Comments By RedKnight

One key I always found that helped me is put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel. When you have to turn, use that hand to make the initial turn. You will notice that if you want the trailer to go right, you are actually turning the wheel left.

Always use small corrections (no more than about a 1/4 turn) until you see the trailer react. It will take a few seconds for this to happen, that is the main reason you want to be going slow as you back so that in case you made a wrong correction, you are not traveling very far and have time to respond as the situation dictates.

Hope this helps.

Ernie

It does indeed help Ernie, thanks. I think what might be making it more difficult is the range is slightly down hill. They want us to let out the clutch, go on the idling speed and keep our foot off the brake. It seems to fast though, maybe because we're on the downhill grade. But I like your idea of putting my hand on the bottom of the wheel. I'll try that next time out. Thanks again.

1. Remember you need to turn the wheel before it gets to the point you want it to be at. It takes time fore the trailer to respond.

2. if people get in a hissie fit, consider showing them your four-figure-minus bird.

3. Dont wing it, plan it out ahead of time.

Thanks Mason, appreciate the encouragement. I see I gotta a looooooong way to go.

Started CDL school on May 14th, past the written, finished classroom, finished range labs (air checks, pre-trips, coupling / uncoupling) now went out on the range for the first time yesterday and introduced to backing up. PLEASE someone tell me this gets better. Granted, it was the first time in my life, but I had no idea how hard it was. I assume it gets easier, but any tips from you folks would surely be appreciated. I've been pre-hired by Schneider for a dedicated regional position right after graduation, but after yesterday, a little worried. I was on you tube for like an hour yesterday looking at backing up videos, they make it look so easy.

Thanks in advance.

It will get easier. Unless your a natural at backing it will take practice. Taking your time and not hitting anything is the main goal of backing.

You may see in the future people that can backup a truck over an idle speed and they are only showing off. Don't be like them. Slow is the key to backing. Just remember straight line backing you always turn the wheel towards the problem while looking in the mirrors and use both mirrors. If backing makes you fearful then you should get use to it. That is a good thing. Don't loose that fear of hitting something. Embrace the fear cause it will keep you safe and help you not hit anything.

Not sure where you are in school but if possible go the extra step and try and get more backing time. During lunch or maybe after the day is done if an instructor wants to give you the extra help. The more times you do it the easier it will get.

Guy, thanks for the encouragement and advice, I sincerely appreciate it. I've been following you on TruckingTruth since I started looking into this career, and your input has always been a great help. Thanks again.

Started CDL school on May 14th, past the written, finished classroom, finished range labs (air checks, pre-trips, coupling / uncoupling) now went out on the range for the first time yesterday and introduced to backing up. PLEASE someone tell me this gets better. Granted, it was the first time in my life, but I had no idea how hard it was. I assume it gets easier, but any tips from you folks would surely be appreciated. I've been pre-hired by Schneider for a dedicated regional position right after graduation, but after yesterday, a little worried. I was on you tube for like an hour yesterday looking at backing up videos, they make it look so easy.

Thanks in advance.

I have to say of all the research I started since January, TruckingTruth became my number one souce, and has blessed me with the most information in helping me make my decision to get a CDL. I would especially like to thank Brett, Guyjax, Oldschool, Bill W., and Red Gator. Although I may not write here often, I read here constantly and the folks I just mentioned have been the greatest help to me. Also, if any of you work for Schneider National and can get referral $$, let me know. They are my first choice. Thanks again to all of you.

I turn 58 tomorrow, I've been considering truck driving to take me to retirement ten years from now. I'm in very good health. Passed the DOT physical, (I took it just to be sure) and have driven at one time or another, all sizes of vehicles. I would like professional opinions from you drivers out there if it's crazy for me to get into trucking at my age. I prefer brutal honesty.

I'm 57 and start school this Wednesday. The people are this site helped me make the decision that started his past January. Good luck, stay in touch.

I think your best chance would be finding a food service delivery company that hires from the school you will be attending. I went to work for Sigma Network straight out of school and was promised $50k-$60k my first year. Well it's been 11 months now and I'm making what they promised and am home 2 days every week running the same routes every week. I will warn you, it's one of the most physical jobs I've ever had, I unload my trailer by hand with a hand truck each route I have about 40,000 pounds on board, so that's 80,000 pounds a week. I deliver fast food restaurants like Panda Express, Burger King, ect. I'm planning on going OTR soon as I have my year in even if I take a pay cut. Sigma is a good company good benefits and even 2 weeks vacation a year and I sleep in hotels when on route. But my heart wants to be on the road and I only went with Sygma for the money. We have several drivers in their 50's and 60's that have done this for years, your age won't be a problem. Good luck on whatever you decide.

Chris....Thanks very much, I appreciate your input. Be safe and good luck in your career as well.

Don't trust everything you hear. It's easier to sell by telling someone you'll make 44K then 30K.

Also, Brett, that link is no longer our best link to give to drivers when it comes to how much you'll make your first year.

