Truck Driving For The Ex-IT Pro

Welcome aboard Geno!

It's nice to have you out of the shadows, and I hope you'll continue participating in some of our discussions. Haha! - some of the inefficiencies in trucking will drive you batty - but the great thing about this job is that you can set yourself apart from the others by developing your own efficient ways of dealing with all the issues that trip most people up.

Totally agree. It's those inherent inefficiencies that many times create opportunities for the good driver who is hustling and paying attention. I thrive off being in the right place at the right time, and not by accident. It's because of proactively communication, knowing the habits of the stores and vendors within my DC territory, always keeping my ear to the ground, and speaking up when it matters the most.

I know it may sound trite, but many times we control our own destiny and during challenging, chaotic times can rise above the lazy and lethargic.

You can disagree all you want... If you are in the IT business, you do not need the resources of this website to determine current salaries. If you are serious about trucking, and you are good, in three years you will be close to, or even with the salaries Yawn quoted.

Now the three-year mark salary piques my interest. Are you talking about net or gross? I figure you are talking about owner-operator, but I am no professor in this area, I guaran-damn-tee ;)

You can disagree all you want... If you are in the IT business, you do not need the resources of this website to determine current salaries. If you are serious about trucking, and you are good, in three years you will be close to, or even with the salaries Yawn quoted.

Now the three-year mark salary piques my interest. Are you talking about net or gross? I figure you are talking about owner-operator, but I am no professor in this area, I guaran-damn-tee ;)

Not o/o or l/o, solo company driver and gross, not net.

There are many of us on here at or close to that level. It's possible,...all up to you, but it takes time to get there, 3 maybe 4 years. This is a performance based business, the high performing drivers are making that level of income, 60-70k per year.

RocketMan little over 2 years ago I to was doing IT work desktop support and network administration being burnt out with the same mundane duties day in and day out, I changed jobs within the same company. I worked that job for 2 years all the while considering a career as an otr driver.

Well long story short 2 months ago I finally made the jump I went thru a company sponsored training program to get my CDL A. I am now in orientation and by the end of the week I will hopefully be on my mentors truck.

RocketMan little over 2 years ago I to was doing IT work desktop support and network administration being burnt out with the same mundane duties day in and day out, I changed jobs within the same company. I worked that job for 2 years all the while considering a career as an otr driver.

Well long story short 2 months ago I finally made the jump I went thru a company sponsored training program to get my CDL A. I am now in orientation and by the end of the week I will hopefully be on my mentors truck.

I'm in IT since 1981 - been on my own since '84.

HATE IT - burnt to a CRISP.

Also have a high overhead, and lots of material possessions (most of which I really don't need).

I've had my CDL-A for going on 7 years now - never used it full-time (I've done some "fill in" work for a friend).

Going OTR for me - would mean pretty much, giving up EVERYTHING I OWN. Doesn't pay to have to $1,500 a month nut, to keep a home you're only going to see 2-3 days a month (if at that).

Single, kids are grown, and miserable.

And totally jealous of the guys that just make that leap - because I haven't had the sack to do so myself.

Waiting to finish healing from a recent surgery. Praying I grow a pair soon, the misery of doing what I'm doing, coupled with the prospect of continuing to do it for the next 10 years, really has me at my wits end...

Rick

Like you, rocket man, I am carefully considering the pay aspect.

I've been working in the oilfield since 2005. While working on a frac crew, I've seen 90 to 100+ hour weeks, lifting heavy iron, swinging a sledge hammer, all in the 100 degree heat. The best money I made doing that (3.5 years) was about $86k.

Left there to drive water tankers, production water and put water. Started those jobs around $16/hrs, but was getting around 70 hours a week.

Left there to drive a fuel truck on frac jobs, fueling the equipment between stages. Again around $16/hrs.

Finally ended up with the job I'm at now, since 2010. I've worked on locations for a week at a time, and now I am driving a pump truck for well injections. Best money I made here is $72k, which was last year. Since then, the oilfield has taken a downturn, and in order to help the company keep their profit margins up, most of the drivers had to take a $7000/year pay cut. So, while I could work more hours, the potential is there to make upwards of $70k. I'm in a pension program , have 401k, insurance. I'm real close to giving all of it up to go on the road.

