Many thanks for he respones andd emails I recieved before. I saw this thread still going, thought I'd post my findings. I wanted to try driving a truck, but with three kids under age ten, long haul is pretty much out of the question. So I started asking around at the local companys running lowboys and such. They (2 actually) said I could get a job, ride along for a term to be specified by them, and take the test. They both mentioned something about trying to have the written test passed first. Here in Virginia I believe no school is needed to take the test at DMV. You pay a fee and sit for the test. Anyway, we started talking pay, by the hour here, and it don't start out at much. The benefits aren't very good at either of those companys, they are both quite large. The drivers I talked to, pull around 60 hour weeks. The truck stays in a yard, no home garaging. Bonuses are few and far between, after ten years these fellas are getting gold watches. A company picnic once a year. OH boy. I asked about time to get the better hours and wages, couple drivers said that they had been there 15-18 years, making about 550-700 weekly gross. Some guys make more. I can't go that far backwards financially just to try it out. The schools are not an option. I've been thinking about contacting Schneider, just to see about their package. Lots of guys running pups down here, looks good, hard to catch up to them to ask questions though. I still would like to try it, hope to find that one company willing to give me a chance, help me get my license, let me work for them couple years, but not take advantage of me, or run me to death. I have a good job, but I think the work I do is directly realted to new housing too much. No new house sales, no work basically. Anyway, thanks for posting your thoughts, Blair

 

Well, good news. I got my medical examiner's card. I went to a different place. No problem. You all give some valid points on and about pay. With two years experience, company drivers make .43 pm with USA Truck. Owner/operators with Schneider gets paid .85 pm.

I'm going with SRT of Ashdown, AR for six months. They're paying my school.

Good night.:7

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 23-Oct-02 AT 11:31 AM (EST)]>Well, good news. I got my medical examiner's card. I went to
>a different place. No problem. You all give some valid
>points on and about pay. With two years experience, company
>drivers make .43 pm with USA Truck. Owner/operators with
>Schneider gets paid .85 pm.
>
>I'm going with SRT of Ashdown, AR for six months. They're
>paying my school.
>
>Good night.:7
Forget about .85 per mile to the truck. You will go broke after state & federal taxes, fuel, maintenence, bobtail & deadhead insurance, health insurance,truck payments, trailer payments, and all your monthly bills.

Think about this. Fuel mileage is about 5mpg. Average price of fuel right now is $1.43 so for a 500 mile run you will require 100 gals of fuel x $1.43 which is $143.00 Your gross is is $425.00 which leaves $282.00 after fuel deduction for maintenence,truck & trailer payment, bobtail & deadhead insurance, health insurance, and your household money. You will have to run about 2500 miles per week to gross $1410.00. Out of this weekly money you will have to pay your Uncle Sam about 28% in quarterly income self employment tax in April, June, September and January. So that would leave you $1015.42. There are also State Income tax, Social Security, and Medicare taxes. This is probably around another $50.00 per week so now you are down to $965.42 per week.

Out of this $965.42 per week you will have to make your tractor & trailer payments which vary but lets say you have a $2000 per month payment. This means $500.00 per week for that. You are now left with $465.42 per week for all of your insurance. Monthly bobtail & deadhead insurance can be around $200. per month which eats another $50.00 per week into your $465.42. Now you have $415.42 Now you will undoubtedly have to set aside at least $100.00 per week for truck maintenence(tires,oil, parts, breakdowns, etc A transmission problem can run into the thousands. A motor mechanical problem the same. So now you have $315.42 per week. You also must feed yourself on the road. So you must devote at least $25.00 per day x 5 days is $125.00, less dinner at home on Friday nite, -$15.00, total $110.00 per week for road food.

So now you are down to $205.42 per week to pay your mortgage, your groceries, your utilities, your car payments and auto & home insurance
etc. Do you think you can live on this?

Groceries in any household must be $100 per week if you have kids. Home utilities like electric can be at least $20 per week. Automobile and car insurance, say another $25.00 per week. You are now approaching the negative column. This leaves $60.42 per week to pay your mortgage and car payment and personal health insurance.! Looks like a negative cash flow to me.
:-staun

In summary $0.85 per mile does'nt make it. Best of luck!

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 23-Oct-02 AT 03:21 PM (EST)]I agree $0.85 doesn't make it. But man 5mpg ouch I'm running a 2001 Kenworth T-2000 with a 500 ISX Cummins,Eaton 18 speed,3.70 in the rear end with 22.5 rubber
my co-pilot and I run basicaly the same route Toronto ONT to Vancouver BC the we do 2 LA turns back to Van then home for a week.
Average weight between 60 to 75,000 gross and were getting about 8.1 to 8.6mpg on summer fuel and last winter we went 7.8mpg on winter fuel.We set the cruise at 68mph. I don't have the numbers in front of me but you can imagine the savings.

The old guy that runs my truck solo on our week off runs flatland same weight he averages over 9mpg

We eat out only a couple of times a week otherwise we eat out of the fridge reheating in a microwave and we also carry a small propane bbq.
If you manage your time accordingly you'll cover more miles and save a little dough.

I put away on average about .07 cents per mile for matenance and extras for comfort and my rig is dealer matenaced only no short cuts there.

So TEX spend the first little while out there being creative in how you live on the road once you get the hang of it you'll find you eat better and have a little more down time for yourself.Not to mention the savings.

Also Tex when the time comes you feel that you want to buy your own spec
it right for the job.I know many a Big Rigger running their profits right out the pipe.

 

Get ready to spend between 6 and 8 thousand dollars to go to school. Then get ready to spend weeks on the road with limited showers, no place to park and DOT inspections. I drove for a while but for me it wasn't worth it. Get in touch with Schneider National, they train their own drivers.........................