Truck Driver questions...

[Little_Bit_Red]

SO, I am considering taking the 'plunge' and going to truck driving school.

I know there are different routes, some that will get you home daily/weekly/monthly..... I drove some semi-sized trucks in the Army, pulling trailers...Though it wasn't my full-time job, I did do it weekly, though not for hours and hours at a time.

Do I like driving big trucks - YES.
Do I like the idea of wearing jeans and flannel and work boots every day - YES
Do I like the idea of seeing different parts of the country - YES

Not hazmat qualified (yet, something to think about).

My questions: What would make the most money, driving wise?

I AM aiming to make money so that I can get some land somewhere and start a small homestead.

As I am 41 and not in super duper shape, is there a way to get out of unloading the truck? I did read that some drivers can make more by unloading. I am worried about hurting my back or something doing that....


Anyone who has made or is making a living that way, would you be kind enough to give me some answers and pros/cons, please?

I looked at the company Stevens and they sound pretty good in what I read.

Do they teach you to talk on the CB or would I wing it? I have military training and I can talk military style radio talk, but not trucker style......

And, lastly, how do I stay safe, being female and all

Lastly, do all truckers stay in the sleeper cabs, or do they do hotels??

I am sure i can think of others questions, it's just late and I am tired.

Oh yea, I am in Michigan, but I would totally relocate for a better route, better pay (Stevens is in Dallas, TX)....

Will check back tomorrow! Thanks!

[Conhntr]

Its a tough business to be competetive in even if you are experienced.

If you chose otr (over the road/long haul) you would need to stay in the cab most nights. A hotel will be too expensive and you wont have time to drve around looking for one.

Not wanting to unload; probably wont cost you anything on some runs, but you will end up turning down some loads becuase they need you to offload them. My experience is the ladies usually dont have much trouble finding some help. But you wont be able to run ltl (less than load/ the guys that deliver stuff locally that is too big for fedex/ups) becuase ltl can be VERY physical.

My advice is find a niche market and not to compete with the big companies and experinced owner operators. I know people that do the following and make decent money

Livestock hauling-- somewhat physical but you being on this forum may be of interest. Specialize in moving horses/private animals not commercial stuff

Hotshot-- moving 4/5 cars on a small gooseneck for dealers tranfer and to and from auction. (Getting cars on a trailer can be physical)

Dump truck; work a day job for the quarry but get your name around to the farm/homestead crowd that you specialize in driveways/grading/etc for them. This is probably the best idea if you get a good reputation as being easy to work with (and easy on peoples property) you could get alot of work helping people on farms.

[Sturedman]

At 53, and after 35 years in the same industry, I decided to go to truck driving school and become a driver. After all the research, I went with Prime. I am glad I did. You spend a few days in class, get your permit and go out on the road with an instructor until you drive 100 hours, then come back, take the test and get your cdl, then go out with a trainer for 50,000 miles for learning and experience. You will stay in the truck for sure, and my cb was seldom ever on. I drove over the road for 6 months. To me, it was awesome, but at 53 I think it was to drastic a lifestyle change. To make money, the wheels have to be turning. So, very little home time. I drove the entire country and saw it all pretty much. The only problem is, you see it at 65 mph and get to wave at it lol. A thousand places I wanted to stop and check out, but you can do that with a big rig in a lot of places, and you don't have the time anyway.

My trainer was 34 years old, not married and owned no house. His truck was his home. He leased his truck through Prime, and drove as an owner/operator. He was in his 10th and final year as a driver. By having no house, car, bills, etc, he had done nothing but saved his money. That was his plan. After 10 years, he had saved close to $600,000. At 35, he bought his property to homestead on, would spend 2 years setting it all up and get a job driving local for some income until he could make his living off his land. He is now married, has his 135 acres in Missouri, has a kid, and a wonderful life. I was impressed that at only 26 years old, he made this plan and stuck by it.

If you're a family person, and at 41 years old, it can be a tough change of lifestyle. To get the local jobs, most all require at least 1 or 2 years experience. I am glad I tried it, but I missed my home life too much. The kids, the dogs and even the wife lol. Seeing them 3 or 4 days out of the month didn't work for me.

