Grew up in trucking during the independent truckers era. In spite of all the changes, there were many who continued. My career started the same way. As long as there's a need for trucking, I'll be behind the wheel. Expect the best, plan for the worst. That's how one weathers the storms.
It's been a whole year for me. I'm sticking with trucking. I'm waiting until I get better and get more experience and then I'm moving on to a better company.
My version, I will not go back to trucking if I cannot find reasonable wages. I'm willing to be paid for miles, if I can be paid for the hours I'm sitting waiting. I've had a dispatcher send me an to Ohio and leave me there for a weekend without planning the trip back. I dropped Friday afternoon and checked the Qualcomm wondering why I hadn't heard from dispatch. He ignored my messages. Monday evening I got my load, but couldn't get it before Tuesday morning. I'm encouraged by companies like Canada Cartage who are willing to pay OTR drivers by the hour. And Facebook groups that recruit drivers with hourly wages. Nevertheless, there's still too many other truck owners who pay pennies per mile, which doesn't add up to minimum wage sometimes.
I’m looking to get off the OTR life. Looking for something local. There is absolutely no respect for truck drivers out here. Tired of not having a life and getting shit for my efforts. I make great money but, the bull crap has outweighed the money.
Listen up everyone. Quit trucking and joined a skilled trades union. Same pay. Half the hours. Home every night. With the upcoming financial meltdown coming early 2021 the rates are gonna be close to nothing with 4 million trucks fighting or 40 loads. Get out now. Get into a career where you are too essential to lay off. During this entire pandemic I haven't lost any work. Just saying
Working 22 Days 14 Hours Minimum a Day 22 Days multiple 14 hours comes to 308 hours for a month Income 4000$ a month How much an hour? 4000$ ÷ 308 hours = 12.98$/hour if you work straight But if we consider over time after 8 hours 150% like normal job it comes to point we work for 9$ /hour. So it is below minimum wage here in Canada. I left industry reason why. God bless you and your families 🙏
That’s actually a good question, will I stick with it? I have no place to speak for any other drivers of course but as for me there’s things I like about trucking and things I don’t. The same can be said for just about any other job. Things I like include autonomy, seeing new places, meeting new people. Things I don’t particularly care for is finding places to park, getting in parking lots and driving down roads that aren’t exactly designed with trucks in mind, employers who can care less about your feedback, and so on. So my advice to anyone considering trucking for a living is get as much information as you can and weigh what you like and don’t like and make informed decisions as much as you can. I have a family and kids and yeah it’s hard to leave them but I don’t feel I have the luxury of giving up regardless of how I feel. However I don’t feel stuck in my current role so I like to keep options open and I would advise the same to others. Thank you for what you do in informing drivers and others thinking of getting into it. Believe it or not you were one of those I looked to for information when I decided to get my CDL. Keep up what you do.
Ultimately i'll stick with my career,just not with the companies. No matter what industry,company loyalty is gone so it's fair game on who ever treats and pays you the best gets your services as a driver.
The trucking industry is being destroyed by foreign drivers who could get a crap less about the industry and are willing to undercut American drivers wages. I talked to a driver from the middle east who is getting paid a flat fee of 100 dollars a day he said is 10 times what he made in his country and look at his new Volvo. Obama allowed this to happen with tax-free incentives for businesses from these countries. Today in America we have 1000's of drivers who can't read, write or speak English. How the hell can you drive and not even read the signs? Remember the middle eastern man who kill all those people on I 70 coming into Denver. He had to have an interpreter to read what he was going to be charged for and why this is BS. I am a professional driver of forty years who have busted my ass to get my own authority and now have five trucks leased on to my company. The trucking industry is being destroyed within. Everyone wants to point the finger at the mega carriers like swift etc. but I find they are mostly just new drivers wanting and willing to learn the industry and we need to support them it's our last chance. Sorry for the rant. The trucking industry has been good to me and I still love driving look for a blue 389 pulling a black wagon in the hammer lane LOL. see ya out there
I am a Swift Driver I got out of it for 3 months due to COVID-19 but I will be making a return to Swift for a full year and get back to trucking. It has been rough the last few months. But I know God will help us through this.
