Ā He says the key to making money is learning to maximize your clock and be efficient with your time.Ā He's not out there to dilly-dally, he is out there to make his money and get home.Ā Meal prep (he does his on Sunday for the week) and don't waste money on junk at truck stops.Ā Drive safely and all the little bonuses add up quickly, as does tarp pay.Ā For many people, this is life-changing money but if your money habits suck, no amount of money will ever be enough...which means it's not a money problem, it's a "you" problem.Ā He absolutely loves his freedom and rarely hears from his FM unless there's an emergency situation because he has established himself as reliable and trustworthy.Ā There are good companies out there so if this is what you want, don't be discouraged!Ā
Abucfan21@reddit
If you like camping and always wondered what it was like to be homeless, you will love trucking!
hiplainsdriftless@reddit
Stay away from the MEGA carriers. Find a small local fleet in your area that does over the road trucking.
Nearby_Ad6870@reddit
For me the first 6 months were the hardest. It's been fairly easy rolling since then and I started off doing flatbed. I paid off 14k in debt the first year. Expect to make 50-60k the first year. I would recommend getting a CB for traffic but don't expect to be chatting back and forth. I tend to turn mine down because you have people who spam channel 19 with bullshit.
scottiethegoonie@reddit
Where do you live?
TriStateAmoeba@reddit (OP)
Nyc
scottiethegoonie@reddit
You won't bank over 100k your first year, but if you land a local gig after a year you can be near it. Doing that OTR with little experience is harder.
HCOL areas like LA and NY have higher pay.
Safe-Application-144@reddit
The problem with truck driving is that once you're "IN," you're never gonna get "OUT"... 35 years for me now.. been trying to quit for least 20 of them. BTW I do a little bit better than some on pay.
TriStateAmoeba@reddit (OP)
My hope is that if I get tired of driving, I can merge into something adjacent (broker, dispatch) without too much of a paycut.
Safe-Application-144@reddit
Been there don't that. Dispatch even an assistant terminal manager. Companies, people etc come and go it all changes except driving. That's pretty much guaranteed job in this industry
Kkalemauser@reddit
Starter companies donāt pay that well. Do a year then find a smaller better paying company then start your plan on saving.
Significant_Egg_9010@reddit
I guess f paying your dues, my guy wants to start at topā¦ā¦super trucker in the house š
TriStateAmoeba@reddit (OP)
Idk. That's why I'm asking. Trying to get an idea of what a reasonable expectation is.
Significant_Egg_9010@reddit
First 2 years are gonna suck , if you donāt wreck too much shit then you should be able move up to better company, go specialized tanker, haz mat, heavy haul that were $$ is to much competition hauling general freight in my opinion, also youāre gonna need a little luck to land one of those jobs lots of drivers out here looking, good luck . Any questions pm me
TriStateAmoeba@reddit (OP)
Thank you š©
Charlie_Hustler@reddit
Probably best to lower your expectations a bit bro. 100k probably won't be possible for atleast 3yrs unless you get lucky. Most likely your first 2yrs will be around 50k - 80k I dunno why folks be talking about 150k like it's an easy number and every company is paying it lol
TriStateAmoeba@reddit (OP)
Word. Thanks. I can live with that.
Little-Trucker@reddit
Read through this channel first before deciding a career on it...
TriStateAmoeba@reddit (OP)
I spend a pretty good amount of time reading thru stuff on here. Also talk with a trucker buddy of mine. Just wondering if the community had anything of value to add. Seems to be a wealth of knowledge/experience here. Never hurts to askš¤·š¾āāļø
Ok_Bathroom_3411@reddit
First rule is any trucker you talk to is full of shit 95% of the time about pay.
Yeah you can make so and so, but its not gonna happen
Dogs_Breakfast78@reddit
The illusion of āfreedom of the open roadā is just thatā¦.an illusion. I ran long haul for about 10 years way before electronic logs were a thing and we could do whatever we wantedā¦as long as your receipts matched your log book, we could let āer rip. We had more freedoms (or creative liberties if you prefer) but it wasnāt total freedom. Appointment times, HOS, etc. still got in the way. I travelled all across North America in my time and saw it all but in my memory, Dallas TX and Winnipeg MB look the same. Just dots on a map that I passed thru. Often in the middle of the night.
Now after 25 years of grinding gears, I run fuel around the province I live in and Iām home almost every night. Trucking has done alright by me and Iāve made a lot of good friends over the years because of it, but thereās nothing glamorous about the life. Itās a tough job within which you will sacrifice a ton. Your current situation (no wife/kids) will make things easier but being away from home for days/weeks/months at a time is hard on the head.
Best of luck to you, new guy. Find yourself a good company with a good training program to latch onto. Ask lots of questions and LISTEN to the answers. Us old guys whoāve been around awhile know what weāre talking about. More likely than not, weāve backed up more miles than youāve ever driven forward. š
TriStateAmoeba@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the advice!