But I say, go for it...you never know. You might enjoy it. There are a lot of long time drivers out there who really like the lifestyle. Stevens would be a good company, but look at Prime as well.

Keep us posted, and good luck!

[Bret4207]

If you get into long haul you pretty much have to use the sleeper. Unless the rules have changed you can't claim sleeper berth time in your log if you stay in a motel. The rules used to allow split sleeper berth time, but not for off duty at a motel time. Your sleeper would probably be a lot cleaner than many motels anyway, safer too.

From the perspective of a retired DOT cop, there are only 2 kinds of drivers- professionals and the other kind. Professionals are a joy to deal with and their rigs are usually indicative of their status among their peers. Clean, well maintained trucks, well organized paperwork, logs up to date, loads well secured and organized. This is vitally important in HazMat. The other kind of driver is the slob driver who can't even back a trailer that spends a good deal of time Out Of Service for really stupid stuff like chaffed air lines or loose lugs or broken springs. Those are the people that wipe out entire families when the tie rod end lets go at 60 mph.

If you want to do it, go for it. It would be a real good idea to establish some sort of plan to deal with "I am 41 and not in super duper shape". Sitting behind a wheel all day is not conducive to weight loss and muscle tone. If getting up into the truck is a work out, well, nuff said.

[Truckinguy]

It might be difficult to find a job with absolutely no driver assisted unloading. I used to haul Canac Kitchens components to Chicago and after driving all night to get there I had to help the receiver unload and catalog all the items. Then I usually went down to Dallas/Fort Worth airport and hauled air mail up to Toronto which I wasn't allowed to have anything to do with loading and the trailer was sealed. I think hauling a dry van would give you the most chance of not having to load or unload yourself. Stay away from flatbed work as it is usually very labor intensive. I hauled construction equipment in and around Toronto for more than 20 years and was in pretty good shape because of it. Anything that involves chaining, tarping and strapping you might want to stay away from.

If you get into hauling sealed trailers you won't have to load or unload. We haul car parts for Honda and the trailers are sealed both ways. It's pin to pin work, take a trailer somewhere, drop it, pick up another and head back. It's still some work to unhook and hook up the trailers but you can't expect to just sit in the seat and make a living, lol!

Tanker hauling would be a fairly easy job if you can get used to the sloshing around if the tank isn't baffled. I haul water now and I have to roll out hoses a lot but there are a lot of liquid commodities that don't involve a lot of work. Milk, for example, would only require you to hook up a short hose for loading and unloading. There are a lot of food grade liquids that only require a short hose at each end of the trip.

There are also powdery loads like cement powder and flour that also only require a short hose for loading and unloading.

Most places that ship and receive items mounted on skids will likely require their own forklift operators to load and unload you.

Some companies will require you to wear a uniform during work hours so don't count on wearing jeans and flannel to work.

I"m not sure what the wages are in the US but up here you can make a good living driving locally, even driving a straight truck if you get into something a bit specialized. I"m mostly familiar with the construction industry but I know men and women who make a pretty good living in the city driving a straight truck if you want to put up with the traffic.

Here in Canada they are predicting a shortage of 30,000 truck drivers by 2020 so there will be a lot of demand in the future.

[BobbyB]

I drive For a big feed and grain company. Home every night and weekends, work 50 to 60 hours a week, seldom drive over 8. Most of my loads are bulk grain or pellets in a hopper bottom. Some van loads that are drop and hook or to one of our stores where I just watch it get unloaded. i make better money than I did in the oil field and have full benefits . May be another option to look into.

[CountryWannabe]

My son in law used to work for Prime, and I will say that he found it a good company other than the fact that he didn't spend much time at home. He now works as an owner/operator for ACT and likes the shorter routes much better. He gets a choice of available loads and routes. He gets home at least every couple of weeks for a day or so. He does not have to load/unload - though whether that is company policy or dependent on the load I am not sure. He makes pretty decent money (a lot more than he did as a mechanic!!) He never stays in motels, always using the cab. He has a 12v crockpot that he uses a lot for meals to save money - just taking a frozen home prepared meal from the cooler and cooking while he is driving. I am pretty sure he doesn't have to wear a uniform.

