I am debating on what direction I want to go. I am preparing for the Class A CDL test soon, and want to get my license regardless.

But one thing that gets me is these companies say 50k to 60k earnings potential!!! Which for our county would be decent money, however I am not seeing these people living likewise. Im not judging anyone, but I see more truckers living in run down trailers and run down houses than others of similar income range.

My father has done it most of his life and now is in the stages of purchasing another handfull of trucks, my cousin does it and loves it, my uncle does it and loves it, but they live almost 700 miles away, so chances are thats out of the question for a while.

Im split, I have my mother(yep once an o/op back in the 70's) saying if it were so great, every company wouldnt be hiring. Then I have my cousins, uncles and dad running for themselves, and they love it. So what is the "real world" like for a beginner? Is my wife gonna divorce me

 

more miles+more money=== less home time. if you dont want to be home a lot then you'll make lots of money. i run my own hotshot co and the more i'm gone the more i make best answer i can give ya

 

My fiance would divorce me and we are not even married yet if I went back on the road so I will be hauling cars locally for myself.

I think that 50K to 60K is completely achievable (figure .33 CPM * 150,000 miles is $49,500) but you might be at the company's mercy for home time...

 

my aunt and uncle got divorced when he quit driving and got a normal day job.

 

Heres a site with lots of interesting reading for you. http://www.truck.net/hotlinks/
I was an OTR driver for about 18 years, it's a completely different lifestyle. Has its good and bad points. The bad; you'll very rarely be home, and for a very short time when you are, which means you'll miss most family events. You'll constantly be expected to do the impossible, like pick up a load in NJ tonight, and have it in Chicago in the morning. For succeeding in that you will get to do more of the same. You'll be treated like the biggest POS anyones ever seen, by dockworkers, law enforcement officers, truck stop employees, and mostly everyone you come in contact with. Traffic gets worse every year, as do drivers. Even other truckers are becoming people you don't want to associate with. Its very hard on marriages, because you never see each other.
The good; no boss looking over your shoulder telling you how to do things. You do get to see some beautiful country. Can stop to eat when you get hungry, and sleep when you get tired, instead of by what the clock says. There are some good companies, that treat you good and pay you good, but you'll need several years of safe driving experience before they'll hire you, which means you have to work for one of the crappy outfits first. There is the "potential" for making very good money, there also are very big expenses. You eat every meal in a restaraunt, for instance.
Its like everything else, its not for everybody. DO NOT fall for the "lease purchase" deals some companies offer.
Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

Another thing to think about.....


While you are out on the road..............waiting.......and waiting..........and waiting........for a backhaul to get home or even your next load.....your not making money. If the wheels aren't turning, you aren't making miles and your not making money.

My point is........that nobody values your time but you. The trucking company, the company that is contracted to the trucking company etc. don't care how much time you waste while they get your next load together. They also don't care if your days and nights get turned around on short notice.

This is something I have learned from my brother-in-law who has driven for almost 20 years.

 

I spent a year on the road. 6 months running teams (truck never stopped) and then driving solo. It was something I had to do to get it out of my system. Money was good, restaurants etc get a bit expensive, but since I was not home much (if at all) I saved up a bunch of money. I have to say if you have it in you then do it. If it does not suit you then you can quit. In this day I would not rec'd buying your own truck unless you have been on the road a bit and know that is where you want to be.

 

I know if I were living in TN, id be driving for my dad, and prob would have started before we were married. I myself grew up without a dad around much. ie on the road, and I know how it feels on this end. I drove a 33,000 gvw straight truck, and did so for a few years. I was home everynight, and loved driving, but that was in Harrisburg, and pay was quite a bit better there. Around here...$8 hr is average, unless you get into one of the larger shops 30-40 miles away.

My father is working on getting a weekly run that would get me home once during the week, and on weekends. From TN, to KY, to PA, then back to TN.
Most of the leg work is done. And I think my wife wouldnt mind that one so much, but OTR with a big name...ill be living solo.

 

one thing I've learned in this world... it's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know!!!

you already have family ties in a successful trucking company!!! don't look a gift horse in the mouth...

I'd LOVE to have good OTR runs, but I don't have any ins, so I'd be at the mercy of a company for a year, and then I'd still be any other joe looking for cake runs

 

I guess Ill know in a few weeks, while the kinks get worked out, and i see what set of wheels ill get. He recommended I run with my cousin to get my feet wet for a while, and then get me out on my own, which is fine since I only have Class B experience, not Class A. MY luck, ill get the old Cab over KW-I think its a late 70's model that is used to jockey trailers across town.

I told him. No air snorkel and no roof mounted AC unit

 

Where in PA are you?

I do honestly not know how trucking company's work but I would say if you can get them to guarantee you in writing XX dollars and X days home per month or X days home per year then you could be OK. I do not know if that is realistic though.