First Year Rookie Pay OTR

Hello everyone,

I got my CDL through Swift and I am about to remove myself from the corporate world. I have a high paying job right now and have plenty of savings to supplement the pay change. I was just wondering if there was a industry ball park like 30-50 thousand a year or sum thing like that. I signed up for OTR Dry Van. I know part of it is how much you run and how you manage your clock. But with me being a “4 week expert super trucker” I’m almost 100% certain that I won’t be out there maximizing my clock and getting everything right for some time. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

You nailed it with the 30k-50k gross. Somewhere in that range for your first year. Second year figure should be 50k-60k after that 60k+. As an example my second full calendar year I am on pace to gross 70k. I started trucking in Sep ‘16.

You nailed it with the 30k-50k gross. Somewhere in that range for your first year. Second year figure should be 50k-60k after that 60k+. As an example my second full calendar year I am on pace to gross 70k. I started trucking in Sep ‘16.

Good to know. I can’t wait to get behind that wheel.

FliteRisk, I think everybody struggles somewhat during that first year. The way you manage your loads and your schedule has an inseparable relationship with your gross pay. This is one of many reasons you'll find people complaining online about so called "starter companies" not paying well. In trucking we measure out our own pay. We get paid for how productive we are. Greenhorns have issues being super productive, that's to be expected.

Look at your rookie year as a learning experience. Focus on getting the most accomplished as you can. We're here to help you when you're struggling with how to make it happen. Don't even concern yourself with how much your CPM rate is. I made right at $50,000 my first year with a starting pay of a whopping 27 cents per mile. I knew I was getting low-balled because I came in with no intrinsic value to the company. That's how each of us gets started. I set out to prove to both them and myself that I could be a top producer.

Today I'm making top pay and still operating at the highest levels of productivity. According to my manager, I continue to gross twice as much as some of the other drivers in the dedicated fleet I'm in. You don't have to settle for less in this business. If you can produce it, they are happy to pay it. There's a symbiotic relationship between the drivers and the folks who are planning and dispatching loads. Producers are rewarded.

FliteRisk, I think everybody struggles somewhat during that first year. The way you manage your loads and your schedule has an inseparable relationship with your gross pay. This is one of many reasons you'll find people complaining online about so called "starter companies" not paying well. In trucking we measure out our own pay. We get paid for how productive we are. Greenhorns have issues being super productive, that's to be expected.

Look at your rookie year as a learning experience. Focus on getting the most accomplished as you can. We're here to help you when you're struggling with how to make it happen. Don't even concern yourself with how much your CPM rate is. I made right at $50,000 my first year with a starting pay of a whopping 27 cents per mile. I knew I was getting low-balled because I came in with no intrinsic value to the company. That's how each of us gets started. I set out to prove to both them and myself that I could be a top producer.

Today I'm making top pay and still operating at the highest levels of productivity. According to my manager, I continue to gross twice as much as some of the other drivers in the dedicated fleet I'm in. You don't have to settle for less in this business. If you can produce it, they are happy to pay it. There's a symbiotic relationship between the drivers and the folks who are planning and dispatching loads. Producers are rewarded.

Very well put. Thank you!

I got hired with CRST in August of this year since getting hired I have had nearly five weeks where I haven't made money because of circumstances. There was the first week where I had to go home handle getting my CDL license and going to the CRST terminal in California to get officially hired. The second week was spent convincing people I was actually in California not Iowa Because of a computer glitch I kept being listed for cedar rapids. Week 3 was a combination of days during training when we sat because we kept getting rerouted to pick up loads only to be told that the load was cancelled or had been picked up. Week four was waiting for my first co driver. Week 5 was going home for unwanted home time and trying to get a replacement co driver. Now I have been sitting for four days because of mechanical issues that were fixed but also because I don't have a co driver so I am limbo till Monday when I speak with my DM to figure out what to do.

I got hired with CRST in August of this year since getting hired I have had nearly five weeks where I haven't made money because of circumstances. There was the first week where I had to go home handle getting my CDL license and going to the CRST terminal in California to get officially hired. The second week was spent convincing people I was actually in California not Iowa Because of a computer glitch I kept being listed for cedar rapids. Week 3 was a combination of days during training when we sat because we kept getting rerouted to pick up loads only to be told that the load was cancelled or had been picked up. Week four was waiting for my first co driver. Week 5 was going home for unwanted home time and trying to get a replacement co driver. Now I have been sitting for four days because of mechanical issues that were fixed but also because I don't have a co driver so I am limbo till Monday when I speak with my DM to figure out what to do.

That’s pretty rough. You don’t get paid while waiting for a CO driver?