Mary

[TenBusyBees]

Dh says in order to make $$$ driving a truck you gotta keep the wheels moving...he was otr before I met him. He didn't like it....he liked driving....he hated being gone all the time. He's a family man. However he has kept his cdl and we've had to depend on it a couple of times through our marriage until something more suitable came along.

He's got a bad back so loading/unloading is not an option... there are driving jobs that are hands off but of course that's usually reflected in the income. The BEST paying job he ever had (and he's in a very specialized field now) was hauling milk--dairy to bottling plant. Technically he was home every night but the hours were RELENTLESS because there was no set route per driver....also each dplant had it's own standards and if a load was rejected then he would have to drive to another plant which was usually on the opposite side of the state (tx). And while he wasn't loading he was having to climb the tanker and take milk samples and temperature readings at each stop. His knees really took a beating.

[BobbyB]

I talk to by the load drivers when I haul wheat to Port . My clock is ticking when the lines to unload are long. They are fussing because they wont make another load that day. My regular pay is good, when the OT starts its really good. I checked into England. They train you then after you drive for so long, you can become an instructor the pay nearly doubles since you get paid for driving and paid again for instructing. I didnt go there because I didnt want OTR.

[coolrunnin]

I am an oo now but I have worked for companies in the past, most don't require unloading and alot of the bigger ones the bulk of your loads are drop and hook.
I have always found the pay to be pretty good, but the away time is a little rough sometimes.
I personally stay away from hazmat just because I don't think the extra compensation is equal to the extra costs for the license, but that is just me.
I hardly ever turn the cb on, it sure isn't like the old days, now it's full of trash talk and cussing.
You can sleep in the sleeper or a motel, the motel is nice a couple times a week just for the being able to move around and being able to shower in peace. Motels are tax deductible by the way, and the time is off duty so as long as you get 10 hours off your good for another 11 driving.

Oh and don't get lured into the lease purchase crap these companies are pushing these days.

[Nature Man]

Have you watched Ice road Trucker's on the History Channel or also available on DVD at the library? It's about driving the big rigs on ice roads in Alaska and the Northwest Territories. The show is about the drivers and their trucks. Several of the drivers are women. Might give you some insite into the daily life of the drivers.

Bill

[Little_Bit_Red]

WOW! You guys are wonderful!

Let me add info:
I am not married/not dating (sadly)
I do not have a home/apartment (I live with my folks right now, again, sadly, but I am grateful!!!!)
I have no kids/animals to attend to
I have a car

Ok, so totally understand everything y'all have told me. As for the 'shape' i am in, lol. I am fairly strong for not having officially worked out in a while. I couldn't run a marathon, but i can run (plod along) at a slower pace for a bit. I clean my neighbors barn and stalls (four horses) three times a week, so I am able to do physical work.

My last job I was making $70k a year and I traveled 3 weeks out of four, so being gone from my home wasn't an issue, though I did get home more often that what OTR will.

I don't particularly want to haul cars (don't like the load, not aerodynamic enough). When I was in the Army, I loaded vehicles onto flatbeds, and then the driver chained. I did like that idea - hauling for the military - probably because I miss the Army a lot.

I would be a great driver - because I do care about my truck and load. I respect the long-haulers because it's not an easy job and they have to be careful. And I am anal about paperwork (which means I am VERY diligent and good at it!)

I can totally dig sleeping in my cab - like camping, lol. Doesn't bother me one bit. And, as I have traveled from Michigan to Texas a ton of times, I know where to stop (ie. Love's, Flying J, etc) for relative comfort and showers.

And, I can totally 'do' the crockpot meals/soups and sandwiches/salads that I purchase at a grocery store or farmers market, instead of the 'fast food' that is at the truck stops.

And, I don't mind being away, on the road. I get that I won't get to stop and see anything, just pass it and wave, lol, but still, seeing different parts of the country would be cool, and to give me an idea of where I should purchase my land. I have never been to Wyoming or Montana or the Dakota's.....

Ok, I will check out Prime, and I did read at Steven's, about having the opportunity to become a trainer and making more money that way.

