How To Make More Money In Trucking
Topic 25500 | Page 2
Be realistic, be honest with yourself, examine each week's results and see if you can see what it is that would help you be more productive.
In my short time here on TT, the above quotes seems to be the biggest problem for the "complain, blame, criticize" crowd. If you don't like your current situation, "be realistic, be honest with yourself." What don't you like about your situation and what can you do about it or what will you do about it.
I complained about my last job and I left. I didn't get butt hurt and leave, I was recruited for my current job. In the hiring process, the owner said they had trouble matching my salary. I told him, "pay me less, and if I perform, give a me a bonus." With my first year bonus, I made more than my last job.
I came to this job hoping that things would be different that my last job. I have been here two and half years. Some thing are better and some things aren't. But its not the money. I am a top performer and I continue to get substantial quarterly bonuses. I have one company actively recruiting me and another that I had turned down. Recruiters call me at least once a month. In being honest with myself, I have realized I don't like my current line of work.
In searching for second careers, trucking came up several times for someone my age. My stepfather drove OTR in the 70s (cab over). So I started researching trucking as a second career. From what I have learned so far, its sounds like my personality may be suited for trucking. Although, I have learned from TT that it is harder than I thought it was, so that kinda scares me. I am not lazy or a quitter, but the fact that G-town, one of the hardest-nosed guys on this forum, wanted to quit really gives me pause.
Back to being honest with yourself. I think I have as good of an idea as I can of what I'm getting myself into, but I will only know once I get there. My recruiter in the Marines told me when I left for basic to "expect the unexpected." I plan to do that once I actually apply to CDL school and show up for orientation.
With regard to be honest with yourself, I see the future complainers, blamers, and criticizers from their first post asking about getting hired that usually goes something like this:
I finish my three-year sentence for vehicular manslaughter in three months. I hope to kick my crack habit (I'm the prison drug dealer) by the time I leave, but at least by the time I start driving a truck (by myself anyway). Do you think someone would hire me if I promise not to smoke crack while I'm actually driving the truck?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Grumpy Old Man, how can you decide whether to live load or not? If I had my choice is never live load/unload. It's a huge waste of driver's time. I get an assignment and it's already decided for me, I don't get to choose. I didn't know there were places you could determine it yourself. 😂
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Grumpy Old Man, how can you decide whether to live load or not? If I had my choice is never live load/unload. It's a huge waste of driver's time. I get an assignment and it's already decided for me, I don't get to choose. I didn't know there were places you could determine it yourself. 😂
A few of the places we deliver have our empty trailers. If there is an empty I can drop and hook and get out of there.
Most of my loads are already set up as drop and hook, but the return loads are usually live unload unless I can find an empty. They are usually scrap paper
Drop And Hook:
Drop and hook means the driver will drop one trailer and hook to another one.
In order to speed up the pickup and delivery process a driver may be instructed to drop their empty trailer and hook to one that is already loaded, or drop their loaded trailer and hook to one that is already empty. That way the driver will not have to wait for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Wow. That's great. I got in trouble for just grabbing an empty at a drop lot and rolling instead of going across the state and picking it up. I called and told them what I did while I was getting loaded. I was pretty new and didn't realize how they track them and assign them. If I had listened that day I would never have made it home that night. I made it with 20 minutes left on my clock. I have finally learned to just accept the assignments, even if they make no sense or keep me out an extra day. Still annoying.
Rob D.
If you're a former Marine, you can handle this. It's just not as orderly, and sometimes not as respectful as what you're used to. But you can handle this.
-mountain girl
NeeklODN,
Nice note. It's very positive.
How it works out for you...
-mountain girl
Wow. That's great. I got in trouble for just grabbing an empty at a drop lot and rolling instead of going across the state and picking it up. I called and told them what I did while I was getting loaded. I was pretty new and didn't realize how they track them and assign them. If I had listened that day I would never have made it home that night. I made it with 20 minutes left on my clock. I have finally learned to just accept the assignments, even if they make no sense or keep me out an extra day. Still annoying.
I don’t just grab one and roll, I report a drop and hook , what trailer so am dropping, which one I am hooking, and get my BOL signed or whatever the procedure is at that consignee.
It is just how Wolding does business at some shippers and consignees. It makes sense to leave an empty, let them fill it, then come swap with another empty.
Or drop and let them unload etc.
Consignee:
The customer the freight is being delivered to. Also referred to as "the receiver". The shipper is the customer that is shipping the goods, the consignee is the customer receiving the goods.
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
Drop And Hook:
Drop and hook means the driver will drop one trailer and hook to another one.
In order to speed up the pickup and delivery process a driver may be instructed to drop their empty trailer and hook to one that is already loaded, or drop their loaded trailer and hook to one that is already empty. That way the driver will not have to wait for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.
Just remember at Wolding possession of the MT is not 9/10 of the law. It is 100%. The phrase “I got mine” comes to mind. LoL
Just remember at Wolding possession of the MT is not 9/10 of the law. It is 100%. The phrase “I got mine” comes to mind. LoL
LOL
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H.O. Wolding Advice For New Truck Drivers Becoming A Truck Driver Dispatcher Issues Hours Of Service Truck Driver Salary
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Neek, it'll be interesting to see what response and/or results from that message. Good idea, can't hurt anything to try.