Is this the truth about trucking jobs?

by Mr. Pondja Djamba
(champaign, IL)

Truth About Trucking

I 've been thinking about taking the CDL class, but friends of mine report disadvantages of being Semi-truck driver:

- they make you buy YOUR TRUCK WHICH IS VERY EXPENSIVE
- You pay you own insurance
- you pay for the gas
- you pay for the maintenance,the tires
- once you got the ticket in your own car. it is going to affect your CDL and ticket for a truck driver is more expensive than for a regular driver
- your driver license can be gone, and the next day you won't have a job;
- the rate per hours is low, but you work a lot and that's what make you check looks great!

These are, according to my friends, reasons for what there is always opening trucking Job

Comments for Is this the truth about trucking jobs?

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Feb 12, 2016
Rating

The Truth about Trucking NEW
by: Hervy

1. You have to buy your own truck.
Answer: They can't make you buy your own truck.

2. You pay your own insurance.
Answer: Only if you are independent contractor or O/O

3. You pay for the gas.
If you are company driver the company pays for fuel.
Answer: If you own the truck, you pay for fuel.

4. You pay for maintenance and tires
Answer: Only if you are O/O, leasing

5. Getting a ticket in your car will affect your CDL.
Answer: Yes it will affect your drivers license.

6. A ticket in your car is more expensive for truck driver.
Answer: As far as I know it is the same.

7. Your driver's license can be gone and next day you won't have a job.
Answer: Of course you can loose your license and of course if you do, you can't drive. YOu may or may not loose your job, depends on situation and company.

8. The rate per hours is low, but you work a lot and that's what make your check look good!

Answer: If you calculate ALL of the time that you spend on duty and divide it by the pay per week, yes it reflects a low rate per hour at your average trucking job as a company driver.

All of the time on duty is not actually working.

So if you want to calculate it that way you can. That's not really how trucking is designed to work.

If you're worried about that, trucking is not for you.

Or....you can get a trucking job that pays you buy the hour once you get experience. You will get a decent pay per hour if you go that route. You can't come on the road to get paid buy the mile and then cry about what that pay translates to per hour. That is a choice that YOU make to accept or not.

Aug 01, 2012
Rating

The truth about trucking jobs
by: Hervy

Pondja,

They don't make you buy a truck. You can buy/lease a truck depending on what company you decide to go to. No one can make you buy a truck.

If you do buy your truck, yes since you would be operating your own business as an owner operator so you would be liable for all expenses that occur. (for the most part)

Yes, the more tickets you get in any vehicle the more it will have a negative impact on your career. Your career is DRIVING.

You can avoid this simply by not break traffic laws.

Your rate per hour is low if you do the math that way.

That is the nature of the job for many people, that scenario varies depending on the company you work at. However, for most new drivers your options is limited and basically what you stated is true about the pay per hour.

Your salary as a new driver will be $25,000 to $35,000 for the first year (on average)

The second year you should be able to get $35,000 to $45,000 or possibly more depending upon where live. If you can't get that or you don't like how much you sit around at the company you are at, you can go to a better company.

That is if you don't have tickets and violations.

The reason there are always openings is because the job takes a special type of person.

Most people don't ask questions like you are doing now. That is smart of you. You will know exactly what to expect.

If you don't like the answers that you get about trucking and you come out here anyway, you probably will be talking bad about trucking because you will be unhappy like many others.

If you know what you are getting into but the lifestyle is some that you desire or you determine it is the way that you will CHOOSE to make a living, you accept the realities that come along with that lifestyle.

People that don't like doing what they are doing, no matter what it is....trucking, cooking, flipping burgers, cashier, etc.... should position themselves to find other types of employment or create other ways of earning a living.

It's absolutely ridiculous to complain about something but do nothing within your power to change your own future.

So the summary is...trucking is what it is, you have to decide if it is for you.

You can participate in trying to help things change for the better but you can't become a driver and expect to experience things differently than what they are right now.

Mar 24, 2012
Rating

Whoa
by: NickV

Obviously YOU are you're "friend"and sounds like you got yourself in some trouble and got canned. Either that or you just couldn't hack it on the road. I hear this nonsense from greenhorns all the time and sounds like to me you just made the right decision for the wrong person. Enjoy, but we don't need you're guff around here

Mar 24, 2012
Rating

is it true?
by: Anonymous

sure it is and sure it isnt. thats to say that in all industries, you hear about the guy that never got a raise and the guy that just got to the company and is doing so well.

from politics to the preschool teacher and even mom and dad, some are better then others.

some suceed where others havent.

if you work at wendys mc'donalods etc and they say to you you need to work overtime but we cant pay you for the extra time, would you donate your tinme, your costs to and from the job, the answer is up to you.

in trucking good sound business practices apply.

if you need the job, and are broke and decide to keep at it even though they arent paying you for th job you do, then look in the mirror and ask why you let them do it.

if you get stuck in the rut in a trucking job or any other job,m and this is the last job in the world that you think is avaiolable for you,

well i pray that god shows you the light and lets you smell the coffee.

Mar 24, 2012
Rating

Ditto
by: NickV

If this industry is so horrible why is it running the country? You're friend probably got on withC.R England and that outfit will starve you.

This is no place to down the trucking industry

Mar 23, 2012
Rating

nonsense
by: Anonymous

Tell your friend to stop feeding you lies. You should speak to a school and ask them the different type of truck drivers.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Ask a Professional Truck Driver..