Airline Pilot Central Forums - Long haul truck driver

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- - Long haul truck driver (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/leaving-career/37291-long-haul-truck-driver.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by VTcharter (Post 564395)

Don't let these guys scare you. There are good driving jobs out there, but like anything else, you need to have experience to get them. The big companies aren't where you want to go for great treatment, but the small companies can be luck of the draw. Before I left trucking to start flying, I was making close to 80k with 5k bonus yearly and full company paid benefits with company match 401k 100% to 6%. I worked anywhere from 8 to 14 hours a day depending on the loads that I pulled and had days where I made over 500 bucks. Schedule was 4 on, 3 off then 5 on 2 off, rinse and repeat. Home every day. Drove top of the line assigned equipment...2003 379 Pete with a 600 Cat and 18 speed. I was hauling fuel and loved it. Best trucking job out there for me and I did food grade tankers, shipping containers and swinging doors (reefer and dry), so I have the experience to base that statement on. I had a lot of experience hauling tankers when I landed that job but even my first tanker gig hauling food grade saw me making 48k home every day.

Just wondering what company did you drive for?

Quote:

Originally Posted by New B (Post 565224)

There are other even grosser problems that I won't go into.

Like having to dispose of the dead hitch hiker that you picked up three states back?

Quote:

Originally Posted by cl601pilot (Post 567364)

Like having to dispose of the dead hitch hiker that you picked up three states back?

HAHAHA

No, more like having to walk across a truck stop lot being carefull to avoid plastic bags filled with excrement and used toilet paper. Appearantly some of the "better" ones out here are intent on defecating in their trucks and simply casually tossing it out anywhere.

Sorry, I told you it was gross. You asked for it.:D

i see where pinchanickle is looking for customer service reps at kcpr
starting pay $7.16 per hour. isnt the federal minimum wage $7.25 per hour? (i might be wrong) oh well i see where burger king was looking for hamburger flippers starting at 8 bucks. i picked up the cdl manual today
from dmv and starting to study. 20,000 cdl jobs available in usa . btw spoke with go jets yesterday and lady on phone mentioned her ex was truck driver hazmat and made 100k a year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RMWRIGHT (Post 568746)

Do you have a company in mind? Just wondering, how is the CDL job market in WY?

If you live along the I-80 corridor I'm sure you'll have no problems finding a job.

I used to run through there all the time when I ran Chicago to California. What do you guys do for fun in Wyoming? It seems like such a cold, lonely, calm place.

Hey new b
i see alot of jobs on the web
i was looking at used semis, i like the owner op option.
why do companies want trucks that are less than 8 to 10
years old? as long as they run why do they care about age.
aviation isnt so concerned about the planes age as much as
ttaf and smoh. i was working in az as a cfi but the school
closed a few months ago and wasnt able to find anything
else so i came up here to look for any type of job. read where
wy has the lowest unemployment rate in the usa but so far
after 2 weeks nil. there is a cdl school here which costs 5k
for the course but one could buy a truck for 15k and do it
yourself.. ..

Quote:

Originally Posted by RMWRIGHT (Post 568959)

there is a cdl school here which costs 5k
for the course but one could buy a truck for 15k and do it
yourself.. ..

That is really expensive. I made that mistake when I was starting out, I paid four grand. Later found that at a community college you could take a CDL class for something like $1500 or less.

Keep us updated what you do.

Hey everyone, new poster...

I have also decided to join the ranks of the trucking industry. I was a flight instructor with my 135 IFR mins, but can't get a job locally. With a wife and a newborn kid, it's a bit hard to move for any flight job, especially to get paid less than minimum wage.

Not only that, but my other profession, drafting, is drying up fast. There is just no need for experienced draftsmen anymore, when hungry (AKA cheap) architectural and engineering grads are taking over the market.

I heard the trucking industry is doing well from many sources and so I signed up for classes at the community college. It should be fun and the money should be sufficient to tide us over until my dreams of flying become a reality again.

Once the reality hit that I needed to make this change, I got really depressed, but am feeling optimistic now. You gotta do what you gotta do.

Another point to add is you might be elgible to free CDL training under the WIA program. Might be worth a look.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilot1278 (Post 571039)

Hi Pilot 1278, welcome to APC. Your sacrifice for family is commendable. Maybe in a year or two the economy will spring back and you can get that nice 135 job.

As far as why trucking companies buy new equipment, is because they make more money by being on the road without failure. Part of that money comes from simply keeping the freight rolling but you also have to realize that if you are bidding on a contract for moving some huge number of time-sensitive loads, you may charge a premium for the added reliability and delivery accuracy. Even without the premium for reliable on-time perfromance, it is usually more the losses from downtime than the cost of the repairs that runs a company into red ink. Trucks can run almost continously 24/7/365, so a million miles a year is not uncommon especially for team-driven trucks, and the amount of wear and tear is enormous. The major components of an OTR truck start wearing out after about 4 years of this kind of use. So, you dump them on the used market then and get brand new ones.