The Realities of Being a Truck Driver: Is It Still Worth It?
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 15 май 2024
- The Realities of Being a Truck Driver: Is It Still Worth It? If you want to know if a truck driving career is really still worth pursuing in 2020, watch this video.
We take a look at the current state of the trucking industry, regarding the following issues:
-- Truck Driver Pay
-- Trucking Industry Regulations
-- The Hard Life of the OTR Truck Driver
-- Truck Driving Job Security
A career as a professional truck driver can be a good living if it’s handled correctly.
One must be careful when choosing a trucking company to work for…that is one of the most important factors.
RELATED ARTICLES ON OUR WEBSITE
- The Best Trucking Companies to Work For USA www.smart-trucking.com/best-t...
- Top Trucking Companies in Canada To Work
www.smart-trucking.com/top-tr...
- Best CDL Truck Driving Jobs - How to Know When You've Landed One! www.smart-trucking.com/best-t...
- How to Choose a Trucking Company to Work For - Yes, Size DOES Matter! www.smart-trucking.com/choose...
MORE RELATED RUclips VIDEOS
- Truck Driver Career Start Up Tip - How to Love and Leave a Mega Carrier! • How to Love + Leave a ...
- One Simple Rule to Being Happy in Your Truck Driving Career
• One Simple Rule to Bei...
• The Realities of Being...
****************************************************************************
LOVE SMART TRUCKING AND WANT MORE CONTENT?
HERE'S HOW!
→ SUBSCRIBE TO SMART TRUCKING RUclips!
Get loads of truck driver tips!
/ @smarttrucking
→ BECOME A MEMBER!
♥ Access special perks and cool stuff on our Channel.
♥ Get content that you won’t get anywhere else!
JUST CLICK THE JOIN BUTTON UNDER ANY OF OUR VIDEOS!
OR
CLICK HERE!
/ @smarttrucking
→ LET’S CONNECT!
♥www.Smart-Trucking.com (WEBSITE)
♥ / smarttrucking
♥ / smarttrucking
♥ / smart_trucking
♥ www.instagram/smartttrucking
All Business Inquiries: info@smart-trucking.com
→ OUR MUSIC IS ALL SOURCED FROM RUclips
Music: From RUclips Library
Song: Atlanta
#trucking #cdl #truckdriver #trucker 
Развлечения
I will never ever dirive for a company with driver facing cameras.
I will refuse to drive for any company that has spy cameras.
The problem is politicians who have never been in a truck before are telling us what we can/can’t do, while being paid by big corporations lobbyists 🤬
Yup, that's a huge problem in this industry!
"Home Weekly" really means 34 hr reset. "Home Daily" really means park at the terminal and return after your 10 hr break is up.
I say that's not enough home time! Tell dispatch when you'll be ready to go again.
Is it worth it? NO. I got out of an OTR truck, and into a roll off dumpster truck, and gave myself a $25,000 pay raise.
I hear that! Good move!
All these people saying it's not worth it and they're do better off, I'd like to know where I can clear 50k without a degree or experience because all the trades I've looked at require a lot of training and slaving for years in an apprenticeship before you ever take home a living.
After 20+ years I retired and gave up my CDL. I couldn't be happier! God Bless all of you Truckers 🙏♥️
What do you do for a living now?
Retired lol
Hmm, well I came from factory, construction, and warehousing backgrounds...grunt work, and I make more money driving a rig than I ever did then. Sure I’m gone all the time but what am I really missing? Sitting on the couch after work? No thanks. I’d rather be making $1200-1500 a week driving my rig than $12 an hour killing myself in a factory with some boss screaming at me. Trucking ain’t what it was but for me it’s better than the alt.
I can make $1200-1500 a week, and sleep in my own bed. Of course, I have to find more than one job a year, whatever Ag season is running.
Benefit? By the time I'm ready to pop some idiot (and there's always an idiot), the season is over and off I go.
I drive a concrete truck and I make nearly $60,000 every single year tractor trailer driver should be making a minimum of $25 an hour plus benefits
It depends on what company you drive for and how you budget your home expenses. You could be consistently bringing home $1500 per week. But if your mortgage payment exceed 2 weeks pay, you're making payments on a 2020 Toyota Tundra TRD, a Harley Davidson Road King, plus utilities, cable, gas and food you may find yourself unfairly accusing this industry of not paying enough.