First Year Income

That link above is the best information on the web when it comes to how much you'll make in that first year. It was written by me and in that link I actually provide the information for every single paycheck I earned in my first year and how much I made in that year. I worked for a large carrier starting pay .28cpm and I ended my year with .31cpm.

Thanks Daniel, appreciate your help.

Hey Tom.

Unfortunately trucking might help you squeeze by at best but there's almost no chance on Earth you'll make $50k your first year. If you made $40k your first year it would be the first time I've heard that in several years I believe. It's not that it can't happen, but it's pretty rare. You might get up to $50k in your second or third year, but even that might be stretching it. One driver gave a really detailed rundown of his salary in an article titled My 2010 Salary: Finishing Up My Second Year Behind The Wheel and I'll give it away here - $41k. And things haven't changed in the past couple of years. He even worked for a company that pays as well if not better than pretty much any company I know of that hires inexperienced drivers, Prime Inc, and he ran hard - staying out for a couple of months at a time.

The 7/7 fleet you mentioned with Roehl Transport would bag you maybe $22k-$25k because you're only working half the time.

And you mentioned not wanting to run OTR. The overwhelming majority of drivers run OTR their first year or so because very few local companies hire drivers out of school. Most require a year of OTR experience. There are a few out there, but they're very hard to come by. The only local jobs where you're going to make $50k or more are almost always going to require a tremendous amount of unloading on a daily basis and I don't know if you're going to want to do that. It's a back-breaker. You're probably looking at unloading anywhere from 90,000-150,000 pounds of freight a week on two wheel dollies or rollers.

And then of course there's the prospect that your wife is going to murder you 1000 times if you go OTR or wind up with any sort of trucking job that brings home $35k-$40k. And being murdered 1000 times is a tough career compromise to make.

If you had said you need $40k to get by and your wife can't wait to get you out of the house for a while I'd say welcome to trucking! But needing $50k or so right off the bat and not wanting to travel is almost certainly too tall of an order for the trucking industry to fill.

Thanks Brett, I sincerely appreciate your input. I went to their open house and then their seminar and the instructors at the Lehigh Career and Technical Institute in PA, told me I would have no problem making around $44-45K the first year. So I am thankful for your input. I know they are trying to sell their school and sign up students, so they'll probably tell you anything. This is why I keep coming back to this site, because I can get the truth. Frankly, I would love to go OTR, but the wife has other issues.

Once again I find myself writing to the members of what I believe is the best site I've found while doing research these past couple months on truck driving. After 30 years in business, and 15 straight with my last company, I found myself without a job at age 57. The company was laying off too old and expensive office personnel. Never thought my college education would mean so little at this stage of my life. Anyway, I never had the opportunity to go away to college, I always worked and commuted to school. During my freshman year I had a driving job that required me to drive early AM's, twice a day, 90 minutes each way up interstate 287 in NJ in the company's van. I loved it, and as I watched the tractor trailers drive by on 287, I thought that was what I really would rather be doing. I always hated school, and all through college averaged about a 2.5 GPA. At that time I had a buddy who was over the road, and today he has been driving over 40 years. I used to listen to him talk about how much he loved it, but I finished school, and went to work in an office.

Anyway, I discussed getting a CDL with my wife, and I promised her I would apply for office jobs, which I have been doing since my lay-off on January 9th, 2014. I told her if I don't find an office job by the end of April, I'm going to get my CDL, and I already have the school picked out and been there twice. To this point I have had 1, yes only 1 job interview (after sending out 60 resumes), and that was this past Friday. At my last job, I was earning $70K per year. I have been told that if I am lucky enough to find an office job, to expect a cut in salary between $20 and $30K. Well, apparently, everyone was right, because the company I interviewed with Friday was offering $42K. I can survive on $50K, but it's impossible on anything less. So here is my question. Assuming I do not find an office job between now and April 30th, and considering I live in the Allentown, PA area, have no felonies, and a perfect driving record, if I get my CDL by the end of June, is it conceivable / possible to make at least $50K my first year, and if so, would I have to go OTR or could I earn it driving regionally. My wife has no problem with me driving a truck, she understands, but would prefer I not go OTR. She doesn't mind if I'm gone 2, 3 days a week, but being gone weeks at a time is a no go. Roehl Transport is nearby, and I think if I had to do their 7/7 program, I could sell that to her.

I already started the PA WIA tuition assistance program, and should have that money available for CDL school by the beginning of May. The lady I am working with at the unemployment office believes she can help me find an office position that pays $50K or more, and she seems sincere. Frankly, after all the resumes I've sent, I'm not so sure she can help me. But if I have to take less than $50K per year to start somewhere new, I'd rather do it as a driver. I think I could eventually reach $50K per year sooner as a driver than in an office. Not only that, I think I could work longer as a driver than in an office. I even thought about becoming a driving instructor after I've driven for 10 years.

Sorry this is so long everyone, but I could really use some help here, especially from the rookies who are in their first year, or recently completed their first year. Thanks to all and safe driving.