Comments By David D.

There seems to be some issues with some of the questions on the High Road Training program. The question about what to do when you lose sight of your spotter has the wrong answer. I choose "stop and get out" which is correct, it even says it in the explanation but the program marked it as wrong and said that the "keep backing slowly" answer is correct. I thought that some of the questions in earlier marked me wrong for what I thought was the correct answer but this one is certainly wrong. Not complaining, just thought you would want to know. Your sight is awesome and I appreciate the interactive training program. On bus in route to Prime in Springfield. Is it safe to assume that if I can make it through the High Road Training, I should be well prepared for the CDL permit test at the DMV?

Good luck, Martin!

Hey Brett! Is there any way to add my own pic to my profile?

I have just realized that the companies I can consider driving for are going to be limited by what I am close to. I am in Iowa which is logistically close to everything but also distant from many things practically speaking. I will be taking my training in a local Community College PTDI certified certificate course. During the course, they tell us we will be visited by a number of trucking companies who, I assume, hire directly from the class. The list of cooperating companies include a lot of the big ones but, having heard from Ernie that JB Hunt only hires experienced drivers, I wonder how many of them I will have a chance at. So, if I give you guys the list of companies that will be at the class (perhaps they just contribute to funding the classes) maybe you can give me some feedback on them as well as letting me know what else I might be near to here in Eastern Iowa. Once again, thatnks for all the brain pickins. You folks are great. See how I included the ladies on that last one!?

The list is: CRST - based in Cedar Rapids Gainey Transport Svcs - ? HO Wolding - ? JB Hunt Marten Transport LTD Roehl - ? Schneider Smithway Motor Xpress/SMX - ? Swift Transportation TMC Dakota Transport = ? Transport America - the Werner Terminal, I think. Werner

The Question marks are the ones I have no clue about. What do y'all think?

I have just realized that the companies I can consider driving for are going to be limited by what I am close to. I am in Iowa which is logistically close to everything but also distant from many things practically speaking. I will be taking my training in a local Community College PTDI certified certificate course. During the course, they tell us we will be visited by a number of trucking companies who, I assume, hire directly from the class. The list of cooperating companies include a lot of the big ones but, having heard from Ernie that JB Hunt only hires experienced drivers, I wonder how many of them I will have a chance at. So, if I give you guys the list of companies that will be at the class (perhaps they just contribute to funding the classes) maybe you can give me some feedback on them as well as letting me know what else I might be near to here in Eastern Iowa. Once again, thatnks for all the brain pickins. You folks are great. See how I included the ladies on that last one!?

The list is: CRST - based in Cedar Rapids Gainey Transport Svcs - ? HO Wolding - ? JB Hunt Marten

I agree with all the numbers unless you go into Linehaul. You can make 50,000+ even starting out in Linehaul. In some cases considerably more.

Looking at the Linehaul website, it looks like they are specializing in a lot of coast-to-coast work. How hard do they run you? Home once a month? How many days? In a way, I feel like I would like to spend a lot of open-road time at first to really let me get comfortable behind the wheel with just a little backing and turning on each end. Have I got it figured right?

And one more FUN question. How long do you think it will be before the coast-to-coast runs are being done by robotrucks with live driver connections on each end?

Excellent feedback! That explains a lot. Thanks! Just one more curiosity....JB Hunt seems to advertise a salary range with each position they put up. They explain that different types of hauls make different rates, the most outrageous being 50-90,000 annually for intermodal. What do you make of that? Maybe they would never hire a newbie for that?

I drive for JB Hunt. They only hire experienced drivers, so depending on what account you are applying for/assigned to will determine what your pay scale will be. I currently drive on the Georgia Pacific (GP) account. We are paid .37/mile with miles incentive pay that they just recently started.

If you have questions about JBHunt, let me know. I will do my best to answer your questions.

Ernie

Hi Ernie! Thanks for the input! I'm a little puzzled by the fact that JB Hunt only hires experienced drivers. Then why would they introduce themselves to a class of brand new CDL Candidates? I guess it could be just for the visibility and maybe to pick and choose from among the best candidates.

I'm gonna have to get the greediness out of me. I see these numbers being tossed around and for a guy who has made 25K delivering pizza, its pretty heady stuff.

Welcome to TruckingTruth, where we hate four word answers.

You're absolutely not too old. Age discrimination does not exist in trucking like it did in the outside world. In fact, companies prefer the older drivers because they're generally more mature and responsible.

As long as you can pass a DOT Physical then you're good to go. As a matter of fact, you're just a young lad compared to some folk here. Old School is nearing triple digits and he's still going strong doing flatbed work. So definitely don't get the impression that you missed out. The average age in this industry is in the mid 40's.