The truth is, I'll lose more pay, won't have a pension, won't be able to contribute as much to my 401k, and the insurance will probably be more expensive than what I am paying now. I expect I'll make near $50k starting out. I'm not sure , but that is what I am figuring.

Sounds bleak, right? Well, there are some up sides. I won't have to be working out in the heat, sweating my butt off, I won't have to deal with that brown nosing Co worker who is likely going to end up with a promotion over me, even though I trained the guy to do the job he will be getting the promotion in, even though I do a real good job for the company, but this guy's is in good with one of the big bosses.

I know truck driving is going to be tough, but I'm sure there is good with the bad. Long hours on the road, traffic, unruly people sometimes, but, you'll be able to see some amazing things, and you'll be able to be the master of your own destiny. You can control your own future, and set yourself apart from other drivers by doing your best.

Also, truck driving isn't a life sentence. At any time, if you feel you don't like it, you can do something else.

There is, however, money to be made in truck driving. This is one reason I am leaning toward it. At my job, it is very unlikely that I'll make over $75k per year, unless I get some real good promotions, but with our company's policy of needing a college degree for promotions, I'd probably not get very far up the ladder, unless by getting a middle management job, gave me the time to attend night classes.

Anyway, my current boss said he had a job paying over 100k per year driving a tanker hauling that stuff that makes natural gas smell bad. I have another friend who drives an LTL truck making .62cpm and $26 per hour, getting 2500 miles per week on a team drive, home every night.

Wal mart is advertising that their drivers start at about $82k per year.

The only thing about all of these jobs is that they generally require that you have a year or two of OTR experience.

So, while it may take a sacrifice at the beginning, it appears that, It can pay off in the end, just have to get that experience.

I'm fortunate in that I have no family, I can offset the pay cut by getting out of my apartment. That is going to be about $1300/month in rent and utilities I won't be having to pay.

Anyway, all of this is to say that I also am concerned about the pay, but I'm trying to keep my mind on the future, and knowing that in just a couple of years, it may be possible to move up to a better driving job.

Hopefully someone will correct me if anything I said is incorrect, or wishful thinking, don't want to steer anyone wrong.

Not saying 80k plus is going to be common, but as some have eluded, 60k to 70k, with hard work and diligence, is not too much of a stretch.

Sambo, I agree with this statement, but it will be completely on your shoulders to make it happen...

some have eluded, 60k to 70k, with hard work and diligence, is not too much of a stretch.

It will also take a few years to get to that point. Several times I've seen you throw out that fifty thousand dollars for the first year statement, and I just want to warn you that while possible, there are very few new drivers who break into that level of income during their first year. I did it, and I've known a few that did the same, but let me tell you it took some real hustling to do it. You already know all about hard work, but you don't yet know about all the hindrances that come with this territory. My hat's off to ya, I think you've got what it takes, but just don't get your bubble burst if it doesn't start off the way you think it should. That is the reason so many newbies quit during that first year, their expectations were sorely out of line with the reality of what it takes to make it in this field.

There are a lot of truck drivers who have settled in at making 40 - 50 thousand and they've been doing this for years. It is only the guys who constantly stay on top of things and make things happen out here on a daily basis who earn the top dollars. Of course if you are in the right areas you may be able to land a lucrative line-haul job.

Appreciate the honesty. I'm sure I'm reaching when i say 50k. I'm just going off of what knight is telling me. They say that drivers start out on an average of $1100-$1200 a week. Is this just recruiter mumbo jumbo?

My thoughts are, since I have nothing tying me to home, I don't plan on taking any home time, and since I'll have nothing else to do, no reason not to work as much as possible. I'm sure I may take a day here and there if I want to see or do something when I come across it, but the idea is to keep moving.

Having said that, you say that you have to hustle to make the top pay. Is there a trick to that? Is it about being creative with your HOS , or finding the right loads? Or is it simply about taking every load they give you whenever it comes up, and just not any procrastinating, just turn and burn all the time?

If any of you top hands wouldn't mind sharing your tricks, I'm sure us newbies would appreciate it 😊

And thanks again, I'd rather have brutal honesty, than having a false idea of what to expect, then be bashed with reality later.