I agree it also depends on the driver's lifestyle suchas being single (or with a significant other that can also travel) or married with children. So of course they will miss their families being on the road.
The short answer is no. Even if you land a local gig with decent pay, they run you ragged. 60-70 hours a week was awesome at first, but it wears you down. For single guys that want to make bank fast, it’s great but it gets to you eventually.
I love being a Trucker and my loner lifestyle & Wanderlust keeps me happy 🤠
Rather drive on the road than be in fast food and factory work and better than going to college for 4 years to get a degree that possibly doesn’t even get you a job
Trade school bro, takes a year and practically gauranteed job placement
Just have to get away from the big carriers. I pay my guys a 80 thousand dollar salery. They are home most weekends
Go local if you can! I work 40 hours a week doing local deliveries and I'm home every night. No way I'd go back to OTR
Been driving since the mid-90’s....
I left-became a CDL instructor and will NEVER FACE 25-30 inches of snow in upstate New York EVER AGAIN!!!
At the end of the day GET YOUR MONEY AND GET OUT OF TRUCKING 🙂🙂
I think that is most jobs,the pay is not keeping up with inflation.
There is no driver shortage! The industry has a retention problem. Turn over is over 95%.
Yes
Either the economy sucks or its more trucks on the road that they are saying... Because trucking companies are shutting down
I drive for Walmart. Clear about $100,000 as a company driver. Relaxed routes for the most part from warehouse to Walmart. On five and off five. Paid for literally everything I do including sleeping. Switched over from Swift Transportation after 3 years as a diamond driver and it's been a great experience.
Excellent testimonial!!
I stop driving otr in 98 and never regretted it. Waiting 3-4 hours to get loaded, and not getting paid a dime was the final straw. Then after sitting all that time they want you to drive all night.
All industries pay much less!
Being a machinist used to be a well paying career, now it’s dumbed down to 12 hour job
J Johnson my cousin makes 25 an hour
Factoring in the time away from home and your health, OTR pay seems to he equivalent to, or worse than working at your local McDonalds.
Man I make 1250 a week find me a job where I come home every night making that much with no college degree I'll wait 🚮
Tower crane operating and tower crane hauling. Especially on a barge with bridge work. Thank me later.
I agree some of the drivers that complain of not making money is due to them not hustling, trip planning and using their hos clock better.
I just got my license here in San Antonio and thank god there is a job here that's gonna start paying me 1600 a week and its only monday to friday 8 to 5, I hope you can find a better company to drive for soon because that sounds frustrating.
I'm a diesel tech; got my CDL thru a truck driving school and ened up driving motorcoaches. Couldn't be happier. Flexibility is key. You can get a job anywhere with a CDL, from my town to Chi Town.
Pay by the mile is the problem whether you're over the road or not your on a time clock pay accordingly, 14 hour clock 14 hour pay .
You've got to be paid hourly in this occupation now.
It must be at least, minimally,
27.00 per hour now (we're headlong towards 2021 here soon!).
I think a newly licensed (no work experience yet) CDL Tractor Trailer Driver should start at 27.00 per hour.
At 2 years in, it should start at 29.00 hour.
At 4 years in, it should start at 30.00 hour.
That 5 to 10 hours (or more) overtime pay a week will assist in earning enough to be middle- middle-class American Apple Pie.
Pay by the mile is a bygone dinosaur.
As for ELDs, I've never had a problem with them, however the 14hr daily clock forces a lot of us to drive tired.
I go when I'm rested and legal, not just when the clock says I'm legal. There's nothing mandating you must drive after your 10. It's just dispatch pushing you, but if you're still tired, don't go. It's your call not theirs.
If you can find a local job its ok im pulling for general motors 30 bucks a hour !!! Flint Michigan
The ELD thing, wrong! We just had our logs switched from OBRD to ELD mode and it's a total mess. Get to a terminal, switch to a Yard Move so it doesn't go into Drive mode at 5mph, it sometimes would cancel out the Yard Move and simply revert back to On Duty, which then reverts to Driving. Another issue, it creates an absolute mess on the actual log line - ALL of the random events are logged, the engine on / off, ELD connect / disconnect, some other random crap. For guys like me, an owner-op / lease-op, I don't need a babysitting tools telling me when I'm actually tired and when I have to take a break. Speaking of breaks, the whole waiting for 30 minutes is crap. Before, when I stop, go use a bathroom, get a quick bite and some drinks, get back to my truck, eat and drink and I'd still have 10 minutes left on my 30. Unnecessary, I got my rest break, I should be able to drive now. But nope, now I have to just sit in the truck and wait, often blocking the fuel lane because all the spots are taken at night.
