Questions for drivers with 10+ years experience
Posted by Stonez661@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 7 comments
(If you have less, that’s cool too)
Real simple: You get to keep all of the knowledge and experience you’ve gained over the past 10+ years. But you’ve hit the reset button. You just obtained your Class A, 0 restrictions, 0 endorsements (for now). You’re starting out with $0 and 0 miles to your name.
What steps are you taking to secure a solid career that actually feels enjoyable and rewarding? How are you planning your finances? Are you planning to own and operate your own setup? What are you doing differently, and what are things you’d never change?
I’m 26 years old with a CDL so fresh that the hard copy is still on its way in the mail- Currently sitting in a hotel bed, 3 hrs from home, with orientation for Knight Transportation in the morning. My mind is racing. I’m interested to hear some of your stories and different approaches at this thing.
bakyt189@reddit
Me: Nooo waaay! Noooo waaaaaay! My paid off truck and trailer! Noooooooooo
Earl109@reddit
I would get all my endorsements, and start applying to local LTL companies, even if it's dock to driver position. 5yrs OTR, 5yrs LTL for me.
adventureandlife137@reddit
I started at age 21 I went to Werner out of driving school and drove on the Anheuser Busch account than drove for Kroger for 8 years for First Fleet. I am now 32 years old. If I could start over I would have started with LTL P&D and put in my time at a company like ABF or Dayton Freight, that way by the time you are in your late 20's you can truck driver a schedule that looks like a 8-5 and not work more than 50 hours per week mon-fri and have life balance. Instead, I started LTL P&D at age 30 and still get off work past 7:30 while the wife and son are at home enjoying their evenings.
czerka@reddit
I'd have an exit plan.
icaaryal@reddit
I like the company I work for (Dot Foods), they pay very well (made $88k my first year on 111k miles), I like my schedule (home every week), and they hire rookies. So if I had to start over, I’m coming right back here. I cleared $100k by year 3, and the food sector is reliable because people gotta eat.
P3tr0@reddit
I come from a trucking family, out of the dozen or so family members all in trucking they have widely different beliefs in what trucking should be or what my own path should have been. Only 3 of them are O/O, and they aren't even on the same page. I've been in this field of work roughly 8 years, give or take 5 as an O/O.
I would start off the same way, just live out the truck as a company driver. End of my 2nd year in trucking I had something like $30k all together and I SHOULD have bought my own truck and gone about it my own way into the business. Because what I ended up doing has been mostly a waste of time.
If you have an idea or a way that you think it'll work on your favor then you're intuition is probably right. If you're on the fence take a little more time to refine your idea then go execute. You'll never want to be at the mercy of someone else's will when it comes to your own growth and development.
Oh and the grass is almost always greener if you actually go look for yourself.
AsphaltPirate74@reddit
I've been driving for over 4 years. I've done local and OTR, everything from box truck to hauling heavy equipment and being a CDL instructor to name a few things and I've driven to all the lower 48 through all the road conditions and weather you could imagine.
If I could hit the reset button, I'd get my CDL as soon as possible, stay single, stack my money and get into owning my own truck. Rates are high right now for flatbed, you can make $3,500 in a day for just driving 600 miles. I'd be a well off man right now, but I would've missed out on all the experiences and other people I've met too and friends I've made along the way.
I'd probably just be a rich man blowing his money on strippers, doing drugs (if I'm an O/O, fuck it we ball.) and drinking fireball to get my thrills. Shit just talking about it gets me a little excited, but I'm a married man now trying to get the house, land and freedom to do whatever with my Wife and kid because they're worth more than money, ironically I need the money, but I've already missed my Son's first steps amongst some other things and almost missed his first birthday. I can't miss any more time with my family, so I'm working towards a better local job.
Mentally I'm already in my 40s and in retirement mode. I just want to sit on the beach getting drunk all day with my family and having a good time.
I'm only 28. But don't get me wrong, getting a CDL changed my life for the better after getting out of the Military, and I've had some damn good memories and adventures. But it's not all sunshine and rainbows.