If you’re gonna post here talking all this “I’m 22yrs old with little to no experience and I can’t find a job. How do I x, y or z?” at least tell us where you are or where you want to be. Wouldn’t hurt to throw in what experience you DO have no matter how little. I could suggest dozens and dozens of companies or options to someone living in the western 11, especially Cali, Az, Utah and Nevada but I don’t know shit about the east coast. A lot of guys here do. I think your chances of getting the information you’re looking for would increase greatly. I’m not taking the time to drag that info out of you myself and most people won’t. If you’re wanting genuine help from people who have good information and advice to offer then do your part and come prepared.
I just find it amazing how sometimes its like they want a 100k a year Monday to friday 8-5 local gig right out of the gate with no experience and that would allow their wife and 7 sons to ride with them.
Like would that be hard to find?
😂😂😂
Don’t forget their 3 dogs too
People think “trucking is hard, it sucks, however it’s important, and someone HAS to do it” and think they should get all those things as a reward.
It was me. I was people. I was wrong. lol
I have details!
I have a Class A CDL and MEC, but zero driving experience.
Previous employer provided training and testing, but I never had to drive anything larger than flatbed boom trucks and bucket trucks.
I’m currently living in SW Louisiana with no kids and no obligations, wondering the best way for me to get trained and get on the road.
Thanks for any advice.
The thing is idk how ppl expect 100k a year straight out of driving school
Because one idiot on reddit knows a guy and fell into a 1099 but then he can't math and didn't realize that 1100 a week bring home isn't 100k.
😂😂 when was this
[deleted]
I didn't say it wasn't but you are the exception not the rule. I drove for years before I found a 100k+ niche.
That's because it was years before pay got up to 100k.
I can tell you three different local jobs and two Regional that all take day one rookies and pay over 100k a year. One of them pays $114k.
If you think you get better pay because you have more experience, you don't get out enough. Nobody cares except your insurance company. The only difference between rookies making 100K and experienced drivers making 100K is that the rookies are usually working harder for that money. Dot Foods and Central transport, for example, are all too happy to pay guys $100,000 a year. But both of them are going to have you breaking down pallets.
Even Cintas route drivers can make 100K a year, and they don't even need a cdl. Or at least not a class A. And they don't even work 5 days a week.
Every job that claims 100k doesn't even come close once you start. More like 8 weeks OTR and living inside a truck for like 1300/week net.
It’s 100k in 2 years bro… relax. My guy is still making a 100k. He’s just slow.
Let’s be fair; OTR should start at 2000/week. I know it doesn’t, but it should
Closest I can get is $1900 a week with 100% touch freight 3-5 times a week. It sucks.
I agree
The same way the Port workers feel they deserve a 77% raise. Sense of entitlement
Working people complaining about what other working people make is amazing.
They deserve more.
Is 100k straight out realistic if, say, you're on the road 2 weeks at a time then 3 days home, going across the country and back?
Idk I never believe anybody that makes a 100k they first year unless they just with a lucky ass company that pays them everything lol
You can find it in oil and gas but you’ll be clocking some hours to get there
The recruiter that got me started was all about the 100 k i would make year one 😆 Lies Lies Lies 😆
When I was in school, our instructor flatout told us in advance not to believe any of the recruiters, and to do our own diligence and research before applying to a company. The tech school required them to allow visits from recruiters.
It’s not just Reddit, recruiters are also completely full of shit.
I did it 🤷 home every night
But I want 100k a year. Famous YouTubers said trucking is the best and you can be retiring early making 150k yearly and working 8-5
/s
Probably lying trust fund babies playing trucker.
I like to be helpful on here but I will admit it’s a bit frustrating when it’s the same question with lack of info on here. Most of their questions can be easily googled or searched on this sub.
You could post this 3 times per day. How much help do we need to offer people so dumb?
Kind of like people who waste everyone's time when they know they can’t pass a drug screen or a background check.
