The Truck Driving Career

“SEE THE COUNTRY AND GET PAID”

And that’s how the sales pitch goes…
Well I started this blog to try to give some of you newbies an idea of what you’ll be getting into.
My name is Eric and I’ve been driving OTR for a little over 12 years with a handful of different companies.

Overall it’s been a decent living, $40,000 a year on average, no “boss” breathing down your neck, and some elements of freedom.

Yes, you will see the country and take in some amazing sights, sounds, and experiences. Just wanted to start in a positive note because the industry in general has been decent.

Now for the straight truth of what you’ll be getting into…

Be prepared for long hours, hard work, bad traffic, worse weather, and a whole lot of other trucks and cars on the road with you. All the things your recruiter will forget to mention.

In the last decade due to numerous federal tax breaks, the truck driving school industry has exploded.
Every major city has numerous training centers and some are pretty good, such as the one in your local community colleges. But yet many others are fly by night “ripoff” artists looking to cash in on some unsuspecting student.

These schools will range in price from a couple thousand to several thousand dollars, about as much as four years at community college.

My personal take on these schools is don’t do it! Do not go into debt just to learn how to drive a truck. Even the local college unless you have some kind of educational grant.

Unlike An Electrician, Carpenter, or other skilled trades, truck driving has no standardized pay rate upon completion of training.

With little or no experience expect to run “OTR” or Over The Road starting out.

No hourly rate because you will not get paid by the hour on OTR.

For some of you coming out of the manufacturing sector this may be a big shock.

Truck drivers are in one of the few professions that are not covered by federal minimum wage laws, another being food servers.

Now before I scare you off completely,let me add that generally you should make well above minimum wage.

Expect to make anywhere between $15-$20 per hour while driving- not while sitting in docks, but more on that later.

My advice to you is to have a trucking company pay for your training, but keep in mind when you go that route the company most times will require a signed contract stating you agree to work for them a minimum amount of time, usually a year.

Quitting or other breach of which will make you liable for the cost, normally several thousand dollars. Buyer beware!

While not singling out any particular trucking company, be aware that the treatment of drivers varies greatly between them. A simple search will find several forums, blogs, etc to find other experiences.

Never rely on solely on a company recruiter, talk to other drivers and search the web for all the info you can find before deciding.

After completing training and company orientation, expect to spend 3-4 weeks riding with a “driver trainer”.

This is a federal requirement and most companies require it.

While most of these ladies and men who train are very good and professional, many are not.

Some companies allow rookie drivers with as little as 3 months experience to train. This is regardless of there record or abilities. For the most part it’s all about getting “backsides in the seat”.

Don’t expect to make good money the first year. Though a recruiter may tell you to expect $40,000 or more in the first year, that is rarely the case.

A large chunk of that number will be the training itself, which some companies value as much as $10,000 toward your gross income.

Expect to spend a minimum of two weeks out on the road or more when starting out, though many companies try to get you home every weekend lately, often it will not be Friday night but usually Saturday while expecting you to roll out again Sunday to make Monday morning delivery.

Not a lot of time for family there.

A lot of times you will be sent home “Under a load” which means taking all the equipment and freight home with you. Having to find a safe place to keep an 18 wheeler may pose a problem.

All the real training begins once your “first seat” or as a solo driver for the first time. There will be very little support or any from the dispatcher, fleet manager, driver manager, or whatever your company calls them. Most times just ask other drivers and many of them can and will help.

There are many stressful aspects to this profession not the least of which being heavy traffic and other inconsiderate drivers.

A major headache will be finding shippers and receivers. most times the directions supplied will be off, or many times way off.

It will not be like driving your car, where when you miss a turn just flip a “U”. Most times missing a turn will mean a long drive to find enough space to turn around. On some occasions having to back up a long distance against heavy traffic. Then you’ll know stress.

“SEE THE COUNTRY AND GET PAID!”

If you decide to stick with it at least a year you will see many great sights out on the road. Though probably more Ohio, Pennsylvania, and east coast then you’ll ever want to.

Nothing against those places, but that is where most of the freight runs and where you’ll see most of your miles.

