Truckers Pay

i know this subject has been beat into the ground over and over again and that it is listed somewhere in this forum. ive read I believe Daniel b break down of his first year pay however as the new year drawers closer the more realistic the chances that I end up behind the wheel of a truck become. with that said that anxiety of will I be able to provide the same if not better (better is my goal) pay check for my family while following a dream. currently I am grossing 1161.60 every two weeks and barely scraping bye. for all of you who have embarked on this journey I have to ask the question is this worth my time and effort to begin this career or am I better off staying where I am because with 25.00 less every 2weeks I could not survive.

Andre, my pay started at .28cpm. So aim higher than that if you want to beat my numbers.

Just realize that the pay is extremely inconsistent. You don't make money at home or sitting.

If you want to maximize your pay while sacrificing comfortability/space, then look into Prime. They start their drivers at .43cpm. You'll easily beat your current pay at .43cpm but not .28cpm.

As you no doubt noted, your first couple of months are going to suck, mightily! Once you go solo and start getting your own miles you'll have a better picture of "average" earnings. But, and it's a BIG "But", depending on where you drive you will have additional spending opportunities: tolls, scales, lumpers, etc. Now, this is reimbursed and often you can use a Com-check, but sometimes it'll come out of your pocket due to things like a toll booth not taking the "card" or you not having their e-pass transponder. You'll have better control on the circumstances with experience. If you ever wondered why truckers carry big wallets...

I came into this with the "hope" of making more then I do now with still being able to be home at least weekly. I have learned fast from this site that those are mostly pipe dreams and that to make the money ill need to be out on the road. I am personally as mentally prepared for that as one can possibly be however there is the one factor in this equation that worries me and that is my wife. she has no issues wth the being gone a week at a time but cringes when I tell here there is a great chance that I will be gone for 3 weeks or so and only home two days and then back on the road .

Andre, don't despair. The first few months are going to be rough. You'll be building your skills set AND reputation. You have probably read the stories of folks that had the same concerns as you and they persevered and found that dedicated or regional route that fit their plans. This rarely happens early but with planning and keeping your eyes and ears open you can control your career. But, as with all jobs you've got to learn the ropes.

My perspective is a bit different as I'm "OLD", but the average pay check will be important and home time, I'm sure, will become a priority LATER when I've got some miles behind me to show what I can do. I'm also going to team with family as soon as I can get through orientation/training so that adds to my potential satisfaction. I also have a spouse that works in a great career as a Hospice nurse and is allowing me the freedom to leave my IT job (that many would kill for, but it's killing me!) and start over again in a truck.

What you see here on TT is a lot of early career/rookie perspective and that is GREAT since you will not get abused here for asking "what's up with this?".

Thanks for the reply david ironic you replied as ive been following your post along with that of your son on here its great that you have the chance to drive with him. I am prepared for the lumps out on the road and willing to learn and most importantly keep learning. I love to learn as I feel that the day that you don't learn or feel you know everything is the day its time to move on. ive spent 14 years as a police officer and was a training officer. I will tell you I learned more then I think my rookies did. with all of that said I know money at first will be low but i have a certain amount that i need to make in order to survive.