Or the “I’m on the bus on the way to my new job at Western Express, are they a good company?”
Hey…I was On my way!. Was in contact with a hiring recruiter and came here and got a response and stopped the process with them! And got Schneider in the next 20 minutes! Dont knock the late ones lolol but na I feel that!
Almost fell for that trap thank God I didn’t go in the last minute
I just take a quick look on indeed for a random job they qualify for in some random location and reply with that.
Oh that job in Rapid City isn’t helpful? Maybe if you had included your location you’d get some helpful responses.
I think that's the thing about trucking. If you arent looking for local. You can get a job out of any state as long as that company runs in that area. I drive for a small company in cali. And we have driver from FL tx and CO. But those are states we run to normally.
What’s the company called?
Your mom
I had no experience and was offered job at XPO logistics if I got all my endorsements including my Hazmat so I studied and within two weeks had everything and got the job.
My driver manager wants me to drive when my 10 hrs is up but I'd rather play video games
Twins
Hello there! I'm 29 and currently working at Amazon warehouse. I applied for tom team and if I get it, they will pay me to get a CDL and I'll get to have some experience. I'm in Vegas and I am curious of the opportunities after I gain a little experience. You mentioned Utah, CA, and AZ. Are there regional jobs that travel to those states as well as Nevada? I'm just trying to figure out a plan. TIA.
Details: Inland Empire, California Hazmat, tankers, trips and doubles. TWIC 1.5 years flatbed regional- CA, AZ, NV 6 months ports 10 months local drop & hook Looking for M-F would prefer not to work more than 12 hours in a day. Want to take home atleast 1500 a week. Any info would be appreciated I've been hunting on indeed and have filled out several apps but no luck yet.
Haul fuel.
I want to. Nobody i look into will hire without tanker experience.
I’ll be damned, pilot is hiring anyone and everyone around me (TX). The (much) smaller company I work for advertises that they need 2+ years experience but in reality they will take a chance on a decent candidate. I bet there aren’t many mom and pop setups around you though.
There are not. When I looked into pilot around me they wanted 5 years of fuel hauling experience.
Best advice I can give you in that case is to get on hauling water or running a vac truck, especially if there is any oil industry around you. Could also do it for dirt work or highway/road construction. Take the licks now for the payoff of being able to run fuel in a few years.
I appreciate it.
No problem, wish I could have been more help
HAZMAT & Tanker, doing DOD freight as an O/O is where good money is at, if you plan it right you can do dry van if you felt like it.
I’m a 25 year old otr tanker driver. I’m making 0.53 cents a mile my first year and projected to make 55 at the end of my probation year. I have no bills, no car, no real gf, no kids. Should I become a O/O? Or get a house, car? I have a clean slate and wanted some advice from senior truckers for how to take advantage of my situation. Many thanks
Keep doing what you’re doing and give all your money to your imaginary gf for safekeeping.
Update: I’ve got a knack for strip clubs, casinos, and car parts
Go all in on black with the change you have after you leave the strip club. You drive a truck, don’t worry about the car parts.
How do I get into cattle hauling? I’m writing a book about the Black Dog and my main character hauls cattle and I need some hands on experience. Or maybe if I can interview some cattle haulers, that would also be just as helpful I’m sure.
You’re serious? I’m a 3rd generation truck driver, been doing it since I graduated high school, my dad did it for 40yrs, multiple uncles as well and my grandfather was the first. I’ve heard and seen a lot and have never, ever heard any mention of the “black dog” anywhere but in that Patrick Swayze movie. If you’re serious and I apologize for suspecting you’re not, your best bet is just finding a guy driving a cattle truck somewhere and seeing what you can squeeze out of him. Check out some rolling CB interviews on YouTube, though you’re probably not gonna find anyone talking about a black dog lol. YouTube is just gonna be your best resource all around. You can find guys loading and unloading cattle, guys using scales, going through ports of entry, fueling, washing, dealing with brokers/dispatchers etc etc. Give all that a try first because scoring a job in this industry and more specifically the cattle hauling side of things just so you can write a book is gonna be a tall order.
