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seeking advise from professional truck drivers

matt hougan

Junior Member
338
0
Dayton area
I am contemplating getting my class A CDL. If for no other reason then to broaden my options. Any words of advise? Not looking to be away from home for days on end. Dedicated routes or even Fed Ex or a beer route.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
There are local jobs to be had. I see you have looked into it a bit as you know some of those local jobs. :) A CDL isn't a bad thing to have. Ive had one for almost 20 years, it paid the bills for a long time. There are a lot of bad trucking jobs to be had, and a few good ones. Most people go through quite a few before they find one they like.
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
Gotta couple "beer guy" friends and they both say it is so physically demanding that they don't see themselves doing it for much longer.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Most trucking jobs are not easy. It's either toting heavy stuff around, or covering a lot of miles, everyday. I can't believe I lived through the first 7 years or so.
 

huntn2

Senior Member
6,090
157
Hudson, OH
Depends what you are hauling. If you land a gig where unloading is involved it can be physically demanding. Go to a large tire retailer and watch a diver show up for delivery and throw a truckload of tires. On the flip side there are a ton of over the road and daily run loads where you merely bump docks with either a drop and hook or live load but never touch the freight.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,632
234
Licking Co. Ohio
I have a Class A CDL only because I have to haul Crane Parts quite often. I also used to work in shipping in a paper mill before becoming an operator. I have had many conversations with drivers from many different company's ~~ Brock is right..... There are a lot more bad trucking jobs than good ones. My understanding is that a dispatcher will tell you ANYTHING to get you to take the load. And seems they forget to tell you some of the not-so-fine details. They also told me that the better company's to work for require several years of experience before they consider you. And those years had better be pretty much accident free. I have not experienced this in person..... mearly passing along info that came from drivers.
 

huntn2

Senior Member
6,090
157
Hudson, OH
Xbow is correct with the top carriers or companies with private fleets requiring "x" number of years experience.

I have spent 9 years in supply chain/logistics. I spent 7 years with a third party logistics provider working with several companies and industries doing transportation, network and warehouse design. I also spent time running a 100k sq ft warehouse for an automotive supplier with shipping/receiving responsibilities.

I have spent a lot of time with drivers since I have built the networks (routes) they will run daily. Some of the companies I have done design work for the drivers do a lot, others the drivers simply drive. I know many who pull $80-$100k just driving. Some home at night, some not. Either way these guys are logging serious miles and hours. I an talking 10-11 hours drive time and potentially maxing out the 14 hours on duty time daily.

One example is if you can land a gig running from an automotive supplier to an assembly plant you won't be touching any freight.

If you want to talk more specifics Matt shoot me a PM. I have a lot of carrier and company contacts.

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matt hougan

Junior Member
338
0
Dayton area
Xbow is correct with the top carriers or companies with private fleets requiring "x" number of years experience.

I have spent 9 years in supply chain/logistics. I spent 7 years with a third party logistics provider working with several companies and industries doing transportation, network and warehouse design. I also spent time running a 100k sq ft warehouse for an automotive supplier with shipping/receiving responsibilities.

I have spent a lot of time with drivers since I have built the networks (routes) they will run daily. Some of the companies I have done design work for the drivers do a lot, others the drivers simply drive. I know many who pull $80-$100k just driving. Some home at night, some not. Either way these guys are logging serious miles and hours. I an talking 10-11 hours drive time and potentially maxing out the 14 hours on duty time daily.

One example is if you can land a gig running from an automotive supplier to an assembly plant you won't be touching any freight.

If you want to talk more specifics Matt shoot me a PM. I have a lot of carrier and company contacts.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

Ah, my new best friend. Gonna look into a three week class and then I think I'll be in the market. I dont mind workin hard especially if there is a pay off down the road. $80k is better yhan I'm knockin down now.
 

tuffshot

The Crew
The private X fleets require more years of experiance because they are not self insured. The insurance companies are the hold up for the most part.
Most new drivers rarely get a job with great pay and will usually get mileage pay below 35 cents per mile. Some pay a percentage of the load.

There are a lot of sites to look over. http://www.studentdriverplacement.com/

Currently there is a 275K shortage of drivers and by the end of this year the estimate goes up to 400K so the field is wide open.

Get every endorcement available also because a company can change that normally didn't haul Hazmat (for example) and you would be ready if they do.
 

matt hougan

Junior Member
338
0
Dayton area
Just sent an application to PAM Transport. Claimed a descent first year wage plus they'll send me to school. A driver agent is supposed to call this afternoon. We'll see
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,632
234
Licking Co. Ohio
Good Luck to you Matt. My earlier post sounds discouraging and I did not mean it as such. Only wanted to let you know a lot of trucking is not what it appears on the surface. Just would not want you leaving something you do not like to land somewhere you like even less. Sounds like huntn2 is just the man you need to see. There is some good money in the right company and I sure hope you find one. Who you know can be a Blessing!
 

huntn2

Senior Member
6,090
157
Hudson, OH
The private X fleets require more years of experiance because they are not self insured. The insurance companies are the hold up for the most part.
Most new drivers rarely get a job with great pay and will usually get mileage pay below 35 cents per mile. Some pay a percentage of the load.