Triple Digits, Daniel? Way to go, Old School! I bet you have some stories to tell.

Jesse, I am 60 and a step or two behind you in the process. I sure hope you aren't too old! I too have contemplated trucking all my life but never had the courage to do it. Finally, I am in a place called unemployment that demands I take it up finally. Let's stay in touch and compare notes!

Well, to be completely honest. Companies are desperate for drivers and this leads to them taking desperate measures just to get some bodies in those seats. When a truck is sitting there not being used, its still being paid for. So for every week it sits there that's nothing but money lost for the company. Companies are absolutely desperate for drivers and they exaggerate the salary.

You should expect to take home 30-35k your first rookie year. Definitely not anywhere above 40 that's for sure, unless you get super lucky and land a really nice job straight out of school.

Here is my thread about my first year income: Daniel B.'s First Year Income

But I really wouldn't believe what these recruiters tell you. They are hardcore salespeople. And definitely don't trust them when they tell you that you will make more by leasing a truck.

Daniel, you have all these posts of your book marked or something? shoot I was searching for that and couldnt find it. lol, gonna have to mark all your posts for future reference... lol

I LOVE THIS SITE!! Having you guys to calm my fears is an amazing blessing! David, when you say 35 cents per mile that reveals one exaggeration I've seen. I notice trucks on the road with recruiting signs claiming 42-48 cents. You said you could make more. What keeps you where you are?

That 48cpm claim is also misleading. You see, some companies pay extra for short runs, and for runs in the deep East coast.

So you'll make .48cpm for a 50 mile load in the deep east and that takes 4 hours to do because you'll be bombarded by constant traffic.

But for a long haul load you'll make much slower. It's called a sliding pay scale. So just because you'll make that much doesn't mean it'll actually make you a worthwhile profit.

As always, the company uses the highest number possible for their recruiting to lure drivers. But these numbers are usually unrealistic and and exaggerated.

Excellent feedback! That explains a lot. Thanks! Just one more curiosity....JB Hunt seems to advertise a salary range with each position they put up. They explain that different types of hauls make different rates, the most outrageous being 50-90,000 annually for intermodal. What do you make of that? Maybe they would never hire a newbie for that?

Well, to be completely honest. Companies are desperate for drivers and this leads to them taking desperate measures just to get some bodies in those seats. When a truck is sitting there not being used, its still being paid for. So for every week it sits there that's nothing but money lost for the company. Companies are absolutely desperate for drivers and they exaggerate the salary.

You should expect to take home 30-35k your first rookie year. Definitely not anywhere above 40 that's for sure, unless you get super lucky and land a really nice job straight out of school.

Here is my thread about my first year income: Daniel B.'s First Year Income

But I really wouldn't believe what these recruiters tell you. They are hardcore salespeople. And definitely don't trust them when they tell you that you will make more by leasing a truck.

Daniel, you have all these posts of your book marked or something? shoot I was searching for that and couldnt find it. lol, gonna have to mark all your posts for future reference... lol

I LOVE THIS SITE!! Having you guys to calm my fears is an amazing blessing! David, when you say 35 cents per mile that reveals one exaggeration I've seen. I notice trucks on the road with recruiting signs claiming 42-48 cents. You said you could make more. What keeps you where you are?

After scanning through all the tags for the forum, I didn't see one about the most important topic of all - the money! I have to tell you, I have been through a lot of "opportunities" in my life, most of them sales-related, where the mantra has always been, "I set my own schedule, I never miss a family event, and look how much money I make! Well, for me, that flexibility to "work when you want" always translated to "work any time you can" and somehow I and most of my fellow salespeople made way less than what I would call "a lot". There are always unexpected hitches and catch-22s that made earning a decent living pretty tough. I enjoyed the work but I never could seem to get ahead.

So this is my question: When a trucking line tells you, "Our drivers earn $50,000 to $80,000 per year!", what does that mean? Newer drivers make less, older drivers make more? The company stars make $80,000 but most others make $45,000? Does it mean you have to "tip" the dispatcher? Does it mean you have to know how to "work the system" and that usually means knowing how to cheat and lie? I've seen all of this in sales.

How skeptical of earnings claims should I be? How do I translate a mileage rate into yearly earnings? Are there ever hidden expenses? Like driving cab where a bad night can mean you pay the company to work because you have to turn in the car with a full gas tank. I've seen it all.

Please, will someone fill me in on the "dirty little secrets" that could make me wish I had thought twice (or 4 or 5 times) about trucking? THanks!