Profile For FliteRisk

There certainly is a different vibe as a local driver.

Got to agree with Daniel, though. Hauling fuel, we are both overweight and hazardous. If we followed the rules, half our stations would be unreachable. I’ve put 117k pounds down five ton roads, gone through non hazmat tunnels with a placarded load, have pulled hazmat through residential areas, and broken all kinds of rules, simply because that’s the only way to reach a station. “Local delivery” will forgive a multitude of sins. Really, the only restrictions we’ll pay attention to are bridge weights, for obvious reasons.

Yeah, its sort of the nature of the beast. When I was OTR I had no clue how outlandish local driving can be though I thought I did. Its definitely not something you want to get into without a few years on your back. Props on doing fuel there sir. I did it for 2 years and wasn't a big fan.

LTL driver also. I 100% agree. Some of the places i have taken my daycab in the back woods of West Virginia... SMH!!!!

Its not a question of me wanting to be a truck driver. I definitely want to do this. I guess it's just the life change fear to get over. I have only had one job my entire life and I gave that up after 21 years. I'm ready but nervous I guess. Leaving a world where I controlled everything and was the expert is a little more scary than I thought. I will get over it. I definitely don't miss the other job. Thanks for your comments guys.

I respect the straight forwardness and the truth that I get from you guys.

Good Morning,

I have the trucking bug and I have pretty much left my corporate desk job. I am scheduled to start with my mentor soon. The problem is that I have been offered another management job with high pay and only about 3mins from my house. I want to drive a truck and I have already planned ahead for the lower pay that comes with the first year rookie status. I was thinking that I could try the other job for a few months just to see if it is something I could do. It's just that every time I see a truck now, I get this warm and fuzzy feeling on the inside. Have any of you ever been through this type of situation. I welcome all opinions and thoughts.

Thanks

I got hired with CRST in August of this year since getting hired I have had nearly five weeks where I haven't made money because of circumstances. There was the first week where I had to go home handle getting my CDL license and going to the CRST terminal in California to get officially hired. The second week was spent convincing people I was actually in California not Iowa Because of a computer glitch I kept being listed for cedar rapids. Week 3 was a combination of days during training when we sat because we kept getting rerouted to pick up loads only to be told that the load was cancelled or had been picked up. Week four was waiting for my first co driver. Week 5 was going home for unwanted home time and trying to get a replacement co driver. Now I have been sitting for four days because of mechanical issues that were fixed but also because I don't have a co driver so I am limbo till Monday when I speak with my DM to figure out what to do.

That’s pretty rough. You don’t get paid while waiting for a CO driver?

FliteRisk, I think everybody struggles somewhat during that first year. The way you manage your loads and your schedule has an inseparable relationship with your gross pay. This is one of many reasons you'll find people complaining online about so called "starter companies" not paying well. In trucking we measure out our own pay. We get paid for how productive we are. Greenhorns have issues being super productive, that's to be expected.

Look at your rookie year as a learning experience. Focus on getting the most accomplished as you can. We're here to help you when you're struggling with how to make it happen. Don't even concern yourself with how much your CPM rate is. I made right at $50,000 my first year with a starting pay of a whopping 27 cents per mile. I knew I was getting low-balled because I came in with no intrinsic value to the company. That's how each of us gets started. I set out to prove to both them and myself that I could be a top producer.

Today I'm making top pay and still operating at the highest levels of productivity. According to my manager, I continue to gross twice as much as some of the other drivers in the dedicated fleet I'm in. You don't have to settle for less in this business. If you can produce it, they are happy to pay it. There's a symbiotic relationship between the drivers and the folks who are planning and dispatching loads. Producers are rewarded.

Very well put. Thank you!

You nailed it with the 30k-50k gross. Somewhere in that range for your first year. Second year figure should be 50k-60k after that 60k+. As an example my second full calendar year I am on pace to gross 70k. I started trucking in Sep ‘16.

Good to know. I can’t wait to get behind that wheel.

Hello everyone,

I got my CDL through Swift and I am about to remove myself from the corporate world. I have a high paying job right now and have plenty of savings to supplement the pay change. I was just wondering if there was a industry ball park like 30-50 thousand a year or sum thing like that. I signed up for OTR Dry Van. I know part of it is how much you run and how you manage your clock. But with me being a “4 week expert super trucker” I’m almost 100% certain that I won’t be out there maximizing my clock and getting everything right for some time. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I agree bobcat, but after 2 of them in a row, I just won't be bothered anymore. It bites for the ones who are genuine, but they can thank those 2 lol. I've trained plenty of nonsmokers in the past and most said they couldn't tell I smoked in my truck.. yep I keep it that clean and fresh. smelling.

We have added a couple more nonsmokers to the ranks of trainers, so at least there's that.

I wouldn’t be the whiny type. I just had the vision of me getting the one trainer that likes to smoke with the heat on and the windows rolled up. Lol. If I knew that I had a smoking trainer that smoked out the window like you said, I would be cool with that. I respect everyone’s choices. I just didn’t want to inconvenience someone in their own truck/home.

My student has been waiting for over a week for me. I have been stuck due to lack of freight movement over Thanksgiving weekend. I feel for you.

Yup. I figured it would be kinda slow this week. It didn’t help that I am a non-smoker either.

Try to be patient as best you can. I had to wait for a non-smoking Swift Mentor for 7 days and required another bus ride from PA to Greer SC.

I’m cool. Just anxious. I HATE the bus though. lol.