Profile For Richard L.

Hey all,

Can any new drivers give me an idea of their monthly expenses while out on the road? I'm looking to drive to try and bank money to pay off some crushing student loan debt, at least initially, and am wondering what I can honestly expect to be taking home after taxes and whatever it is I end up spending on the road.

If you're kind enough to answer, please assume that I have no other bills. I do, obviously, but I'm looking more for what you spend on food and any incidentals that come up that a new guy wouldn't think about.

Thanks

Thanks for all of the insightful replies, everyone.

Due to the need to cut some expenses and just make money to pay off some looming debt, I'll probably end up just sucking it up and running as hard as I can anyway. I appreciate knowing how it actually works out there though.

Hey all,

When everyone is talking about making 35-40k first year as a driver and then more after that, what sort of hours does that entail? The 70 hour workweeks I can deal with, as well as being away from home always, but if most companies are going to expect me to basically never take the reset by starting work again at midnight on the 8th day (or however it works), I think that might be the proverbial last straw for me in terms of whether or not to start this career.

Thanks

Thank you for the link but I've found that due to the apparently rapidly changing nature of the business that those summary pages are often slightly incorrect or just lacking some details. They are a great resource, but don't quite answer my questions.

Hey G-Town,

While I've tried to do a lot of research please consider me as knowing nothing. I didn't mean to offend.

I based that comment solely on how I've read that the mega carriers are generally utilized as stepping stones to other companies. I'm not sure if that's true, or if it is, if it should be true.

Honestly if Swift had a pet policy they would be my number one choice right now despite all of the negative reviews on other forums and websites like Glassdoor. I know to take those reviews with a grain of salt, but they seemed so pervasive that I there must be some truth. I also thought that people generally whine about everything and anything and therefore would be willing to give them a go anyway were it not for the pet policy.

Another reason I've considered trying them out is due to exceptional good reviews of SWIFT by a guy on Youtube called TheRightBrotha. I trust that he's being honest in every video and he has no SWIFT complaints.

Also, an update on my original question:

After further searching, I've found that Melton, May, and TransAm apparently allow riders and pets from day one of solo driving, and Melton may even allow them during orientation. Melton is also flatbed, which I'm interested in. Therefore I need to find a way to get my CDL and then see if they're interested in me, unless anyone has any other recommendations or insight.

I hate to drag up this old thread but I thought a reply might elicit a response from some of you knowledgeable Melton people.

Melton is my top non-LTL company right now but I have one question:

Assuming I have a brand new CDL, how long will it be until I can bring my wife and dog along?

Thanks, Richard L.

Hello everyone,

I've been lurking for quite a while and trying to learn all I can before looking in to which company to train with and work for. I had my first conversation today with a recruiter and thought I might share the basics of the call in case anyone else is curious. I also have a subjective questions that I hope someone doesn't mind helping me with. I apologize if they've been thoroughly responded to before.

I'll start with the recruiter call. I spoke with Carnation at Roehl, who was a very pleasant former owner operator. She provided factual information and didn't seem prone to the hyperbole that I hear other trucking companies employ.

I don't have A CDL so we discussed training. The class is paid as is lodging, although she did not give a rate. Transportation to the class is not paid, but they will reimburse mileage. After obtaining your CDL you spend 11-14 days with a trainer before going solo. The commitment you make to Roehl is for 120,000 miles in order for your training to be totally free. It's not reimbursed in and way, it's just free if you drive that many miles.

At every step of the way she asked probing questions to see what I might be interested in a career like this, and when I said I was interested in flatbed driving she was curious as to why as well. I also had to explain the past three years of my employment including any gaps.

The training for flatbed and, I guess, in relation to my home location of central NY, is in Gary, IN.

The pay once you are solo is surprisingly high, at least based on my research. You start at .39 cpm and receive incidental pay for lots of things. I guess the average weekly paycheck for a new flatbed driver is $925.

They have a pet policy which you can find on their website which seems quite good, but the reason I won't be going with Roehl is due to the rider policy. They do have one, and it is very fair, but it isn't the 90 days advertised on the website. It takes six months of solo driving to be allowed a rider. Again, I absolutely understand their reasoning, but I'm looking for the shortest amount of time away from wife I can find.

My questions I have are as follows:

Does anyone have any idea what company has the shortest time period from being hired to being allowed a rider, and preferably a small dog? I've heard there is no required solo time for Swift but I also know they do not allow pets.

Would any of you have any companies to recommend that might take an inexperienced driver with a CDL from the Swift school? I've read it's possible to immediately move on to a better company by leaving after training and having the new company reimburse Swift.

Thank you for any input,

Regards, Richard L.