Comments By AfireTrucking

Double posted and misread your 2200 pay as miles. My apologies. The link to Daniel's thread is still good. *goes to get some wake up tea*

Thanks for the link yeah. $2200 net a month to break even. So that's only $550 a week. I thimk its achievable. I have til the end of the week she told me. She said florida is not always a hire area.

If they fill the positions I could be SOL

Then again, if you're routinely at 3k weekly with .43 cpm, then that's around 67k a year gross. After an average tax deduction of around 25%, you'd be netting about 50k.

AGain, not trying to argue for the sake of arguing, just want to make sure any readers are getting accurate info. Not that I think you'd intentionally mislead anybody. i'm just trying to understand how you're coming up with your figures.

I'm making .45cpm not .43cpm and I don't have benefits through Prime so that saves me a few pretty pennies every week.

.45cpm x 3000 = 1350 + ~150$ fuel bonus = 1500 after taxes that's usually about 1250 to take home based on my previous paychecks. No mention of per diem here. There's also my referral weekly bonuses (20-40$ per), and multiple stop pay. When solo 3k miles is usually the minimum I run when on the road. Remember that about .8-.10cpm for a LW truck is per diem so that's not taxed. Full size trucks get per diem just not as much.

Like we always say, there's money to be made it just takes a few years to get there. You'll never get rich but you'll be able to provide for the family.

The sad part is that I'm still broke! Living in CA is just awful!

I'll go over my previous check with you.

I drove 2453 miles X .40cpm = 981.

981 + 122 fuel bonus = 1103

1103+ 300$ Weekly Instructor Pay = 1403

1403 + 196 per diem = 1600 Gross

1600 - 240$ Taxes = 1360

1360 - a 40$ advance I took= 1320

1320 - $122 for 401K == $1,200 take home.

That's pretty much copy pasted from my previous week. And 2453 isn't a lot of miles.

Well the recruiter called me today. She told me the reports came back good and she Can get me into an orientation July 28th.. when I interviewed with Melton it took almost an hour ive talked to this lady 3 times for a cumulative of 5 minutes. When I told her I jeeded to go later so I could get my finances in line and prepare for no pay for 4 weeks she said "well Zachary I need you to understand this is NOT an open ended invitation and if you don't let me know by thr end of the week I will have to remove your application"

Making 2200 take home per month is possible if I stay out 4-6 weeks at a time correct?

if I can make more money ( money isnt the DRIVING force its just I cant so it if I wont make Enough) I'm goimg to tell her to sign me up. I'm giving up an opportunity with a milti million dollar 200 unit franchise restaurant to do this. A store manager only makes at most 1k a week and bonus. And I'm only an assistant. Trucking is something I've got a hankering for. Is my goal of at least 2200 take home reasonable? I am willing to put in effort and time. I just want to be sure the income will be enough.

And is this recruiter just trying to rush me or is it that cut throat to get a seat in orientation?

I'm an instructor at Prime, so if you have any specific questions please come to us first. We are a lot more knowledgable and honest than a recruiter is.

Having said that, you said you wanted to be out 5-6 weeks at a time. Well, I simply don't think you can manage that considering your personal life. Your wife will want to see you more often, and you'll want to go home to see your kids. Having said that, I would recommend that you go home every 3 weeks. Staying out for 5-6 weeks is better for the wallet but it'll be at yor family's expense. I was the same way, I wanted to stay out for many many weeks at a time. But it's much easier said than done especially when your wife tells you that she misses you in a sad voice.

So I would take it easy and just go home every 3-4 weeks.

About the money, I am an experienced driver and make between 50-55 net yearly at .45cpm. I also go home every 3 weeks unless I have a student. Having said that, if you go home every 4 weeks, have a good DM and you run hard then I'll predict you to take home around 45K.

Prime's LW fleet pays very well at .43cpm and taking home 1k in a week is not uncommon. However, there is a huge downside.

The training is extremely long and when you leave for training you probably won't be home for 6-8 weeks depending on how long the PSD phase takes you. That first time out is extremely difficult without a doubt.