I run for swift se well. This month is my 3rd being a trucker. Fright has been up over the last two months. I haven’t been sitting at all. I’m leaving after this month though. I’m going the owner operator route as soon as possible. Some places only require 3 months. I already have my truck.
If you’re in, get out now. If you’re not, stay out. Use your head, 1980’s pay doesn’t work in 2020. But hey, don’t listen to me. 35 years in the industry means nothing. You go figure it out...
I dunno, my thought was get a year out of the way and go local.....indeed classifieds all require minimum 1 year for local work but avg wage is $45,000+ a year and home every night....seems like a decent enough move to me. The average wage here is under $30,000, I make roughly $38,000 but I bust my ass to do it.
To be honest I know I’m late I’m in the logistics side as well as being a truck driver it’ll really give everyone a better aspect if they’d just please understand the logistics of everything
I was a owner operator, but just sold my truck about 2 months ago. I just got sick of being over the road and all the expenses of keeping a truck running and legal and all my trucking that I did got really slow due to Covid19. I'm currently driving truck for a local company hauling feed and home daily and paid by the hour.
After 10 years I was forced out in Sept. 2018 due to my ex wife running a stop sign as my then codriver. Between 3 major wrecks, first in 09 when I was ejected at 86 MPH (codriver stole the rig and slammed into another rig while I was passed out from babysitting her dumbass ), I was cutoff in 2016 and pushed a minivan into 2 other cars, and a DUI driver going southbound in the northbound lanes on I81 I now have PTSD and neurological/spine damage to where I can no longer function normally. Between that and 2 truck companies that I had nobody would work and I stayed BROKE. Screw trucking. At 36 I now swing between grass, pain killers, and the bottle while my 4th wife (and longest lasting) wonders how the hell I can function to still work 64-100 hours a week in private security trying to stay out of a wheelchair and keep my from offing myself
I got a question. Is it bad if you work for someone local or private and one of there trucks isn’t insured. If DOT stops you, could that be bad? The truck not being insured.
Been a local driver for the last 10 years. 7 as a box truck driver 3 as a tractor/trailer. I'm looking to make the move into OTR, any suggestions as to where I should look?
I believe 1099 is when a person is responsible for paying his/her own taxes personally (no auto deduction, usually paid every quarter, to my understanding).
Got an 860$ fine today for being 3k overweight on drives they didn’t even allow me a chance to try and fix it so they wrote me a citation and 10 min later I had slid my fifth wheel and fixed the issue what the $&@) screw IL it was a new company truck and I didn’t realize fifth wheel was slid all the way back I almost lost my sh&$ on that DOT officer when he responded to my question if I was allowed to try and fix it first he said “Even if you fix it you were driving illegally overweight on your axel” Lol what the hell anyone who scales their load and was overweight beforehand was driving illegally to get to the damn scale !