I wish I had discovered the homesteading lifestyle in my 20's, instead of so late in life - I wish I had had that forethought to save save save instead of spend spend spend. So, though late in life, this IS what i want, so I might as well go for it!

I would have to find more information to see about other types of truck driving (working with homesteaders, etc).

Going to check out Prime now. Please! Keep the info coming! Really enjoying it and learning SO MUCH!!!!

ETA: I was a mechanic when i was in the army, so I mechanically inclined - and do understand about lung nuts and other things.....

[Little_Bit_Red]

Originally Posted by Nature Man

Have you watched Ice road Trucker's on the History Channel or also available on DVD at the library? It's about driving the big rigs on ice roads in Alaska and the Northwest Territories. The show is about the drivers and their trucks. Several of the drivers are women. Might give you some insite into the daily life of the drivers.

Bill

I have, liked it a lot. I understand that route would be very serious and dangerous, but I thought I would be good at it, because I was very good at hauling top heavy, long truck with long trailer and I don't overestimate my abilities nor do i underestimate the terrain or the weather.

But, it seemed like a lot of bickering, trucks that were not well maintained, and alot of drama. But again, it WAS a tv show, so they need the drama to keep people interested, i guess. Also, i was thinking that they were oo, and I don't know that i want to buy/lease my own truck ......

thanks!

[Little_Bit_Red]

Ok, I checked out Prime - didn't like them, cause you have to lease and i didn't want to jump in that pool - yet.

Annnnnnd, I took the plunge and applied to Stevens, said I was available the 1st of May. Have to stay in Michigan and tend the house while parents are out of town.....

Keep the info coming! Fingers crossed!

ETA: And, if I eventually or ever go that route, I'd probably want to have my truck painted or 'skinned' like OPTIMUS PRIME!!!! Can you see me, going down the road that way? AWESOME!!!!! And, a pipe dream !

[Conhntr]

I went ups and it is very good money. But i wouldnt recomend it unless you where 18 and willing to work for pennies part time for 3 years, go full time at 21 (hopefully) make about 50-60 for three years, then be at "top rate" which if you work 55-60hrs like alot of us you end up over 100. I like the pension, no out of pocket for truck, gas, makntnance, training.

I say 18 becuase with 25 and out pension you can be retired at 43 like i will be!

But as a 40 year old in "not great shape" i definantly would NOT recomend UpS!!!

[Sturedman]

Originally Posted by Little_Bit_Red

Ok, I checked out Prime - didn't like them, cause you have to lease and i didn't want to jump in that pool - yet.

Annnnnnd, I took the plunge and applied to Stevens, said I was available the 1st of May. Have to stay in Michigan and tend the house while parents are out of town.....

Keep the info coming! Fingers crossed!

ETA: And, if I eventually or ever go that route, I'd probably want to have my truck painted or 'skinned' like OPTIMUS PRIME!!!! Can you see me, going down the road that way? AWESOME!!!!! And, a pipe dream !

Just as a note, you don't have to lease at Prime. I was a company driver. Some of the trainers are company as well. But I heard good things about Stevens, so good luck with that for sure. I think you will do good at it. I can add you to my Facebook. I took about 15,000 pictures lol, and posted a lot from all over.

[Wis Bang 2]

The son of my wife's coworker really likes Stevens. Visit TruckersReport.com Trucking Forum it is a good site.

[TedH71]

Heard about a job where you do it once a month for a week and get paid a lot of money. What was it? Delivering spent nuclear waste but you had to do it with armed escort and helicopters!

[rancher1913]

I haul beets all winter and its all no touch freight. the only problem is when your over the hopper and the operator dumps the whole load at once--the air bags don't like to go from 100,000 pounds to nothing in the two seconds it takes to unload.

[DAVID In Wisconsin]

I hauled oversized loads for years. I liked it. I was hired by the manufacturer, not a trucking company. Pay was good and I had adequate time between trips. My company paid for motels and such so I never used a sleeper. Hauling butt being 14 or so feet wide and 100 feet long is a real rush! Generally, you'll get more pay for oversized or hazardous loads. I got see the entire country, at 70 miles an hour!