Also, you'll be put in a LW truck which is a smaller truck with much less space than a regular truck. For more information about the LW trucks check out my thread below:

Prime's LW Trucks

But please don't let money be your driving force. This is a lifestyle, not a job. The folks who come into trucking for money are usually the ones who get eaten alive by it.

Okay, I understand about staying out longer, maybe 4-5 weeks at a time would be more attainable. Eventually after 1-2 years I want to go local or regional, I know Prime is very limited on regional jobs.

So do you feel for a new driver getting 2,500-3,000 miles is possible as the recruiters say? Yeah I know the training is long. But that's the price we pay for a solid training I guess.

I know it's a lifestyle, I can completely understand and appreciate that. Money isn't my driving factor. When I think about trucking I have an unexplainable excitement within my gut. I've always been interested ever since my brother in law came down with his big truck. I know it's not a glamorous job. I know it's tough. I am ready for the challenge. My wife and I argue a lot as it is, We both think the space and time will do us good it may have the opposite effect but We will have to work through it.

A conservative number for a rookie driver's first year would be 30-40 gross, not net.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'net,' based on your example and comparison to your current income.

If you're currently taking home, or netting, $673 per week, you would not match that with your example. You'd only be GROSSING $677.25 a week using your miles / cpm formula. 225 miles * .43 cpm = $96.75 per day. Multiplied by 7 days a week gives you your $677.25 - gross, not net. Rough estimate for netting would be to take away about 25% for taxes, and assume about $100 weekly for family benefits, which would give you around 400-425 net weekly income.

Now.... this is all assuming you're working an average of 225 miles per day, 7 days a week. Either way, you're assuming at least 1,500 miles a week, which is very modest. Average experienced drivers can expect anywhere from 2000-3000 weekly. Not sure what a rookie should expect, but I'd assume you could at least do 1,500 miles a week, on average.

But you're confusing me with how you're using 'net' and 'gross.' Net is always take home - after all deductions like taxes and healthcare. To match your current net of $673 weekly, at .43 cpm, you'd have to average at least 2500 miles a week.

Yes, That was my bad. My Gross take home weekly is 673 per week. I net $570 per week, That's after dental and other benefits. I pay health insurance separate so my NET take home is $2,280 before health $2,203 per month. After deductions and health insurance.

Really my wife is ready for it she knows what it entails for sure. My friend works for Swift and he told her about it and now she's having a new tone. My uncle did driving, my dad did it, and My Brother is the CDL instructor at the North Arkansas College. The only thing holding me back is I can't afford to miss out on income. So if I go by what they say it'll be 1075 gross per week at 2500 miles per week. But, I know just starting out that is not going to be easy.

Welcome back Zach, and congrats on your young family!

I see you're in FL, and I know opportunities there can be tricky. Have you considered local driving jobs, or do you have your mind set on OTR? Perhaps you don't have local jobs available, without experience? Or maybe you want to go OTR.

I'm sure you've been cautioned on going OTR with a young family. And you might understand how tough it can be, but it's a lot different once you're in the middle of it. I'm not trying to discourage you. Not saying you can't go OTR with a family, but it will tax the families with the best of ties. Just make sure that everybody in your family knows what going OTR will mean.

Going with Prime, and residing in FL, you might have to wait a few weeks before you can get home. There's a fella by the name of Terry on this forum who resides in FL and is with Prime. He could shed some light on living in FL and working for Prime.

The miles will be there, and the money will follow, but your first year will be about learning and gaining experience. Your paychecks will fluctuate. You will not make as much in the beginning. THe $700 figure you'd like to make a week, are you talking net, i.e. after all taxes and deductions like health care? Keep in mind that being on a budget while on the road will have every bit to do with keeping that money you'll earn. Grocery bills can skyrocket on the road if you're not budget conscious.

I hope my response didn't come across as condescending. As a fellow family man, I want to see you succeed and support your family. I'm just bringing up some points that I think you should consider, if you haven't already.