The job is good if you are paid hourly .mile rate and free loading is criminal Too much waiting, lost time playing catch up all time, always in a hurry, no time to stop, racing against the count down clock all time. Its a mugs game like Russian roulette
Turning 23 in November with no post-secondary education yet because tuition is expensive, looking to get into AZ/DZ driving. Been learning what I can about the business of driving through RUclips, worked at a truck dealership in the Toronto area for 4 years selling GM and Isuzu trucks, spoke to drivers and business owners, seen equipment both pristine and tired run through the shop, delivered parts and dealt with cliche dispatch scenarios, sold trucks for 2.5 years. I have experience in the dealership side of the trucking industry, and the key as a driver is to find a niche. Cookie cutter OTR gigs can be a good fit for some, but not all drivers. Specialize. I like the logistics field and real estate, but most post-secondary programs take more than several months to about a few years to complete and cost as much as a second car. Of all the trades, I'm most qualified and prepared to get a DZ/AZ. At least getting a CDL will be quicker, and get me more than minimum wage (home time isn't a priority for me). Most small companies that operate G class trucks want me to be at least 25 for insurance reasons, so getting a CDL seems to be like the option I'll have to take. Otherwise running local/courier work and getting a cargo van/box truck of my own and signing on as an owner-operator with a carrier. I'm just not willing to get into 20K+ of student debt when the majority of post-secondary education programs struggle to keep up with industry changes, and entire companies come and go in the course of a 4 year degree program. That's not taking into account the fact you need to get the required course types at the high school level AS WELL, just to be considered for that post-secondary program. Minimum wage doesn't pay today's cost of living in the GTA either. So it's drive my way to a niche gig, or stay with slave wage and never get financially ahead. I think I'll take driving. City life is too expensive anyway. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Grew up in trucking during the independent truckers era. In spite of all the changes, there were many who continued. My career started the same way. As long as there's a need for trucking, I'll be behind the wheel. Expect the best, plan for the worst. That's how one weathers the storms.
It's been a whole year for me. I'm sticking with trucking. I'm waiting until I get better and get more experience and then I'm moving on to a better company.
My version, I will not go back to trucking if I cannot find reasonable wages. I'm willing to be paid for miles, if I can be paid for the hours I'm sitting waiting.
I've had a dispatcher send me an to Ohio and leave me there for a weekend without planning the trip back. I dropped Friday afternoon and checked the Qualcomm wondering why I hadn't heard from dispatch. He ignored my messages. Monday evening I got my load, but couldn't get it before Tuesday morning.
I'm encouraged by companies like Canada Cartage who are willing to pay OTR drivers by the hour. And Facebook groups that recruit drivers with hourly wages.
Nevertheless, there's still too many other truck owners who pay pennies per mile, which doesn't add up to minimum wage sometimes.
Canada carnage is currently in a class action lawsuit with their drivers 🤷♂️
I’m looking to get off the OTR life. Looking for something local. There is absolutely no respect for truck drivers out here. Tired of not having a life and getting shit for my efforts. I make great money but, the bull crap has outweighed the money.
Trainer taught me, get what you want, pay it off and leave the seat for someone that needs it. Build your happy home and what your hobbies are.
Wow..very well said!!!!
Listen up everyone. Quit trucking and joined a skilled trades union. Same pay. Half the hours. Home every night. With the upcoming financial meltdown coming early 2021 the rates are gonna be close to nothing with 4 million trucks fighting or 40 loads. Get out now. Get into a career where you are too essential to lay off. During this entire pandemic I haven't lost any work. Just saying
Working 22 Days
14 Hours Minimum a Day
22 Days multiple 14 hours comes to 308 hours for a month
Income 4000$ a month
How much an hour?
4000$ ÷ 308 hours = 12.98$/hour if you work straight
But if we consider over time after 8 hours 150% like normal job it comes to point we work for 9$ /hour.
So it is below minimum wage here in Canada.
I left industry reason why.
God bless you and your families 🙏
But u makin mula
That’s actually a good question, will I stick with it?
I have no place to speak for any other drivers of course but as for me there’s things I like about trucking and things I don’t. The same can be said for just about any other job. Things I like include autonomy, seeing new places, meeting new people. Things I don’t particularly care for is finding places to park, getting in parking lots and driving down roads that aren’t exactly designed with trucks in mind, employers who can care less about your feedback, and so on. So my advice to anyone considering trucking for a living is get as much information as you can and weigh what you like and don’t like and make informed decisions as much as you can. I have a family and kids and yeah it’s hard to leave them but I don’t feel I have the luxury of giving up regardless of how I feel. However I don’t feel stuck in my current role so I like to keep options open and I would advise the same to others.
Thank you for what you do in informing drivers and others thinking of getting into it. Believe it or not you were one of those I looked to for information when I decided to get my CDL. Keep up what you do.
