Profile For Robert S.

Thank you everybody for your input and suggestions. I have decided to pass on truck driving school, and I accepted a position with the US Post office, so I will be driving a "4-wheeler." Be safe out there, ladies and gentlemen!

Every time I talk to a trucker, they seem to like the job, including those on this thread. 60 years old, 31 years teaching school, I guess I am just being stubborn when this opportunity looks like a gift. I don't need to get rich. If I can find a class B job that gets me 600-800 a week, I will probably take it (a bird in the hand kind of deal). My last teacher paycheck is July 31, so I have a little time to make this life decision.

A KLLM trucker I met at a truck stop said he had been driving for 9 months and makes 800 on a bad week, 1500 on a good week, and averages about 1300. If I average $1000 a week, I will be happy. I understand there will be layovers, problems, etc, that hold back the miles and earnings, but you guys wouldn't be doing it if it didn't pay the bills.

"You don't know if KLLM will hire you or not." Actually, you are accurate there. The assumption is that they will, but once you get your cdl then they train you for 240 hours with a veteran driver, then they give you an upgrade test and decide if they are going to hire you.

Again, what's holding me back mostly is the idea of hurling down a mountain highway with an automatic transmission trying to control the speed, or getting into some tight situation that I cannot maneuver out of. On one hand, the job sounds fun, but on the other hand it sounds like big risk for little reward.

Thank you for the input. I will let you know if I make the plunge.

I am a retiring schoolteacher of 31 years and I am looking into KLLM--for a 1 year commitment they train you, they pay $800 a week while driving with trainer, and then 60 cents a mile when you upgrade (and it eventually works up to 65 cents). They have late model trucks.

It seems like a good deal to me. The feedback I get is contradictory. There are posts on message boards saying that KLLM screws drivers out of money or won't give you enough miles, and stay far away. Others say it's a wonderful starter company. I have a friend (who usually gets everything wrong) say that he has been around trucking all his life (he never drove) and he says he has heard nothing good about driving or KLLM (he seems to have uncles who know everything). He says "paid training will come at a cost" and "the miles will be tight and your dispatcher will not be nice."

So....I took it upon myself to hang out at truck stops and visit KLLM's trucker lounge. I talked to over a dozen truck drivers and couldn't find anybody who said they didn't like it. Everyone said to go for it and that 60 cents was great starting pay. 7-8 were from KLLM and they all said they liked it and to go for it. One lady said that it is what you make of it. I saw a KLLM truck gassing up at the truck stop, and I talked to the guy. He said that on a bad week he gets 800, on a good week 1500, but averages about 1300 a week (adequate for my needs).

When asked, none of the truck drivers said they ever felt in danger.

Here are my fears: Getting into a tight spot that I can't maneuver out of Getting too much speed going down a mountain and can't get speed under control Not getting paid enough to pay the bills Getting a ticket for something stupid that is not my fault Getting in one of those big pileups when everyone hits their breaks in the snow Being pressured by a dispatcher to color outside the lines of the law or safety rules

I'm not worried about all that loneliness crap and homesickness.

I read that you should make sure to not make the dispatchers hate you. On the other hand, one trucker said that if a dispatcher makes you feel uncomfortable, report them to the safety person. I questioned that because you don't want the dispatchers hating you and not giving you good runs, and his reply was that safety is like HR, and they will fix the problems and won't stand for discrimination against you. This is a mixed message for me.

Now....Your comments, suggestions, recommendations. Thank you kindly.