Comments By Flatie C.

Okay! So I am starting trucking school in a couple weeks. The school said I would be making 600-800 per week my first week on the job.

With that in mind, I sign up for the school. Get a date a few weeks from today to start. I'll be in school for 3 weeks at 12 hours per day, only able to work 2 days per week. So for those 3 weeks? I will be without an income, floating on a credit card. I was alright with this, Surely if I made even 500 per week, I would be able to recover my losses. All is good, right? Wrong...

The list of companies I was offered were shot down by a friend of mine who has been in the trucking job for years, He narrowed the list down from 5 to 2. It came down to Covenant and Stevens Transport. I ended up going with Stevens Transport.

After a bit of research, I learned that I will only be making about $350 (up to $450 if I help load and unload trucks) starting out for 6-8 weeks. Crunching a bit of math, I quickly realize I'll be making about $500 less than what I am making right now at my current job. In this situation, The job starts out worse but gets drastically better after those 6-8 weeks. I'd be driving reefers for starting out at 0.30 CPL.

The problem? During this 6-8 weeks I really won't be able to afford everything due me only making $350 per week. To put it in a different perspective, I will be working 70 hours a week as a trucker on a salary of $350 per week for 6-8 weeks while driving with a trainer. Right now, I am making $450 per week only working 40 hours a week.

In this situation.. What would you guys do? Thank you all for you time and input.

It all depends with the company but sometimes you need to start lower. You can't just earn money right on the spot. If you need to earn that to start making the big money then be it. As soon as you get experience that will change :-)

Here is how it went Low viability, icy roads, night, heavy snowfall on I-80 in WY, I pull into a parking area behind a truck but my trailer is sticking out. When I went to fix myself I had no traction and decided to play with the wheel and ended up offroad in a "ditch" (my drivers went a bit off road into a slight incline/grass I couldn't see because of snow). Well I tried to fix myself and couldn't so panicked and sent a qualcomm message "Slide off road into ditch", not really thinking this would come back to haunt me. Well now company reports on DAC That I ran off road parking @ a rest area. Well this is technically true it kinda makes the situation seem worse than it was. Is there anything I can do?

How much damage? Did they tow the truck? Company normally charge you for tow bill if you get stuck. Last year my front tire missed the ramp in a shippers scale. No other damage except the botton part some wirings, my colant starts leaking..I'm not sure if they report it but I guess they did. As preventable. I took pictures of everything to defend myself for future employment.

Anothet thing, I got stuck in the mud. It was my fault. I shoulda park in a soft area haha..Actually It wasn't really soft when I park to get some meal in a resto not til it rained. Boom! got stuck , they have to tow my truck/trailer to pull off the mud. I paid for it $635!! Hahaha So lesson learned!

My company din't fire me after what happened. I'm still employed. I don't have plan about leaving. No ticket or whatever.

My advice is just relax. Think positive, as long as you are a good employee I don't think ur employer will turn you down just because of what happened. Unless you have a fatality 😊

My company doesn't pay tolls in Texas either. I've been told that particular toll can run you $65-75. Sometimes might be worth it...about the only times I've found I35 not bumper to bumper is a couple hours in early afternoon or after about 8:30-9:00 at night.

NYC is probably #1 on my list and everyone has hit the other major cities. ChickieMonster, if you take the 130 toll road in Georgetown, you'll avoid all the Austin area traffic. It ends about 20 miles east of San Antonio on 10.

I would LOVE to be able to take the toll road around Austin but unfortunately company policy says we can't unless under an extremely tight load.

Wow that suckzzz! My company does pay all the tolls even if I deadhead I still use toll. Made it easy for us!

My top 5

1. New York City

2. Washington DC

3. Atlanta/Dallas

4. Los Angeles

5. Chicago

Nothing can beat those list! Haha But I'm so used with Newyork and DC traffic. I don't mind going there. I HATE ATLANTA not because of the traffic but the never ending construction in 70!!! 🙄

Wow I think I am going to have to meet up with you flatie so I can have some of that chicken!! Especially as it looks like i am going to be going to U.S. Express! On April 5th. So can't wait.

Haha wish can share it with you guys! I always cook more than one serving. If you want fresh , you can always find a way!

Lunch for today MENUDO Combo with Steam rice nd banana

Prep Time: 15 mins

Recipe: Rice Lemon Flour Pork Tomato Sauce Sugar Pepper Salt Red Potato Carrots

Serving : For atleast 4 Person Worth if you buy it outside $11/serving

My Cost less than $5

Happy lunch truckers!! 😊 Hot and Fresh

Chicken legs with rice and house salad!

Most people would call the bottom of the chickens leg's the FEET!

Hahaha I'm so used calling it legs lmao! 😂😂 maybe because its long? Hahahaha

My dinner a while ago! Chicken legs with rice and house salad!

Yes, I cook in my truck whatever I feel like eating! haha

Fridge is packed!!

Hi TTErs! It's been 2 weeks since I got back from my vacation and had a blast! I have a question for those living in California. Do we need to retake everything if ever I will move there? I got engaged last month to my long time partner and thinking about relocating to maybe L.A or Dallas,TX..but I'm kind of confused!! I really like OTR but I don't think I still wana be on the road for a while when I get married haha! Maybe one more year then I might go local..

So I'm planing on relocating anytime soon but can't decide!! I'm more concern pretty much with the job opportunity. Is better to move in california or texas?? Advice?

Anyway here's a photo of me at Batu cave Kuala Lumpur Malaysia! Just thought wana share! Keep rocking truckers!! Be safe out there!

It's scary. Idk if I wana trust a new driver with my life haha! But I really like to help :-)