Roehl, Tmc, Or Prime For First Job

It can take time to build up your pay. CPM , clock management and experience all add up to money. I consider bonuses and extra pay all a plus. I only count my miles and CPM. With per diem right now I need about 2700 miles per week to take home $1000.00. The past two weeks I have taken home over $1300.00. I have a great relationship with my FM , he knows how I like to run. He also knows I will get the job done. That is a very important relationship and one of the keys to success. I hear many drivers complaining that they are not getting miles. I have nothing to complain about.

CFI has great home time. Like most OTR companies, you earn one day for every seven your out here. With CFI you don't lose those days. Let's say you're out six weeks and go home for five days, you still have one day banked. You may also want to see about vacation pay or PTO.

You seem to have the right attitude to be successful out here. Best of luck to you.

Hi, im looking to change careers at age 41 now, and trucking is what I’ve decided on. Of these three companies, which would be the best option for a new driver? Pay is important, of course, but so is home time. My plan is to do Otr for a year or so and then move to something local or at the very least regional. All three say they have good benefits, 401k, insurance, etc. Are there any things I should be aware of with any of the companies?

Flatbed with TMC seems like the most physical work, which I like. I know nothing about trucks, but they’re proud of their trucks, so I guess if I’m spending days at a time in one, comfort would definitely come into play.

I just want to make sure I pick a good company that has miles and doesn’t keep me on the road for months at a time. Preferably one that also would let me bring my kids or wife sometimes and/or a dog.

Thanks

As much as it pains me to say this because I hate unions, if you are that "young" consider going to UPS Package as a freight driver. You still have a good many years to earn a pension, pay is good and UPS is NOT going away.

I chose FedexFreight because pay is good, 401K is good and they have a small pension which they sock away for you. I would NOT join any union outfit if you had 10 years or less of driving left in you.

And here I was worried that early 40’s is going to be too old for some companies. I’m glad that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Hi, im looking to change careers at age 41 now, and trucking is what I’ve decided on. Of these three companies, which would be the best option for a new driver? Pay is important, of course, but so is home time. My plan is to do Otr for a year or so and then move to something local or at the very least regional. All three say they have good benefits, 401k, insurance, etc. Are there any things I should be aware of with any of the companies?

Flatbed with TMC seems like the most physical work, which I like. I know nothing about trucks, but they’re proud of their trucks, so I guess if I’m spending days at a time in one, comfort would definitely come into play.

I just want to make sure I pick a good company that has miles and doesn’t keep me on the road for months at a time. Preferably one that also would let me bring my kids or wife sometimes and/or a dog.

Thanks

As much as it pains me to say this because I hate unions, if you are that "young" consider going to UPS Package as a freight driver. You still have a good many years to earn a pension, pay is good and UPS is NOT going away.

I chose FedexFreight because pay is good, 401K is good and they have a small pension which they sock away for you. I would NOT join any union outfit if you had 10 years or less of driving left in you.

I was worried that early 40’s is going to be too old for some companies.

I started at age 53. The same day I got hired they hired another man who was 73!

We've got a current member, Mike C who just started this week at CFI. He is 75!

Tripletdad, you are a spring chicken - you're a youngster!

Check out this conversation...

Trucking For The Long Haul

I thought I’d add a little info here concerning The Roehl Pet Policy. I’m still involved in a Facebook group with Roehl drivers.

Due to some abuse from drivers pet, Roehl has suspended their pet policy until further notice.

There will be no new pet permits issued AND if you are transferring to a new truck you will not be allowed to transfer the pet permit.

This is as a result of several drivers leaving the trucks in horrible condition as a result of pet “accidents”.

I believe they also put their passenger policy in hold until the COVID pandemic is resolved.

Good luck with your search.

Millis as well. They have a terminal in Ohio and give you three days for every two weeks on the road.

Thanks for the replies. I’ll look into those other companies, too. I’ve been thinking about doling this for a long time. I actually joined this site a few years ago and decided to just stay where I was instead. Now I’m just ready to make the change.

That was a truly impressive synopsis. Thank you.

Pay is important, of course, but so is home time.

I just want to interject something into this conversation. I think it's important or I wouldn't be bothering. Having been a part of this forum for many years now, I begin to see things that are brought up frequently. This idea of getting top pay and lots of time at home is something a lot of newbies specify as critical to their decision on a company to start with.

Trucking is an incredibly diverse industry. There are jobs available to meet a really wide set of expectations. It's also an incredibly competitive environment that requires plenty of work, yet yields relatively slim margins. Productivity is key to it's success. That goes for all the people working in this business from the upper level managers to the lowliest of them all, the driver.

As drivers we are the "boots on the ground." We make up the front line in this army. It's critical that we are making great things happen out here. We are relied on heavily, and hyper productive drivers are valued greatly. Anybody can do this job, but any cursory search of the internet concerning trucking jobs and/or companies will reveal that only a few do it well.

I think I'm just wanting to point out how you get to experience top pay and also enjoy the time you desire at home. Those two things don't spring from company policy. They are produced by a driver's ability to be really productive. Now there's a lot to being productive, and much of it is misunderstood. That's why we have such voluminous accounts of truck drivers airing out their complaints online. They don't get the results they want, and they blame their failures on the industry and/or their dispatcher/company.

Anybody wanting to maximize their earnings, and go home when needed, must establish themselves as Top Tier Drivers. That's something that isn't affected by the name of the company emblazoned on your truck.

I see reports all the time of drivers claiming to be treated as slaves because they weren't allowed to go home. Anytime you read something like that you have to read into it something more. What you're probably seeing is a driver who isn't earning a dime for the company and their dispatcher is desperately trying to develop them into someone productive. You aren't seeing a modern day version of life on the plantation.

I was blessed to learn so much in this forum, and quickly realized how to produce results out here. Sometimes I practice things that others don't even attempt, but I'm always angling to be the best I can be at this job. That has resulted in very good treatment by my employers, my dispatchers, and other managers. I can simply make a request for something and they start moving mountains to make it happen. That has nothing to do with the name on my truck. It has everything to do with the way they appreciate having a productive driver on their team.

I'm sorry - I'm making a short story long. I'm bad about that. The bottom line is that to get the things we want out of this career, we must put in the things that are necessary. Don't look to company policies for direction on how to succeed at this career. Look to your own efforts and levels of productivity. Trucking company policies bend and adjust themselves to productive drivers. If you want special treatment it's available, but you'll need to earn it.