There are a lot of sites to look over. http://www.studentdriverplacement.com/

Currently there is a 275K shortage of drivers and by the end of this year the estimate goes up to 400K so the field is wide open.

Get every endorcement available also because a company can change that normally didn't haul Hazmat (for example) and you would be ready if they do.

Excellent points. The biggest being with regards to driver shortage. The shortage has driven capacity issues within the market and therefore driven prices up. There are several companies staring at an aging driver population who are on the verge of retirement. This should create opportunities and may force organizations to reconsider/adjust their experience requirements.

Good luck,

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moundhill

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,327
103
Hebbardsville..
My dad is a semi driver for UPS, he used to do regular package car then got this job opening and jumped all over it. His shift is a night shift driving to Columbus and Lancaster I think. He said he loves it all other than the night shift, but he said it's nice becasue the roads are typically empty.
 

epe

Senior Member
6,113
93
Lancaster
I know several of the freight companies I use are hiring. Not sure what the pay is though. They are all daily, local. Not sure on experience requirements.
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
CDL = great chance of getting on at CSX. Something like 40% of their work force is going to be reiring in the next 8 years.
 
matt hougan,
I've had my Class A CDL since they started "grandfathering" in the old Chauffer's license, back in '86 and it has been worth it. I started out driving roll-off semi-trucks then switched to tankers and have been driving tankers ever since.

There's some good money to be made driving tankers with the Haz/Mat. endorsement. Most companys put you into nice rigs and nice looking rigs, so as not to draw attention from PUCO or other state/federal authorities. However, this is IF you don't mind the restrictions and/or qualifications it takes to qualify for hauling such materials.

Bowhunter57
 

matt hougan

Junior Member
338
0
Dayton area
Hazmat is fine with me if it means more money.

I wonder how much pressure there is to bend the rules of the road and or speed. I see alot of web sites giving drivers safe driver awards etc. Wondering if tha is a little bit of BS. I bet not with Hazmat !
 
matt hougan said:
I wonder how much pressure there is to bend the rules of the road and or speed. I see alot of web sites giving drivers safe driver awards etc. Wondering if tha is a little bit of BS. I bet not with Hazmat !
matt hougan,
Usually with Haz/Mat you have a route to take that is mandatory and you do not deviate from that route. Simularly, speeding and any other careless driving is not tolerated for many reasons other than safety. The company wants the business, so it's in their best interest to have responsible drivers. Therefore the reason why most Haz/Mat companys have good looking rigs with the latest technology in onboard computers, etc. Even the trucks themselves are monitored as to the speed, rpm of the engine, how long it's setting at an idle, etc. That sort of thing allows the company to keep the drivers honest and their company out of trouble with legal authorities.

This is all a good thing, as you know what you're hauling, where you're hauling it, how long it takes to get there and back. Plus, someone's always got an eye/ear out for you, should anything go wrong.

I let my Haz/Mat lapse, as it no longer became a requirement of my job. Even so, I could requalify, get it and get into some good money, if I felt the need. However, I'm happy with what I'm doing, what I'm making and it's good enough for me. :smiley_blink:

Bowhunter57
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
The nonsense with TSA 2012 is a big turn off for me. Nothing I can do about it as I want to keep my CDL, and all endorsements. Govt sticking their nose where it doesn't belong as usual.

I was fortuante that I always made decent money driving. The work I got into required soome thought, and seemingly many didn't do well with that. I worked on commission for the first 7 years of my truckin life. The more work I completed, the more I got paid. The more expensive the material I moved, the more I got paid. I figured out how to move the most expensive products, and the most quantity of expensive products. Some folks just went to work and took what was given. I hunted down the good stuff, and got it because corporate new I would get it done. Also, I networked with every high value booker in the system. Like anything, doing a good job commands higher compensation. I worked an entire summer with a group from Ericcson wireless in KY. After the job was complete, they asked me to travel to Israel to work with them. My first born was two, and the thought of working in Israel for a year did not appeal to me. That whole gig became more than a truckin job to me, I viewed it as a competition and dang near worked myself to death in those years. With my kids being little, I decided I wanted "just a job". I went to work for one of the freight hauling companies, and felt I spent the last decade bored out of my mind. It was nice to make a little 5 or 6oo mile trip and go home every day though! There are a lot of different things to get into with a CDL. As I mentioned earlier, a lot of them aren't worth doing. Make good choices in where you work, and you will find it rewarding....bad choices, and it will be miserable.