Big Rig Haulers

Joe J.

Joe J.

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Location
King, NC
is there anyone on this site that is currently a truck driver. Ive been unemployed for about 6 months and Ive been hearing in the media and other places(and people) that truck driving is a good business and I should look into it. But the only person I know who drove a truck is my grandpa, and hes been retired for a while now and he doesnt really talk about it. Some advice would be greatly appreciated and btw, I just sent an app. to one such trucking company looking to hire with no experience. thanks
 
Everything you see in a store, anything you see for sale, at one time or another was hauled by a truck. The company's that will hire you with no experience will be some of the lower paying jobs, but still decent money.
Draw backs are until you get a couple years of over the road experience you will most likely be out weeks at a time. So if you are a family guy it's not the best choice, but, you still have bills to pay and mouths to feed. If you are unattached, single and enjoy being gone, it will be a great job.
Some company's are better than others, talk to some truckers.

I took Truck Driver Training, but never took a job doing it. I decided I didn't want to stay gone that long.
 
most of your big companies like swift, jb hunt ,schineder will send you to school if you sign a contract with them just be ready for low pay and being gone from home for awhile that,s what you are looking at for least a year most companies won't even talk to ya without 1 year exp. ins. companies have to approve drivers before employment good luck it's a hard life seems fun at first but it gets old quick
 
without trucks everything stops,you need be 21 to go out of state plus to land good driving job most companies want 2yrs if your single i say put up jb hunt or swift for 2 yrs with no accident and pretty much pic your next driving job when you have cdls most time they will call you see if need job or still in a truck if that any help.
 
Im 24 and Im pretty sure I qualify. Ive filled out the application for CR England and one part of it says "please list all your moving violations within the past 5 years". I put down my seatbelt ticket, Im not sure if thats a moving violation, but I put it down anyway. Nothing else in the last 5 years tho. Does anyone know someone who drives for CR England and what do they think of that company?
 
I drove truck for about 2.5 years with my father . we ran a flatbed trailer and also hauled specialized freight . we owned our own truck and trailer .Depending on what we hauled we made between 2.50 to 8.00 a mile also with 2 of us driving the truck never stopped except for fuel and food .
 
You could always try a flatbed company as well. Alot of times you are home on weekends. I started out at TMC a little over two years ago. I actually got my CDL's at Isothermal Comm. College in Spindale, NC. I was home most weekends, at least enough time for a 34 hr. restart. I switched after 6 mos. and went to Boyles Furn. here in Hickory delivering furniture as far as the west coast. Money was good there, until business fizzled. I don't drive anymore due to the time away from my wife - not real keen on that one. One thing is for sure, to make the money you have to lay the miles down, and not care about being on the road for periods at a time. Hope this helps.
 
Yeah man, I really dont care how long the trips are. I think I would actually enjoy the longer trips. I use to install windows and awnings and I really liked the jobs where we spent a few days or a week away at a time. Places on the internet are saying you could make around 40K dollars your first year. Is this true or are they yankin' our chains?
 
with good company oh ya,just seat belt in last five years no problem you planing on going to a school get cdls or try getting on with company that puts you in truck with trainer?not bad job at all been driving for 7yrs know has up & downs sometimes alot sitting around thats when you not making any money unless company pays you down time mine does.
 
Look into Conway if there is a terminal near you.

My Brother in law drove for them.

They hire you on to load trucks and work the dock (I think their starting pay in 01 was ~ $16/hr) After 90 days they send you to school for 2 weeks, you come in 2 hours early or stay late 3 days a week, you are paid your same hourly wage while in school and they get you license. After school you drive...

They are set up so you are home every night, the trucks dont even have sleepers. For example you would leave Charlotte and run to Richmond or Charleston WV and come back.

They just seemed to be a great company, they paid 100% of your insurance benfits for you and your spouse (if applicable) and they had a ton of cool deals, like if you drive and a load is not ready, you called in and went on hourly while you sat.

My BIL made around 55k his first year with them and over 70k his last year.
 
$40,000 sounds good, but and theres allways a but.Don't forget all of your meals, motel rooms,phone calls home,all have to come out of it. If those wheels aint turning you aint making money.If you're laid over somewhere waiting 2 or 3 days for a load you aint getting paid, but you are still eating and hopefully washing your butt.:poop:That aint free unless you buy fuel. And there are a lot of truck stops that I would not take a shower in.Keep in mind you are going to be low man on the totum pole. So you are going to get the CRAP nobody else wants.Don't get me wrong it can be fun,real fun.But life goes on while you are on the road. Be prepared to miss a lot of birthdays,holidays,and anniveries.
Good luck
robert
 
Well I think everyone that has commented is on the wright page and as stated it can be fun but the big companies want you to sign on for 2 years and they will train you but if you leave before the end of your 2 years then you will receive a bill for the training and it's not cheap. At this time the trucking IND. is slow so be prepared to have times were you lay over for a week or two at a time unless you get a dedicated run and being new you most likely wont. I forgot to add that 50 cents a mile is bull no one is paying that for a new hand, now 28 cents a mile is more like it to make 40k a year yea, you could but right now it would be tough you would have to run a minimum of 3,000 miles a week with no down time and no lay overs. So with all that said if you want to buy a whole trucking outfit shoot me a PM All my stuff can be bought and I will help you any way I can.
 
I thank you all for the advice. I know its gonna be tough for the first couple of years, thats for sure, but I think I can hack it. My grandpa and his brother has retired from the buisness and both of them have done real well for themselves. Im set to go to a family reunion this saturday and Ill get to talk to both of them there. Thanks again for all the info.
 
Right now trucking is slow but if you can get on with a company and get some experience things will pick back up after the economy improves. Be prepared to spend a few weeks on the road at a time when you first start out and with the way things are right now I would not buy a truck or become a lease purchace driver untill you get some experiance. You did the right thing by listing any tickets you have had because when they run a background check the will find them and with some companys not listing something is an automatic no to you being hired.
 
yea my father and i both work at conway hes been there about 20 years and ive been there about a year now but it is a good company to work for. You are home every night and there benefits are excellent..my dad actually used to be the driving school instructor but they stopped the school about 6 months or so ago...this late in the year freight is slowing down tho.. i just work the dock part time but i can barely get in 3 1/2 hrs a night. but last year was the first time the company has ever layed employees off from what ive heard but idk how itll go this time around..
 
Back
Top