I am serious. I’m a trucker already, too. When the radio and other media have lost their appeal, my mind likes to make up its own stories. I actually learned about the Black Dog here on this subreddit. But thanks for all the tips!
Butbutbutbut... they told me I'd be making millions of easy dollars from day one. Why do you need that info, just give me the money I'm entitled to earn!
Hell yes. Because of a quirky living situation that I never expected to be in, I've talked to damn near every trucking company in indianapolis. If you let me know that's where you're looking to work, I can tell you about local jobs, Regional jobs, OTR jobs, pay rates, home time, how much time you're going to spend in the back of the truck, what the tankers haul, and how much experience they require. Hell, I even know where most of the trucking schools are.
But if you live West of St louis, I don't know a damn thing for you, other than a couple of coast to coast carriers that I last looked into over a decade ago.
Details aren't as important in this industry, but they definitely help.
I dont have a truck,but I did want to make a post seeking advice.
Help me please. I’m 29 and just got out of trucking school, no experience other than retail and don’t want to OTR. I don’t have any endorsements but am planning on getting them. Can you point me in the right direction? Thank you
I live in LA CA
Does anyone have a lead for a company that hires out of Utah? I live in a rural part of the state, so local work isn't an option right now. My work history isn't great and I have some PSP violations, all but one fall off by the end of the year. My dispatcher coerced one at this company under threat of getting fired because I stupidly decided to run a favor for him with the thought that I'd get Christmas at home, which didn't happen
I've got five and a half years of experience, I've driven all over the lower 48, and I have a doubles endorsement that I've never used.
Edit: roughly half of my experience is dry van, the other half refrigerated, but I'm willing to learn flatbed and tanker once I get the latter endorsement
How far are you from SLC?
Edit: Closer to Salt Lake or St George?
I'm roughly centered between SLC, Moab, and Grand Junction
That only narrows it down so much. Lots of companies in the Richfield area that’ll let you park at home but the same could be said for Salt Lake and St. George. Especially if you don’t mind being out a few nights a week.
I'm fine with being out for weeks at a time, I'm used to it from doing OTR and regional. I'm closer to Moab than I am to St George, I'm not along the I-15 corridor
Have a few questions regarding NY hazmat trucking.
What is o/o
Owner operator
Your not going to get 100k a year your first year in your bank there are other expenses that come off the top that you do t account for meals and such parking is a huge expense and lack of dispatch if you don’t have common since on how to run a biz company or owner operator / driver yand depending what you haul it like a gamble and casino if your not hauling specialized freight meaning oversized or train cars windmeal blade on a regular basis you not going to make that as a company driver more like 65 to 70 k after taxes realistically nd that’s working every dit of 70 hours a week every week the whole year
You can absolutely make 100k/yr or more as company driver and you don’t have to haul windmill blades and nuclear warheads to do it.
And be home ever week and holiday not unless you own your own truck out right after taxes
Horse feathers. And you’re moving the goalpost now, you didn’t say shit about being off every holiday or home every week.
He did say first year out and getting his cdl or am I missing something
Oh, maybe someone deleted a comment. Comes across like you’re replying to the original post.
Oh ok
Not moving the goal post post at and I did say that you would have to work year mean no time off
I’m looking for advice so I don’t get stuck with a shit company. I’m in my second week of a 4-week program getting my CDL A. I want to start applying now. I have no experience. I’m married with a 10 yr old from a previous marriage that I see every other weekend right now. I’d be happy with anything $60k+ but obviously more is better.
What are some good companies to apply to that will take inexperienced drivers? And what kind of trucking should I start with so I’m home to see my wife and kid somewhat?
And I’m in NW Indiana if that matters.