Been on the road for 18 years and I approve of this video.. It's all truth.
I left Trucking on the curb side right where it belongs, it's no longer fun and the money sucks......
I have completely changed careers and I'm much happier for doing that, it feels good to belong to a community and be home every night with family and friends, when you're a long-haul truck driver you are invisible and you don't exist....
If you do it long enough you will lose your family and your friends permanently, there's not a lady on the planet that wants to sleep alone at night, sending all your love along the wire just isn't enough.
I agree 💯% I sacrificed so much of my life on the road. I finally gave up my CDL for good! Trucking is a dead end job with the worst hours and almost no benefits. I'm so glad to be out of it.👍
You are right!!! I almost lost my family on the count of a Force dispatch. Telling me all the time that these loads has got to keep moving. They was treating me like I was the only driver. And like always it was hurry hurry then wait.
I agree. What do you do for a living now?
2020 is my last year on trucking.... i love trucking but it’s getting so bad this days
I used to run a day cab for $17/ hour. I finally got a great job hauling oversized equipment and I train new drivers in the steel hauling industry. Fortunately for me, we make a weekly salary and 30% of the load. I was so bored with moving boxes around, now when I show up for work, I may have a stuck combine to haul, an excavator to deliver or pick up a few coils of steel. It’s a different adventure every day!
Nice!
Well said and if you just want to run over the road as a company driver learn to negotiate I used to start by saying I don't drive govern trucks or work on the weekend now I would add I won't have a camera facing me in the truck either
I'm a company driver doing dry bulk tankers. I'm gone 1-2 nights a week unless I want longer runs, off most weekends and made $75k my first year doing it. There are still good places to make a living in this business without living on the road, just have to be willing to work hard.
As a second year company driver I grossed 80k but I had to bust my ass doing it. So it can be done just find a good company.
I’m 20 years old and got my CDL at 18 for me it was a struggle finding a job but you bet them oilfield jobs hire me on the spot that’s where the money is here in Texas and you can take a lot of pride into a honest days work but better believe they run you ragged
Just get into heavy haul I'm gone only 3-4 days a week usually and make 3,000-11,000 in those 3-4 days that I'm gone no cap!
I've been driving the refuse truck for over a month now. The hours are better, the pay is better, and the company has more respect for me.
Hey Driver. I hope you liked today's video. Now at the end of 2019, rolling into a new year, it was a good time to address this issue, that we are so often asked. Will you stick with trucking in the upcoming year? How's that driving career treating you?
I'm not getting paid like I was OTR. But I'm older now and I got a job that brings me in on the weekends. I miss talking to drivers but that's the change of technology I guess. But I found a job that it's small company and they leave me alone. I do my work and that's it -it's good for my company as well.
This year is my second year driving and I've seen no reason to quit, my job keeps evolving for the better and I work with good people. I'd like a "new" truck that hasn't been through the wringer (please santa?) But otherwise making 62cpm running between New England and OH/IN has been very profitable for me and gets me home weekends. This industry is what you make it. Maybe I'm just lucky.
ELDs have only made my life more difficult, wish I could go back to the AOBRD since you could cheat a little and be more productive and you had more room for error. Both just force you into dumb situations if you are a responsible driver but I suppose some regulation is needed for the safety of some drivers and the public.
I have decided trucking isn't a good fit for me ,right before I started trucking school
I am doing what I can to get away from operating heavy trucks. 33 years has been long enough, but it hasn't been easy to make lateral moves into safety, training, operations, etc. with any company.
I have been told I am more valuable as a driver, yet I don't see that value reflected in the wages being offered.
Just sad...
I'm ok with driving,, been at it a while. Don't mind ice and snow. Would rather drive 2 weeks out west than 4 day east of Ohio.
But now I'm in a plastic truck with simi autonomous safety devices that beep at me everytime a car gets in front of me so, I'm being harassed while navigating urban traffic. At less than hiway speed...
just got into trucking driving for a local company. Was it worth it? For me it was. Decent pay, do my 9 to 10hr drive a day and come home to the family. Not too bad if you ask me. Better than lots of other jobs out there.
