First year trucking pay
Posted by Significant-Panda-59@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 34 comments
I’ve been driving for about 6 months & I love it. I’m currently in DFW area driving flatbeds. I’m home DAILY & make about $3400 monthly before taxes. I don’t have any benifits such as medical, dental,vision & such. It’s a very small company. Working for an owner op, 1 truck 1 trailer (me). Should I have stayed in SoCal and went the hazmat route? Making roughly $30-50 hr. Or stayed here for experience, then move into hazmat? Is $800-$850 weekly about average for 6 months experience ? Thanks everybody!
Mindless_Library22@reddit
There’s always better with a few years of experience, I haul bread to grocery stores and gross 1600-1800 a week. Don’t have to do hazmat to make bank
trucksarekewl@reddit
I wouldn't call 1600-1800 bank tbh
Mindless_Library22@reddit
True, just feels like it to me only working 4 10s a week
Whitehoneybun666@reddit
Hell naw cali ain’t it im taking a local job in Birmingham just to leave Cali the job market terrible in socal
RedimidoSoy1611@reddit
im doing hazmat in Cali and gross $3600 biweekly, and take home is roughly $2300.. Id stay where youre at. the grass isn't always greener over here..
CycleCaverns@reddit
On this note what keeps people from working 6 figure trucking jobs such as Walmart and and Amazon. I can only guess they make you pay out of pocket for gas and other expenses.
ParticularArrival111@reddit
Company drivers don't pay expenses. He already said grass isn't always greener.
CycleCaverns@reddit
Slap
ParticularArrival111@reddit
I can tell you why I don't work for walmart, if you'd like.
See i already make roughly 100k a year and am home everynight and never work weekends. Why would I want to live in a truck and be gone for weeks to make 10-20k more a year.
Creepy-Internet6652@reddit
We are home every week and 21/2 one week 3 1/2 days off and make 120 without trying plus 401k stock purchases and 15% discount on everything in store...WTF are u talking about??
legendofthegreendude@reddit
Not to mention its a weird combo of slip seating. You only stay in the truck for a week then get a different one when you take home time.
ParticularArrival111@reddit
Yeah I've heard some wierd things about Walmart. They also have 20 different types of routes and forget to mention that only a few pay 100k.
CycleCaverns@reddit
That is nice to have a job like that. Amazon and Walmart are the only two I am aware of that pay 6 figures so as an example they came to mind.
danDotDev@reddit
My FIL works at Walmart, and from everything he says is it's awesome. High standards and having to live close enough to standards are some of the barriers that keeps people from working there.
Significant-Panda-59@reddit (OP)
What type of hazmat do you haul, where at in Cali & otr or home daily ? I’ve seen a lot of companies back home near riverside make $30 starting .1 year exp,no accidents, ot after 8 and full benifits package starting out.
RedimidoSoy1611@reddit
I haul chemicals like UAN32 from ports to storage tanks, home daily, 10+ hr shifts, in Cen Ca/Nor Ca. you'd probably make more OTR if money is important. also benefits aren't great but at this point in time, its better to stay, local guys are harder to work with, supervisor you see daily, and youre likely to bump heads alot with them
jmzstl@reddit
I hope you and the owner get along well and he won’t have any hard feelings when you get your experience and look to leave. Because when you get your year of experience and start applying to places, they going to have to call him to verify your experience level.
Emergency_Ad1152@reddit
Are you near mesquite? Schneider hires for intermodal and they pay good.
SaltAccident7124@reddit
Bro people in McDonald make 3400 monthly
Different-Key-4331@reddit
Depends on the location I'd imagine
SaltAccident7124@reddit
Not really still a low blow and ruins the trucking market when people move Cheap
Different-Key-4331@reddit
I make $27 an hour, I've had my CDL for 9 months. I'm driving a dump truck Monday through Friday. 6am to 4 to 5pm. 50 to 55 hour weeks and make 1000 to 1200 a week after taxes. NE Colorado
texastruckin@reddit
3400 a month seems Kindve low. I started on at a local grocery gig that pays 2,500 every 2 weeks. Take home right around 4,800-5000 a month. Granted it’s hard physical work but I don’t mind. Actually prefer it compared to sitting on my ass for hours on end. Guess it just all depends on your needs and situation, there should definitely be better paying jobs out there but if you’re not pressed for time stick it out and get that experience
Significant-Panda-59@reddit (OP)
Definitely will stick it out for a year at least, then move into hazmat and such
texastruckin@reddit
I’ve heard lots of hazmat/fuel places require 3+ and you need the tanker + standard endorsement but yea it’s a solid plan you’ll get there. I’m right at three years looking for maybe Costco or HEB
RectumRavager69@reddit
The one year is really important. People argue about it all the time but even if you're at an absolutely dogshit outfit in the future at some point you should stick it out for at least half a year and document everything so that if a good job asks you why you left you can explain it in a professional manner rather than looking like a flake. But for your first job, one year at absolute minimum even if you're in hell the entire time no exceptions. Good companies will see that and know that you can handle some rough shit and still get it done the right way, and that makes you as good as gold in this industry as a noob.
Honestly though you're in a really good spot for a noob. I'm nine months in making 4k a month gross of which I actually see 3k and 2.4k actually hits my bank account doing dryvan OTR but I live in the south so it's more than enough to live on as a single man.
HighwayStar71@reddit
You're not even making $1,000 a week having to drive in DFW with no benefits? You would be better off at Swift.
East_Indication_7816@reddit
I bring home $1000/week and I'm local with 2 points on my record.
ShoeStunning@reddit
1 year look around you can double that easily. if youbdont want to wait dock to driver ltl.
Existing_Inside5200@reddit
You're not going hazmat in your first year. They won't hire under two years minimum. I'm 10 months in here in CA and have tried and tried but no luck
Significant-Panda-59@reddit (OP)
Companies up here in dfw are 1 year required, 2 years preferred. No accidents, no tickets with tankers and hazmat. Start around $27-32 from what I’ve seen.
SlothyTendecies@reddit
It’s not terrible for a greenhorn. I’d just stay there until you get a year and then apply at bigger hazmat companies. You have to be careful company hopping because some of the good companies really don’t like that.
Significant-Panda-59@reddit (OP)
Want to get at least a year with this company, then go explore other options back home in California. Mainly looking for fuel, crude oil & cryogenics when I go back
SlothyTendecies@reddit
I’d shoot for fuel or cryo, personally. I do hazmat as well but in a van. In my personal opinion, just stick there and get the year THEN look into other companies. Like I said, just be mindful of company hopping because it can bite you in the ass if you get a good offer.