You're wrong, Galaxy Flyer. What some of these kids desperately need is to quit in indignation and go off to find their fortune in trucking and running 7-11s where they think it's all easy money and chicks for free. When they realize what a great thing they had they won't be so insufferable when they return.

 

Slightly ironic that the ad underneath this thread was for PAM trucking. $40k/year with paid CDL training.

I think I'll stick to flying airplanes!

 

pete2800,

At least, the questionable hotel isn't moving at 60mph driven my some new truck driver.

GF

 

I was an owner-operator from 1996-2004. I owned 3 trucks, driving, doing the books, brokering, maintenance...everything. I started out with North American Van Lines moving people. It's HARD sweaty tiring work. I worked 14-16 hours a day 7 days a week....for 8 years. Keeping drivers in your trucks is easier said than done and many times I had a truck sitting idle loosing money. Over the 8 years I drove 1,000,000 miles. I lost money the first year, broke even the next and then started netting a decent income. My best year was 2003 when I netted $168,000. If you think Regional flying is hard you have NO idea about reality. Trucking is a cutthroat industry that chews up and spits you out. I entered the business as a way to save money for my ratings and save enough to live on while I was at the Regional's. I did this in my late 20's and early 30's...it was doable....I couldn't IMAGINE working that pace into my 50's and 60's. I can fly an airplane until 65 and still have 1/2 the month off, I'm never gone from home longer than 3 nights and then I'm in a nice hotel. When I was driving I was on the road 6 weeks at a time, sleeping in my truck. I figured it would take me 13 years to break even financially to make the transition to flying. I got VERY lucky...it took 12. I've never looked back.

 

How many truck drivers would you estimate are self employed like you were vs. those that actually are employees of a company?

 

I think we are getting off track here. No one said they would rather drive trucks than airplanes. Also, the level of cost, training, skill intelligence and responsibility of being a commercial airline pilot in 121 does not compare to driving a truck. You know what else is hard work? Farming and digging ditches. The point is not to compare the jobs, but to compare and contrast what the industries are doing to attract employees.

I've been working since I was 13 and I had another career before aviation. I STILL think the job of regional pilot is ridiculously underpaid for what it entails. I think the regional airlines are wasteful and badly run. I think the whole US airline industry is sclerotic and needs a massive colonic.

 

+1, Great post. However, if you are coming from a business point of view any place that can get employees to invest $60-100K of their own money in training, and then accept $14K year salary is a good damn model.

 

This is precisely why I think the regionals are badly run. The whole model hinges on one thing: doing it cheaper than the other guy. They all knew there was a point where cost cutting wouldn't work any more. They allowed the major airlines to dictate the terms of terrible contracts and relied on labor cost cuts to keep the model going. Even in the face of the Pinnacle and Colgan crashes, the RAA refused to police itself.

 

Not sure, have to scour the DOT figures to come up with an answer. Off the top of my head, I'd guess maybe 10-15%. And of those maybe 10% are operating under their own ICC authority. That is a WHOLE lot more work for not too much more $$. I'd guess that the vast majority of truck drivers are working 25 days a month (gone from home, 12-14 hour days, sitting at docks, sleeping in the truck)....for probably on average around $40-50K. Any RJ job in the country is better than driving truck for 30 years. The past decade has been an anomaly, the 2-3 yr upgrade will return and 5-6yrs total at a Regional before making the jump to a major will return as the norm.

A good gauge for comparing careers: Ask ANY former trucker who's become an Airline pilot.....would you switch back?

Not only NO, but HE!! NO!

 

Most of you guys have no idea what your talking about! I've had trucks for years and my friends are small business owners of trucks and one guy runs about ten. All day trips! I never once stayed away when I drove. Mind you very early starts, usually 3am. You make good money. Typical driver can make well over 100K a year. Over the road is a whole different animal. Takes a special kinda person, its deff not for everyone. But one thing to remember they break and break big time...your more likely able to make money if your mechanically inclined... Smelling like diesel on your days off sucks!