Profile For Stephen M.

Hey Stephen, those are some good questions.

Truck driving is all about productivity. It's an asset based business. That means they make money by keeping their assets (trucks) busy. On the flipside of that is that you, the driver, make money that same way. Drivers who can get a lot done make a good solid income. That's why you're going to be paid "by the mile." You're actually going to be responsible for how much you make.

How many hours you work may or may not reflect how productive you are. I make great money doing this, but what I really enjoy about this career is the sense of adventure that comes with it. I've got to warn you - there's already a slight tendency in your question that sounds like the typical "never happy about their job" truck driver. There's hundreds of thousands of these people. They claim they're over worked, under paid, and seldom allowed to be at home. You are already wondering, "are they gonna fight me." That's not a good way to get started at this. What they both want and need is for you to be productive.

I can't tell you how many hours you'll be working, nor can I know how many miles you'll drive each day. I can tell you that you'll probably work longer hours than you ever have before, and you'll be exhausted at the end of each day. It's not unusual for me to work the equivalent of two full time jobs each week (80 hours). It's not unusual for me to drive 600+ miles on any given day. It's also not unusual for me to be loving every minute of it. All the challenges, the planning, the execution of the tasks, and the consequences of my efforts are both energizing and rewarding. This job has instant gratification for me. Every day is another battle ground victory - it's pure pleasure.

Get it settled ahead of getting started. Make a Commitment to being the best truck driver on the face of the earth. Don't get started with that "us against them" mentality that you've already started nourishing by reading all the nonsense on the internet. Your research is poisoning you. That's why you're asking if you're going to be fighting with the company to go home every two weeks. I can promise you this - when you can consistently knock out 3,000 miles each week, you'll have no problem getting home.

The way you get respected and rewarded in this career is to be productive. Let me warn you - rookies are not consistently productive. Therefore you might not be going home every other weekend like you want, or if you do you might not be making very good money. Either way you aren't very valuable to the company like that. What makes you valuable and gives you leverage is that you develop yourself into a Top Tier Driver. Always focus on improving your results. Stay focused on being the best. Forget about there being some kind of war between the company and it's drivers. Great drivers get great results and great treatment. You give them the results they need and they give you the treatment you want. It's so simple that a fourth grader could figure it out. Yet many drivers are continually banging their heads up against this problem regularly. My dispatcher once told me that One Out Of Five Drivers Does A Great Job. Be that one unusual driver and you'll be scratching your head at how all those other drivers are so miserable doing this job.

You read into the question I think. I'm actually the complete opposite in terms of how I look at things. I've always been a team player and a leader anywhere I've worked. I just read somewhere that I shouldn't believe everything the recruiters say so I want to know if I should be telling my wife and kids to expect me home every two weeks for sure or every two weeks ish. This will be a lifestyle change that is absolutely doable but I want them to also prepared mentally. I'm very excited about trucking and have never and will never be a complainer.

As I've said in another post I'm considering Schneider otr refer, but have not even gotten my cdl. A few more questions I have are this...

Realistically, how many hours a day on average should I expect to be driving?

Realistically, and assuming I'm performing well (not having accidents, arriving on time etc), how many miles per day will I drive on average?

I see on schnieder website that they advertise otr as home every 2 weeks. Is this true, or are they gonna fight me on the regular and try to keep me out more. Just want to know what I'm in for.

Thanks for all the help guys!

Hi everyone, I'm new here and am still in the pre cdl school phase and looking to get direction. I see that schnieder and swift are a popular go to for new company drivers. Wondering what some other popular carriers are that I should consider. A few things about me that may be relevant ...

I am 34, 5'11" and 300 pounds although I am working to bring that number down with lifestyle changes. I have sleep apnea and require a machine (can truckers use sleep apnea machines in the trucks?). I have no accidents on my driving record in the last 10 years although I did get one ticket last year for an illegal u-turn (I didnt see the no u-turn sign).

I'm hoping to find a carrier that fits well and looking for the best direction incan get. I'm thinking otr for the first few years and then see what happens from there. From the little research I've done it seems reefer will probably be a good fit for me.

Any ideas of any mega carriers or carriers in general that take on newbies? Currently, schnieder seems like the way to go. Please tell me why I'm right or wrong. Thanks for the help! - Stephen