Thank you for what you do for us truckers. As a first year trucker. I really appreciate the information.
Thank you for watching! Happy to help!
I’ve leaned a lot from your videos sir , Share more stories from back in days , thank you
As a truck driver, I was not treated worse except in military basic training. Rodney Dangerfield got more respect than truck drivers.
This is truth.
If I'm giving up family life and not being part of my community. On the road living in a truck?. Plus my health taking a hit? I would want $3000 a week. Clean.
How about nobody's forcing you at gunpoint to do it. This is the lifestyle and how it works. You're basically asking for 150k a year. That's insane
Great video really helps push me towards my goal of getting a cdl
If you drive OTR for some time and you find you like it...Once its in your blood it will never leave.
Thank for the inspiring words. Im just over a year into my carear, and have learned a lot about this industry. Biggest has to be how to know how to adjust a slack adjuster on a trailer a negligent shuttle driver brings you for a relay. Dont trust the equipment. Be professional.
So spot on in your analysis. I did a little Ag trucking that didn’t even require a CDL this past summer. It was fun. There’s a lot of waiting for weather though no work no pay if the fields are too wet. I think I will do some more possibly this next summer.
This is my second time,Getting my CDL.Just got hired with Swift will see how it goes with them.
Thank you for your honesty, it was a great help
You are so right on it. Thank you for telling it like it is.
Love this guy everything he says is on point 👌🏽
Well said, Dave. I agree 100%.
It's really no big deal. All I hear is how much it costs to run a truck and all the rules. ELD, Insurance, Cargo Insurance, General Liability, HUT, IFTA, Tax Stamp, MC#, USDOT, STATE DOT, Tickets, Tolls, Maintenance, Fuel etc etc etc... By the way I am being EXTREMELY sarcastic.
You're being truthful
As someone coming in from the tech industry, I gotta say that even a fully automated truck will require a supervising or attending human on board for centuries to come. Someone will still be needed for walk-arounds, inflating low tires, attaching the hoses, hooking up the fuel pump or change cord, and much more. Automation will make driving safer and drivers will make automation safer.
Yup, trucking is getting worse every year. We're stacking our cash to buy another business and get out.
A wise move.
Unc! Appreciate the encouragement!
I was blessed with the company I'm with, i started as a van driver and the company trained me to get my class B. Next year my boss will train me for class A. I am currently only making 24 an hour, but the max pay is 32 an hour, with a ton of PTO.
My first year with the company gave me 230 hours of pto, and 80 hours of sick leave.
Thanks...'straight and to the point'..👍
Walmart is paying 90k a year now. I keep seeing yearly earnings for OTR 45k to 80k and then Walmart. The chart average was around 55k.
Yes it is worth it.....that said, only if you work for a union company, and with a contract.......Driving for cents per mile is a suckers game!!!!
Exactly!
Hello ~Friends and fellow DRIVERS~ this is a well said and truthful video....Thank you!!
Just hit subscribe great advice I am going out for my CDL- Class A this year I appreciate it. All the Best !
Thank you for everything you said. Ive watch you allthe time. Be healthy and safe
I've been driving for a year now and have noticed that I have softness of breath. Was in great health before I started driving. Gym every other day. Now after 12 hours all I want to do is get home and relax. Stay safe out there drivers
You too! Take care of yourself!
I’ve been driving for 9 years. I just turned 30 this year. I live in central Indiana where there are lots of trucking jobs. The first two years I drove OTR and the rest local. I’m one of those guys that’s done everything in 9 years from hauling produce from California to the Midwest to working local for an LTL company to hauling gasoline locally (best paying by far). But when you factor in your health and the schedule always being up in the air and all the other headaches I’m saving money to get out of trucking for good.
Love watching your videos you remind me of my driving instructor when I got my CDL
Trucking is what you make it. I am making a killing with my company. I am a company driver making and running like a owner operator without owning the truck. You have to educate yourself about the trucking business and know your worth. You have to negotiate and show your value. Work for companies that allow you to call the shots where and when you drive. Don’t be loyal to any trucking companies and never take less than what you previously made. Always ask for the moon when negotiating pay.And don’t let them bring up what other truckers are making that has shit to do with you. BE ON TIME WHEN PICKING UP AND DELIVERING LOADS. Have it to where shippers and receivers are requesting you for certain loads. It’s money out here to be made. Just look at certain truck drivers and how at peace they look at the truck stops, shippers and receivers. How their truck and trailer looks. If you are observant you can tell. Ask the old heads about the business of the trucking industry they’ll tell you what to look out for and what to do... Bitching and complaining won’t make you more money...