My goal is this, make enough money to pay my truck payment and eat, and laundry. The rest will go into 401k and savings. The hope is that I either a) make enough that 5 or 10 years down the road, I have enough saved to make a down payment on a house, and can find a local route job, or b) I get 2 or 3 years experience and I can get a good paying local job or something with Wal mart, and again look at buying a house, while staying OTR til I get over 10 years experience, and then find a local job.

Do these goals sound unreasonable? Do most truck drivers retire well, or is there a lot of poverty for drivers upon retirement?

Oh, and sorry rocket man /thread hijack lol

Appreciate the honesty. I'm sure I'm reaching when i say 50k. I'm just going off of what knight is telling me. They say that drivers start out on an average of $1100-$1200 a week. Is this just recruiter mumbo jumbo?

Okay, recruiters are really just saying what they've been told, plus they are trying like crazy to get you signed up - I mean who can blame them? That is how they get paid, and we all want to maximize our pay don't we. Can we really call it dishonesty if that is what their superior told them new drivers are making? Is it really dishonest when the potential is there to make that much money?

you say that you have to hustle to make the top pay. Is there a trick to that? Is it about being creative with your HOS , or finding the right loads? Or is it simply about taking every load they give you whenever it comes up, and just not any procrastinating, just turn and burn all the time?

Sambo, you ask some really thought provoking questions, and they are not easily answered with a yes or no answer. I'm just going to share with you some of my recent experiences from the past week, and hopefully you can see what goes into success out here. I want you to realize that the kind of things I'm about to share with you happen to me every week - all the time. I'm sharing these because they are fresh on my mind, but the answer to your question about hustling and making things happen is an acquired skill that is developed by savvy drivers who are always vigilant to keep themselves at the top of the food chain. Believe it or not this job is a very competitive environment. Sadly many drivers never grasp that concept and they are leaving a lot of money on the table because of that.

This week I ran a load from Louisiana up into Connecticut. I rearranged the order of the stops on the load because I could get it done quicker that way - that was all on my own initiative. Some drivers are scared to do things like this, afraid it is going to back fire on them - I'll take those risks and it almost always comes out on top for me. I actually had the personal cell phone numbers of the fork-lift drivers in my phone at three of the places I was going to. How many drivers do you think have that kind of info with them? I take steps like this because it keeps me ahead of the game. One of them agreed to meet me at 4 a.m. - that early start put me four hours ahead of schedule. Now let's fast forward to when I got empty on that load. It was about 9 a.m. My dispatcher didn't expect me to be empty until around 1:30. Once he got my email he called me with this conversation: "How did you get emptied so fast? Now you've put me in a predicament - we only have one load up their in the Northeast and there are two drivers up there that I need to get back. I already dispatched it to the other driver because by every indication he would be finished first. Now you are about an hour and a half ahead of him." This is where people don't understand the competitive nature of the job. I didn't even know what I was up against, but I know from all my past experiences that if I can push things ahead I will come out on top. My dispatcher took the load off of the other driver and put it on me because I got done first. Guess what? The other driver had to wait on a load - I got to keep my wheels turning. That load that I just picked up by hustling had 1,850 miles on it - the one I just finished in Connecticut had 1,480 on it. You can do the math - those are the kind of miles the slackers only dream about - for me they are common place. I'm not bragging, I'm hoping to illustrate the answers to your very good questions. Seeing how it works out here is far better than me telling you that the good drivers make 1,200 a week - that only leaves you wondering how does one become one of those good drivers.

The thing about this stuff is that you build a relationship of trust with your dispatcher, and he knows which drivers he can count on. Trust me on this, they have their favorites, and those favorites are the ones who are constantly surprising them with the outcomes they get. I promise you that you could ask 100 drivers if they have cell phone numbers of the fork lift operators at places they deliver too and you'd be lucky to find even one who had that kind of information. Who thinks like that? Only the top performers who realize how to get things done out here. Now, I just don't go around asking for these numbers - they'd look at me like I was nuts. I build a relationship with them first by always serving them extremely well, just like I do my dispatcher. Half the time a situation will arise where they end up needing me to show up early and they offer me their number so I can call them when I'm getting close - this happens without me ever asking. Brother, when that happens I am not losing that number!

Continued...