I am making a net income of 35,000 or 673 per week now. I know miles will fluctuate but in the end I feel the +/- would be more than I am making now. They said first year drivers are making 40-50,000. I know everything they tell me might not be fully true. Its hard to get a local job with no experience. US foods, Dominos they all require experience. She told me they need refrigeration drivers in my area. With doing basic math I would need about 225 miles per day to break even. If I have the drive ( no pun intended) and ambition hitting the numbers I want shouldn't be too hard correct? Even 2000 miles 500 less than their prediction would put me about 200 bucks a week up. Anything more than that would be gravy.

Thanks for the info and advice.

Well the second baby is here and about 3 months old. I am working at Ihop as an assistant manager. My wife has finally given me the okay to get into trucking. I'm almost certain I'm going to go with Prime. They are hiring for the refrigeration fleet in my area. Starting pay is .43cpm. I have experience with temperature control from restaurant business.

How is prime? I have read good things. I haven't seen anything bad lately all the negativety posts were in 2007 and before.

They are telling me 2,500-3,200 miles per week. $900-$1,500/wk. I would only need 1500 miles per week to break even on income. Or 250 miles a day from what I read 400 miles a day is a good number to plan on. While a 8,900 mile day is possible 400 is a better number. I plan to go out for 5-6 weeks at a time.

My biggest concern is, income will I make more than $700 per week? More than 35,000 per year? I am willing to drive I am willing to work hard to get miles. The recruiter told me they have more accounts than they do trucks and trailers for the refrigerated fleet. So I am assuming they are not short on miles by no means. Like I said 1500 miles a week would sustain my current lifestyle. Here's to hoping for 2500+ a week!

Hey guys! I am back again. I was planning on going otr and then settling with a local company (preferably Dominos pizza though its 100%+ touch its 60k a year for 2-3 nights a week to start needless to say they like many other local jobs, want experience.)

So I am here asking you all what local jobs are there that hire a 21 year old newbie for local. My wife is pregnant again and she doesn't want me to go over the road. This will make kid #2 when the new one is born well have a newborn and one at 17months. I still want to go over the road for six months to a year and then get local but she doesn't want me to. Any advice, suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks TT Universe. You guys have all been so much help for me.

They told me that when I went out for my run. That I would know where I'd be for the whole time. So I would know okay, I have to go to Arkansas then Texas then here then here. OR Is it more like go to point A, take load to point B. Wait around to find out what my next point A is.

And once I get my credit up if this is a career I love I would defiantly buy a truck. My uncle had his own truck. Do you get more per mile? But after maintenance and all does it come out to be more money?

Okay, I don't even have my CDL yet. But I have some questions. Probably jumping the gun a little bit but it's something I'm wondering. Most of these are 5 questions in one. I look forward to hearing from you all! Thanks ! (:

1.) What electronics should I take? Would a laptop be any use to me out there? Do most truck stops have wifi? And if they do will it reach to the truck? Should I just invest in a tablet?

2.) I know it will vary drastically truck to truck company to company. But If I want my own music do the radios have the option to connect to phones or iPods? Would I need to make some CDs?

3.) If I'm passing through near family am I aloud to stop? Considering my service times will be met?

4.) I was told by one company I would know my whole route off the bat. Is that true will I know my route in its entirety? When I head out on day 1 will I know what I'll be doing on day 15?

5.) What else should I look into bringing for down time? I know they'll teach me what to do for my up time. But when I have time to me what do I need to have with me?

6.) Is it worth leasing with any company out there? If it's leased who's responsible for repairs and maintenance?

7.) If I'm just a company driver who's responsible for maintenance? (Oil changes tires etc.)

8.)When is it worth it to lease? If ever.

If I get out there and love this career is it Worth it to own my own truck?

Great! I plan to get them all right off the bat! The endorsements are $8 each. And the hazmat is an additional $91 for the back ground checks and all. But that's understandable. I'll let you all know how it goes! I can get my permit now. Hmmm. Maybe I'll get it and find an unsuspecting soul to take me for some rides! Lol.