I'm seriously thinking about placing my stuff in storage, and going with Prime to get my cdl. I wanted to stay with them for a year, and save up that entire year so that I could relocate to Texas. My end goal is to find a local job with thousands in the savings
I see vids like these from the old timers, but as someone like me looking to get more income, what these guys considered not worth it is an absolute upgrade for people like me. I'm happy if I'm at a job making at least $400 a week, so if I were able to become a trucker someday and make what I'm seeing posted in the comments, I would be so happy I'd be doing backflips.
All I can say is that disagree with your comment I’ve drove for over 14 years and trust me the grass isn’t greener on the other side........... I don’t have the time or patience to type the message that would follow explaining why the trucking industry is not a good choice anymore. Just believe when I tell you I was a young dumb kid when I got into and now I’ve been in it for long enough it’s all I know and I’m starting to regret it . If I’d have known then what I know now about where the industry has gone I’d never have gotten into a truck
Honest man. Thank you!
A lot of good points made in this video. Good straight talk, much appreciated.
Thanks Joe!
Thanks for your guidence.
Hello Dave greetings from Southwest Michigan again 32 year driver veteran here local LTL Freight glad to hear you talk about that in the beginning you and your wife have a great Christmas
You too Steve! Merry Christmas!
I've been wanting to get into the trucking industry for many years. I appreciate you making these video. Subbed
Thanks Kenneth!
Great advice! Thank you sir!
I'm getting my year in, & will look for local after
Why don't you just find a construction company or a farm and get your time and experience in that way? One accident out here on the roadway can cost you your license, and there's not an insurance on the planet that will touch you for CDL driving, one ticket or accident is all it takes anymore, I would sure rather be close to home if something like that happens
I'm going into the industry. Gonna grit my teeth for the first year and get that done. After that I can land something better . I know plenty of guys who can help me get on with a good company.
Just had my 1st day yesterday. Looking forward to the OTR gig, but I appreciate hearing the down sides. Honestly, I told my wife that the hardest part seems to be learning all the ELD/time mgt/administration/etc.
Love you videos. Please keep them coming.
No driver facing camera for me😞🎥
We've been using the electronic log for several years and I love it. No more fighting with dispatch about hours in the day. When I started driving 20 years ago loose leaf throw away logs were the norm at a few different carriers I worked for thank the good Lord those days of hell are done. My life also became much more satisfying when I learned to say NO! No arguing with dispatch just No or at least a no thanks!
Yep, I like them for just those very reasons!
Well said. Nothing but the facts.
Local food delivery is good. Great pay! Till your body wears the hell out. I got out and now work for a gas company, using my CDL but driving is just apart of the job
If you want to make money at least 60k/yr and get home nightly....try vending or foodservice. It's hard work but it pays good money
I dumped that or crap and I liked my company. I was with them for about 3 yrs.
I haul logs now and am home for dinner every day and off on weekends unless I want to work.
The money you spend otr aint worth it, especially if you like to eat good.
Great explanation, thank you!
I make more on a mixer(concrete truck) than most over the road guys. I've heard many of their money stories. Trust me I've trained plenty of over the road guys.
Yes, I think so... I've been otr for the past 4 years... but maybe I'm one of the lucky ones... but I do see your points.. it took me burning through 6 companies before i found a company that's clinging on..
If you think the pay is not great join the army lol i was making 900 every 2 weeks. 1800 a month with 4 years experience
Thank you for once again another great video
Your advices are blessing David
Long live god bless you
Regional hourly and sleeper pay.... 4 nights out 3 night home. I like it. About 50-55 hrs a week. About 2000 biweekly.
I love transportation industry
But it have hes ups and downs,like you said ,it also have the disadvantage of been far away from family that's the hardest part 🙁
One of your best videos thank you
Excellenty advice, thanks From Dunedin NZ
I agree 100%. I’m a Union 23 year ‘local’ ready mix concrete driver. Excellent pay and benefits and best of all - home every night. No lack of work for foreseeable future here in Phoenix. C’mon down boys!