Need A Job? Upstate Companies Say Try Trucking. What say you, Duers?

[raccoon]

Need A Job? Upstate Companies Say Try Trucking

Instructor: Recruiters are "desperate for drivers"


GREENVILLE, S.C. --

Fresh out of the military, 25 year old Jedidiah Collins was looking for a new challenge. "Right now, the choices in South Carolina are manufacturing or transportation," he says. "And I can't stare at 4 walls all day long!"

The money is very good, according to Tech teachers. Beginning drivers can early anywhere from $40,000-$50,000 as soon as they hit the road... Still, there's a national shortage of about 400,000 drivers.

http://www2.wspa.com/news/2012/jul/10/need-job-upstate-companies-say-try-trucking-ar-4106656/

JMHO: I doubt most beginners make THAT much. I remember in the early 80's hearing similar stories about computer programmers starting out making the big bucks...never knew anyone in RL who made ANYTHING like the ads were saying, not to start out, anyway.

[uponit7771]

1. Sounds like the IT "shortage" IE...these people make too much money so lets fiegn...

...a shortage so we can insorce

[michael811]

2. I was a trucker

I did it for 5 years driving for central refrigerated. You can get a license in about 2 weeks for less then 2000. I would recommend going to a school not affiliated with a company and that has a placement service instead of going to school run by a trucking company . I made probably over 30000 my first year about 6 years ago and they paid for my school loan at 150 per month . I spent about 2 months on the road and then took 5 days off and went back out again. Its a lot of hours 70 every eight days and food can be expensive because you have to eat out a lot without having a kitchen but its great if your single and don't keep an apartment you will have basically no bills.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. It's not a job, it's a lifestyle

You'll be away from home for weeks at a time, to make that kind of money. Short hauls pay much less.

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. It depends

My son and his three best friends are newbie truck drivers.

Friend #1 and 2) signed up with a teaching trucking company operating out of Utah. After two (four?) weeks of training, they put you on the road solo. These companies require you to work for them a year, if you quit before that time, you're on the hook for the cost of your training. Based on promises of recruiters, they decided to go "owner operator" in which you are leasing the truck from the company, pay for your own fuel and expenses and operate as a subcontractor. The both lost their asses and essentially worked for free for a 9 months and had to reimburse the company for their training expense. Both still drive trucks, one on a western regional route and the other for a septic pumping company. They got a CDL from the experience with the training company, but nothing more.
Friend #3) signed up with the same teaching trucking company, but ignored the recruiters and went the "company driver" route. He has worked there for a year, 4 weeks on the road and 4 days off (!) and does get a meager paycheck, but the company dings him for all manner of stupid bullshit. Last month during the heat wave in the south, the company withheld $360 from his paycheck for "excess idle" because he idled his truck too much in order to maintain an 80° cab temperature during his sleep time.
My son (22) worked for the same Utah company as a company driver, but within a few weeks of paying off his tuition, through referral, he went to work for the same company as friend #1) He's on the road now for a week or two at a time, on a regional route into Canada with frequent stops near home. The company is still exploitive (as is the rest of the industry) but he does at least now make a living wage. He had the benefit of the experience of friends #1 and #2 and so avoided many of the pitfalls.

He won't make $40,000 this year, but maybe next year.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Actually, I read there is a real need for new OTR drivers because older

drivers are retiring. Yes, they pay that much and some carriers pay bonuses as well. One must be certified and Driving School is very expensive. My son went to driving school and started with a major national carrier. He managed to terrify himself when a pickup truck pulled out in front of him. It's one of the few times he ever cried, when he said he just couldn't do it. So, because he had a contract where the carrier paid for the training in exchange for his driving for them for 12 months, we had to pay them back. He was 24 at the time and had placed first in his class at school.

[AngryAmish]

6. Robots are going to replace a lot of the truckers within 20 years

Learn robot repair.