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Starting my Trucking Career

Discussion in 'Jobs & Careers' started by TakeNoteS, May 26, 2017.

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Trucking Industry and what your thoughts are

  1. RUN

    13 vote(s)
    54.2%
  2. LOVE IT

    11 vote(s)
    45.8%
  1. Sep 7, 2017 at 12:30 PM
    #41
    12thmanhawkfan

    12thmanhawkfan Well-Known Member

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    It's got some Mods
    Any updates OP? Did you end up driving for schneider? I'm curious to hear how its going for you!
     
    TakeNoteS[OP], Biscuits and ManBeast like this.
  2. Feb 7, 2018 at 10:31 AM
    #42
    Peek

    Peek Well-Known Member

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    congrats and best of luck
     
    TakeNoteS[OP] likes this.
  3. Apr 9, 2018 at 8:30 PM
    #43
    remgu2000

    remgu2000 Keepin' on keepin' on.

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    Ray
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    Used to have a 2017 Barcelona Red TRD Off-Road DCSB 4x4
    Did you ever get to start driving?
     
    TakeNoteS[QUOTED][OP] likes this.
  4. Apr 10, 2018 at 7:03 PM
    #44
    TakeNoteS

    TakeNoteS [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Luke
    Kalama Washington
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    Yeah drove for them for about 5 months... it was a joke. Would not recommend at all.

    Promised me Mon-fri weekends off home every other night or so. Ended up working Sunday night-Saturday morning and was always sleeping in the truck all week.

    Was promised mileage and great pay. Hardly took home any money. I was working equivalent to 14 ish an hour.

    Had some other issues like the way they had a medical company go after me and my 2 year dot card because I went through there mandatory sleep apnea testing and I had to jump through hoops (I never had sleep issues or any issues just tested barely above into mild)

    Plz plz plz do not support companies like schneider,swift,knight they are junk to the industry and it’s not worth even starting with them.

    I ended up getting a.job at Calportland doing concrete. You only need a class B and they do hire right out of school and man I should have done it sooner I’m pushing 65k this year and it’s the easiest job I have ever had plus they are super nice and best of all it’s local Mon-fri and 25/h ot after 8 hours and 40 hours.
     
    Tacos4ever15 likes this.
  5. Apr 10, 2018 at 7:07 PM
    #45
    TakeNoteS

    TakeNoteS [OP] Well-Known Member

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    My trainer retired from Crete and he loved them.
     
  6. Apr 10, 2018 at 7:10 PM
    #46
    remgu2000

    remgu2000 Keepin' on keepin' on.

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    Well you are young...so live and learn, right. Congrats on the better job. Don't get too comfortable, always look for a challenge.

    I'm 38 and my wife and I have talked about becoming a tandem long-haul driving team after I retire one day. And when I say long haul...I mean like through Canada to Alaska or something. Just a thought we get every once in a while.

    Thanks for the update.
     
    TakeNoteS[QUOTED][OP] likes this.
  7. Apr 10, 2018 at 7:21 PM
    #47
    TakeNoteS

    TakeNoteS [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I to love the thought of that but now that I have done a little it’s not as romantic and lucrative as someone thinks. It’s a rough lifestyle teaming and enjoyable at all.

    I like my job currently but I want to move into management whether it be Calportland or another company so I am contemplating going back to school. Driving is to easy and mind numbing for me at times.
     
  8. Apr 10, 2018 at 7:24 PM
    #48
    remgu2000

    remgu2000 Keepin' on keepin' on.

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    100% agree with school.
     
  9. Apr 10, 2018 at 7:24 PM
    #49
    TakeNoteS

    TakeNoteS [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Most do. I hate school though lol
     
  10. Apr 10, 2018 at 7:27 PM
    #50
    remgu2000

    remgu2000 Keepin' on keepin' on.

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    Well think of the posibilites after though. I had to take my daughter to the ER today (nothing too serious) and the Dr said he was 43 years old. Just five years older than me. I was like dang. I spent 6+ years in college for a bachelor and masters and could have gone that route instead with maybe an extra year. Oh well maybe in another life.
     
    TakeNoteS[QUOTED][OP] likes this.
  11. Apr 10, 2018 at 7:28 PM
    #51
    remgu2000

    remgu2000 Keepin' on keepin' on.

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    Good luck man.
     