LEASING-

I have a few thoughts on that one, my advice is DON’T DO IT! Not if you’re new to the business. I’m sure many make a good living leasing a truck and they can write their own post, but if you do the math you’ll see.

When you lease, all truck expenses become your expenses. This includes fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, taxes, etc. The truck will normally be used or near the end of warranty.

The company may have a fuel bonus but how slowly do they raise it when fuel prices go up? How quick do they lower it when prices come down again?

Small details like that can cost hundreds or more a year out of your pocket. This is all in addition to higher SSI tax payments and out of pocket health insurance.

Did you know as a lease operator, fuel costs will be more than the gross income of most company drivers?
$35-40,000 per year!

Do you know SSI tax will be double that of a company driver? out of your pocket!

Do you realize a tax return will have to be filed every 3 months?

Did you know some trucking companies charge for the “privilege” of pulling company trailers?

YOU WILL NOT BE AN “OWNER OPERATOR” if you lease!

Do you know Owner Operator rates vary depending on the load, weight, location, and freight. While lease operators rates stay the same no matter how heavy, (more Fuel), or how tough the load (New York, etc)?

Owner operators usually have access to a “board” containing a variety of loads in the area. That owner operators have the option of which loads to pull? Lease operators do not.

Decline a load? guess again and watch yourself sitting 24-48 hrs with no miles. That truck payment is still due.

Skeptical? Check the trucking forums or just turn up the CB.

If you are thinking about leasing, just make sure you do the math and know what you’re getting into.

“THERE IS A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF TRUCK DRIVERS!”

This is the theme of many news stories nationwide.
This is only part of the story. Anyone who commutes daily knows there are plenty of truckers on the road now.

All the freight in the country will get delivered eventually. It’s just a matter of when, and in this business “when” equals “how much”.

The shippers who pay the highest rates always get their freight moved while the cheap ones sit and wait.

Trucking companies scream “THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH DRIVERS FOR THE INDUSTRY!”

The truth is every trucking firm wants more drivers for themselves, and continually compete with each other for drivers.

Some even use underhanded strategies such as abusive exclusive employment contracts, failing to give references to prospective employers, false accident reports on your permanent record, false drug test results, etc. While these incidents are uncommon they do happen.

The driver turnover rate for most large OTR (over the road) companies varies some say as high as 200%.
For LTL (less than truckload) or many unionized turnover is much lower.

Though many leave the industry completely, many more just go to other places hoping the grass will be greener.

Most times you’ll start with an OTR or”long haul” company simply because unionized or local jobs are the most coveted and hard to get.

If you are all ready driving and just looking for another place, try to talk to other drivers first.
Also check out the equipment, specifically the trailers.

Most will invest a ton of money into tractors, which is good. But one that keeps up all their equipment is usually better managed and better to work for.

You will not be paid for every mile you drive. Since the miles for each run will be precalculated using mapping software such as Rand McNally or the Home Movers Guide.

Many times your driving miles will be as much as 10% over paid miles. This is just the way it is because that is also how the shippers pay the trucking industry.

When the truck needs a repair on the road you will not be paid for your time in most cases.

There will be a lot of sitting and waiting to get loaded and unloaded, expect not to be paid for this either.

Yes some places advertise “detention pay” their claims are dubious at best. To actually receive it is rare.

Be prepared to spend a lot of time sitting in truck stops during slow freight periods.

Be prepared to loose a lot of sleep during heavy freight periods.

Freight volume will vary from week to week, and region to region depending on the company size and trucks on the road.

In closing I hope this little lens enlightened you just a little. This is all just my take from my own personal experience. Ultimately, you’ll draw your own conclusions…

Ready to get OUT of the truck? Trucking life not at all what you expected or were promised? I left the trucking life and started a home internet business. Built it all from my laptop, and so can you! Join me at http://www.zentrucking.com/.

Have a great ride!

About the Author…

Eric Lorence was a “long haul” truck driver for twelve years before leaving the industry to start various internet businesses and engage in other pursuits.
Visit his Home Page at ZENTRUCKING.COM

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