Long Haul
 

On NBC national news tonight they ran a story on how trucking is an in demand profession that is hiring people off the street, providing training and starting wages over 40K. Seasoned drivers can reach 100K.

SkyHigh

That's great, if you want to drive a truck. Did you post it at www.truckdrivercentral.com?

Well, I guess if this doesn't work out, I know where I can go and jump right into decent wages. Thanks.

We have a few guys that were truckers here (long haul cargo) They spent a lot more time away from home then we do.

The point
 

The point is that someone with no college, no training, no military service, with hardly even a high school diploma can nearly reach 737 captain wages driving a truck.

If you were to subtract the cost of college and flight training then long haul truck driving would be close to a tie with 737 and 319 airline captain wages.

The rest of the world is catching up to pilot pay. Firefighters, police, plumbers, truck drivers, the military and even Greyhound bus drivers can with little effort best most any regional and are knocking on the door of the majors.

SkyHigh

Try here:

http://www.classadrivers.com/phpBB2/

Trucking is a demanding job that has a very high turnover rate. Long-haul truckers often drive 600 miles a day. The live in the truck, shower and do laundry at the truck stop (some nice, others NOT). No personal experience, but have had converstations with commercial drivers, one who took a hiatus from flying for a living to drive.

Truck Driving
 

No one said that long haul truck driving was easy, but neither is an airline career.

I am sure that most people would not choose either profession, however one demands college and extra training while the other does not for nearly the same wages.

SkyHigh

I own a small trucking company (currently 12 drivers) with another person, and it's true that they can make alot of money, IF they drive but they don't get garaunteed miles every month, like the garaunteed hours pilots get paid, I think usually around 75, isn't it? Drivers don't have Co-pilots or auto pilots, they have to pay for their own fuel, fix their own trucks, and the people you find yourself working with are usually very trashy. I am only referring to owner operators. Lately, drivers have been starting to move back to being company drivers (where the company provides the vehicle) so they don't have to worry about fuel because the cost is getting so high,but then you make about .40/mile instead of the $1.25/mile you could make if you own the truck. The demand for drivers is being created for the same reason that the shortage of pilots is happening. Clients are shopping around for the cheapest rates because of fuel surcharges and drivers are getting shafted more and more. There are still too many drivers to band together and agree to charge higher prices or not drive. There are many new drivers with "shiny truck syndrome" that will get out on the road and drive until the wheels fall off the truck and make less per mile, while the older drivers with families are getting hurt in the process. But when you're a trucker, your salary usualy doesn't go up with every year that you are at a company. It may increase a little here, then go back down a little there, but you will never see drivers that have 17 years of seniority making $140,000 a year. Clients are also turning to rail alot more lately, which is slower, but considerably cheaper. We are seeing CSX commercials for the first time TV advertising what they can do for the economy and the environment. You will need to be a company driver (comparing to a regional) for a few years before you can learn enough about the business and save up enough money to buy your own truck and become an owner operator (majors) and start moving frieght under your own label. But like stated above, unless you get in under a good contract and stable client with consistent frieght to move, you won't be making very much money. We pull containerized frieght, and this is my experience and knowledge of the business that I have been in since '02. I have one year of school left and I'm out of trucking. It sucks. If anybody is really considering leaving flying to get into trucking, think long and hard before you do. You will probably be very dissapointed.

The sense of entitlement is annoying here.

Yep. unless you're born rich or win the lottery, nothing comes easy. Gotta pay your dues in EVERY industry, not just flying.