    TakeNoteS[OP] likes this.
  12. Sep 2, 2018 at 3:01 PM
    #52
    specter208

    specter208 Well-Known Member

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    Dont know how old you are. I would try to get a job with a good unionized trucking company. UPS and UPS Freight are good picks but it can take a long time to get offered a spot.
     
    TakeNoteS[OP] likes this.
  13. Sep 2, 2018 at 3:12 PM
    #53
    Jimbo2

    Jimbo2 Well-Known Member

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    I work food service as a delivery driver (big rig truck driver that delivers groceries to restaurants schools jails hospitals etc basically anywhere the public eats). It's local work, we use day cabs (tractors with out sleepers) and 28 ft and 48 ft trailers since we are in shopping centers and other tight spots that trucks have no business being in.

    I make about 2k a week, guys at my company average over 80k their first year here. It's more delivery work than driving since most of the time is spent delivering off the trailer into the back of a restuarant. You can make 100k a year without a high school diploma but it's long crappy hours, I make $26 an hr so do the math to see how much ot I do to make the 2k a week

    Most food service companies are union (sysco and us foods being the 2 biggest)

    Other companies to consider are ltl companies like estes, saia, old dominion and abf or ups or even supermarket companies like Albertsons since they're union. Those jobs are easier than what I do and make similar to what I make.

    You can make decent money in trucking but it's harder than you think in some aspects (work up to 14 or even 16 hours a day) the general public hates your guts and think you're worse than dog shit and generally cut you off etc

    And in my job automation will never take over, well the day the technology is good enough for that, literally any job will be automated at that point
     
  14. Dec 26, 2018 at 3:06 PM
    #54
    TakeNoteS

    TakeNoteS [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I’m all for union work but I’ve noticed teamsters union for trucking is garbage. They don’t really look out for you.
     
  15. Dec 26, 2018 at 3:09 PM
    #55
    TakeNoteS

    TakeNoteS [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Yeah I noticed that food delivery def pays the most... but I know what it entails and hats off to you I don’t want to do that at all lol. at one point is the money not worth it? To me if I’m working long ot hours doing crap work then the money is not worth it.

    I cleared 60k this year at Calportland and I worked maybe 50 hours a week in the summer and not working much at all in the winter. Very easy going.....

    Beats Schneider for sure
     
  16. Dec 26, 2018 at 3:18 PM
    #56
    specter208

    specter208 Well-Known Member

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    Yes they do. In my experience atleast. Some locals have crappy Business Agents but the responsible thing to do is vote them out. We need more unions in our industry and in others. Trucking used to be about 40% unionized, now I heard it's about 5-8% with most it it being UPS/UPS Freight membership.
     
  17. Dec 26, 2018 at 7:03 PM
    #57
    TakeNoteS

    TakeNoteS [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I’m my area they suck, they of course take your money but also they have old outdated contracts and only fight for minimal increases and they don’t get enough work.

    Calportland has 3 plants near me that are union. They get paid 5 dollars less an hour and there benefits are garbage compared to mine. Plus they are the companies red headed step child.

    Union is not the way to go. At least near me. If I was a construction or trade worker I’d only work for a union....

    My only union job I had was seiu local 49 for security and they were absolute garbage. Just took my money and never fought for anything.
     
  18. Dec 4, 2019 at 5:35 AM
    #58
    GorgeRunner

    GorgeRunner Out There

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    I have worked designing and building unmanned vehicles, land, sea and air. I believe that within five years, a significant number of OTR commercial trucks will be driverless. In ten years, no more commercial truck drivers and pilotless commercial aircraft. The technology is here now.
     
  19. Dec 4, 2019 at 5:49 AM
    #59
    Natetroknot

    Natetroknot Experiencing TW at several WTFs per thread

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    I agree 100%, not much job security in this field

    OP, I went to Schneider's trucking school back in 2003 and had pretty much the same experience as you, lasted about 6 months. I had to repay the cost of training since I quit before the 1 yr mark, and not one thing I was told on what to expect with the job was accurate.

    Glad it's behind you, good luck!
     
  20. Dec 14, 2019 at 8:08 PM
    #60
    YamaDirtrider

    YamaDirtrider Custom bumpers @FORT-ifyRigs

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    What hasn't been modified?
    I don’t see it. There are a lot of variables. Granted driverless wound be nice but there are so many local companies that need a driver that to load and unload the trucks
     
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