The money is shit. Treated like shit. High risk. No social life. High divorce rate. Get out. Better yet, don’t start.
Lets go back to 80s & early 90s Trucking pleasee... 🍻🙏
If a driver invested his big money back in 80 and 90s he be the Mac daddy. Just look at early Walmart drivers that bought stock in the company
Well dave I got a speedin ticket for listing to your live yerstday lol hopefully it works out for the best brother
Ultimately i'll stick with my career,just not with the companies. No matter what industry,company loyalty is gone so it's fair game on who ever treats and pays you the best gets your services as a driver.
The trucking industry is being destroyed by foreign drivers who could get a crap less about the industry and are willing to undercut American drivers wages. I talked to a driver from the middle east who is getting paid a flat fee of 100 dollars a day he said is 10 times what he made in his country and look at his new Volvo. Obama allowed this to happen with tax-free incentives for businesses from these countries. Today in America we have 1000's of drivers who can't read, write or speak English. How the hell can you drive and not even read the signs? Remember the middle eastern man who kill all those people on I 70 coming into Denver. He had to have an interpreter to read what he was going to be charged for and why this is BS. I am a professional driver of forty years who have busted my ass to get my own authority and now have five trucks leased on to my company. The trucking industry is being destroyed within. Everyone wants to point the finger at the mega carriers like swift etc. but I find they are mostly just new drivers wanting and willing to learn the industry and we need to support them it's our last chance. Sorry for the rant. The trucking industry has been good to me and I still love driving look for a blue 389 pulling a black wagon in the hammer lane LOL. see ya out there
Hello,Dave!! Southside Chicago here
If you want a president for truckers make sure has been trucking before
Started trucking in 1984 listing to Dave Nemo and the road gang boy have things since then
I am a Swift Driver I got out of it for 3 months due to COVID-19 but I will be making a return to Swift for a full year and get back to trucking. It has been rough the last few months. But I know God will help us through this.
I run for swift se well. This month is my 3rd being a trucker. Fright has been up over the last two months. I haven’t been sitting at all. I’m leaving after this month though. I’m going the owner operator route as soon as possible. Some places only require 3 months. I already have my truck.
Running dedicated at swift. Swifts pretty cool.
🙏 amen
If you’re in, get out now.
If you’re not, stay out.
Use your head, 1980’s pay doesn’t work in 2020.
But hey, don’t listen to me. 35 years in the industry means nothing. You go figure it out...
I dunno, my thought was get a year out of the way and go local.....indeed classifieds all require minimum 1 year for local work but avg wage is $45,000+ a year and home every night....seems like a decent enough move to me. The average wage here is under $30,000, I make roughly $38,000 but I bust my ass to do it.
Lonewolf from FL. HEY HAMMERD DOWN on the back HAUL
Me and my wife are company team driver's. We make $0.78 split home weekly off 2-3 days a week great job. We are lifer's here.
Glad it works for you.
To be honest I know I’m late I’m in the logistics side as well as being a truck driver it’ll really give everyone a better aspect if they’d just please understand the logistics of everything
I was a owner operator, but just sold my truck about 2 months ago. I just got sick of being over the road and all the expenses of keeping a truck running and legal and all my trucking that I did got really slow due to Covid19. I'm currently driving truck for a local company hauling feed and home daily and paid by the hour.
After 10 years I was forced out in Sept. 2018 due to my ex wife running a stop sign as my then codriver. Between 3 major wrecks, first in 09 when I was ejected at 86 MPH (codriver stole the rig and slammed into another rig while I was passed out from babysitting her dumbass ), I was cutoff in 2016 and pushed a minivan into 2 other cars, and a DUI driver going southbound in the northbound lanes on I81 I now have PTSD and neurological/spine damage to where I can no longer function normally. Between that and 2 truck companies that I had nobody would work and I stayed BROKE. Screw trucking. At 36 I now swing between grass, pain killers, and the bottle while my 4th wife (and longest lasting) wonders how the hell I can function to still work 64-100 hours a week in private security trying to stay out of a wheelchair and keep my from offing myself
Heck I'm retiring after 32 yrs of this crap
20+ years and I got out gave up my CDL and started my own business. Don't miss trucking at all!👍
I got a question. Is it bad if you work for someone local or private and one of there trucks isn’t insured. If DOT stops you, could that be bad? The truck not being insured.
Been a local driver for the last 10 years. 7 as a box truck driver 3 as a tractor/trailer. I'm looking to make the move into OTR, any suggestions as to where I should look?
Australia road trains
Got my class 1 UK it's a OK job but wages are crap
How about federal regulations on the rates towards broker percentage.
Would recommend a smart trucking back drop.
What do or did think about a marmon truck
I believe 1099 is when a person is responsible for paying his/her own taxes personally (no auto deduction, usually paid every quarter, to my understanding).
Got an 860$ fine today for being 3k overweight on drives they didn’t even allow me a chance to try and fix it so they wrote me a citation and 10 min later I had slid my fifth wheel and fixed the issue what the $&@) screw IL it was a new company truck and I didn’t realize fifth wheel was slid all the way back I almost lost my sh&$ on that DOT officer when he responded to my question if I was allowed to try and fix it first he said
“Even if you fix it you were driving illegally overweight on your axel”
Lol what the hell anyone who scales their load and was overweight beforehand was driving illegally to get to the damn scale !
The job is good if you are paid hourly .mile rate and free loading is criminal
Too much waiting, lost time playing catch up all time, always in a hurry, no time to stop, racing against the count down clock all time.
Its a mugs game like Russian roulette
But some people play rush and roulette and win. Get the money be safe and take care of your health and family
Y'all are a good couple
New cdl holder from Ohio,,found a regional number @ Dutchmaid logistics
Health issues could be a reason for getting out of trucking
MAke sure you’re eating healthy and exercising while out here. Make it a priority
Not true you just transition to driver manger - dispatcher, broker, or terminal manger. Just remember one more load
Could you do a video about local Food service truck companies, and the abuse they go through sir please?
Sysco you be slinging a lot of cases.
Not working
Looking to get out next year
Why
I’m overpaid in this industry
Run
RIP BILL MACK satellite cowboy
Turning 23 in November with no post-secondary education yet because tuition is expensive, looking to get into AZ/DZ driving. Been learning what I can about the business of driving through RUclips, worked at a truck dealership in the Toronto area for 4 years selling GM and Isuzu trucks, spoke to drivers and business owners, seen equipment both pristine and tired run through the shop, delivered parts and dealt with cliche dispatch scenarios, sold trucks for 2.5 years. I have experience in the dealership side of the trucking industry, and the key as a driver is to find a niche. Cookie cutter OTR gigs can be a good fit for some, but not all drivers. Specialize. I like the logistics field and real estate, but most post-secondary programs take more than several months to about a few years to complete and cost as much as a second car. Of all the trades, I'm most qualified and prepared to get a DZ/AZ. At least getting a CDL will be quicker, and get me more than minimum wage (home time isn't a priority for me). Most small companies that operate G class trucks want me to be at least 25 for insurance reasons, so getting a CDL seems to be like the option I'll have to take. Otherwise running local/courier work and getting a cargo van/box truck of my own and signing on as an owner-operator with a carrier.
I'm just not willing to get into 20K+ of student debt when the majority of post-secondary education programs struggle to keep up with industry changes, and entire companies come and go in the course of a 4 year degree program. That's not taking into account the fact you need to get the required course types at the high school level AS WELL, just to be considered for that post-secondary program. Minimum wage doesn't pay today's cost of living in the GTA either. So it's drive my way to a niche gig, or stay with slave wage and never get financially ahead. I think I'll take driving. City life is too expensive anyway. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