New career?

[Narrock]

Ok, Sorina's on to something. I've been researching the transportation industry, in-depth, for about 6 weeks now. I've been reading a lot of articles and forums on this topic, and talking to several people in the field.

There's a LOT of money to be made in the trucking industry. You can be a manager/dispatcher working in a terminal, and you would need a Bachelor's degree, experience as a driver, and supply chain management classes, like APICS, or other type of operations management certification. Those types of managers make $65k+/yr.

You can be a company driver, like Sorina, and make upwards of 41-cents per mile + getting paid additional miscellaneous fees and make anywhere from $45k to over $75k just driving a company truck.

You can drive in a team, and make about $20k to $30k more per year than a solo driver.

You can be a student trainer teaching the noobs right out of trucking school, and make about $85k/yr.

You can be an owner/operator, leasing a company truck, and making anywhere from $12k-$30k or more per FREAKING MONTH. I just saw a paycheck stub from a guy who is an O/O. It was over $34k for April. He said he works about 8 months out of the year and takes the winter off. O M G. lol

Long gone are the days of the toothless, stinky, scumbag-lookin trucker of old... All the big trucking companies want clean-cut individuals with no criminal record, a super clean DMV record (no DUI's, reckless driving history, etc.) stable past employment, and no drug use or heavy alcohol consumers, etc.

Benefits with some of these companies are absolutely incredible. They really take care of their employees. Medical/Dental/Vision, tuition reimbursement, company stock options, 401(k)'s, generous paid vacations, etc.

So, Sorina... if you're reading this... sorry for knocking your industry a while ago, man. Now I know much more about it than I did a few weeks ago and this is an industry that is very respectable, and one I can see myself getting into. I'm actually seriously looking into this as another career option. Heck, those truckers make more than I do working in the health insurance industry.

The only downside I see to this industry is that when you're OTR you don't have much of a family life... usually 1 day off for every 6 days worked. But, if you can handle that kind of time off and want to make an asspile of $$$ you might want to check into it.

Here's some of the companies:

http://www.werner.com/content/drv/ops/

http://www.gordontrucking.com/

http://www.roehl.net/RoehlTransportWeb/homepage.aspx <=== actually Roehl offers GREAT time off.

http://www.centraltruckdrivingjobs.com/about_miles.php

http://www.swifttrans.com/

http://www.schneider.com/

http://www.roadway.com/crc/unionwage.html <=== check out the wages lol .54/mi. x 2600 miles per week = $1404/wk!

and let's not forget about UPS and FedEx.

[Phlegm]

So you are switching career to become a truck driver?

[dammuzis]

redneck is as a redneck does

[Mop]

Ok, Sorina's on to something. I've been researching the transportation industry, in-depth, for about 6 weeks now. I've been reading a lot of articles and forums on this topic, and talking to several people in the field.

There's a LOT of money to be made in the trucking industry. You can be a manager/dispatcher working in a terminal, and you would need a Bachelor's degree, experience as a driver, and supply chain management classes, like APICS, or other type of operations management certification. Those types of managers make $65k+/yr.

You can be a company driver, like Sorina, and make upwards of 41-cents per mile + getting paid additional miscellaneous fees and make anywhere from $45k to over $75k just driving a company truck.

You can drive in a team, and make about $20k to $30k more per year than a solo driver.

You can be a student trainer teaching the noobs right out of trucking school, and make about $85k/yr.

You can be an owner/operator, leasing a company truck, and making anywhere from $12k-$30k or more per FREAKING MONTH. I just saw a paycheck stub from a guy who is an O/O. It was over $34k for April. He said he works about 8 months out of the year and takes the winter off. O M G. lol

Long gone are the days of the toothless, stinky, scumbag-lookin trucker of old... All the big trucking companies want clean-cut individuals with no criminal record, a super clean DMV record (no DUI's, reckless driving history, etc.) stable past employment, and no drug use or heavy alcohol consumers, etc.

Benefits with some of these companies are absolutely incredible. They really take care of their employees. Medical/Dental/Vision, tuition reimbursement, company stock options, 401(k)'s, generous paid vacations, etc.

So, Sorina... if you're reading this... sorry for knocking your industry a while ago, man. Now I know much more about it than I did a few weeks ago and this is an industry that is very respectable, and one I can see myself getting into. I'm actually seriously looking into this as another career option. Heck, those truckers make more than I do working in the health insurance industry.

The only downside I see to this industry is that when you're OTR you don't have much of a family life... usually 1 day off for every 6 days worked. But, if you can handle that kind of time off and want to make an asspile of $$$ you might want to check into it.

Here's some of the companies:

http://www.werner.com/content/drv/ops/

http://www.gordontrucking.com/

http://www.roehl.net/RoehlTransportWeb/homepage.aspx <=== actually Roehl offers GREAT time off.

http://www.centraltruckdrivingjobs.com/about_miles.php

http://www.swifttrans.com/

http://www.schneider.com/

http://www.roadway.com/crc/unionwage.html <=== check out the wages lol .54/mi. x 2600 miles per week = $1404/wk!

and let's not forget about UPS and FedEx.

Did you know alot of managers at Target and Walmart make over 150k a year?

[Narrock]

So you are switching career to become a truck driver?

this is an industry that is very respectable, and one I can see myself getting into. I'm actually seriously looking into this as another career option. Heck, those truckers make more than I do working in the health insurance industry.

[The Kizzy]

Everyone in this town seems to be a truck driver, they make good money, but it is long hours, hard to keep a relationship, and many drink ALOT

[Minrott]

Mindia, check out Roehl, they're 7 days on 7 days off.

[Narrock]

Mindia, check out Roehl, they're 7 days on 7 days off.

Yeah, I know Minrott. Unfortunately, they're midwest to east coast based. They have a drop yard in southern California, but most of their routes are back east. I'm near Sacramento, in northern Cali.

[Narrock]

redneck is as a redneck does

My, what an insightful post.

[Narrock]

Everyone in this town seems to be a truck driver, they make good money, but it is long hours, hard to keep a relationship, and many drink ALOT

Well, I'm thinking because I have no wife and kids, that I could just bust my butt driving for 3 or 4 years or something, and then get into management. I can take the APICS supply chain management classes online and get certification that way.

[Jay]

Wouldn't that put a wrench into settling down and starting a family? At 40 years old that's something I'd consider. Not sure your take on that though.

[Tuggan]

Wouldn't that put a wrench into settling down and starting a family? At 40 years old that's something I'd consider. Not sure your take on that though.

wtf? thank your lucky stars that mindia isnt breeding, silly.

[Jay]

Wouldn't that put a wrench into settling down and starting a family? At 40 years old that's something I'd consider. Not sure your take on that though.

wtf? thank your lucky stars that mindia isnt breeding, silly.

/shrug. I think Mindia is a decent enough guy. Has strong beliefs that are consistent which is good for kids (as long as they aren't consistent KKK like beliefs).

[Narrock]

That's just Tuggan trolling as usual. Anyway, yeah I would like to settle down eventually, but I don't think a couple more years of hardcore working will hurt me. Everybody still thinks I'm around 32 years old. People give me a befuddled, incredulous look when I tell them I'm almost 40. That's always nice to see. :P Oh, and thanks Jay. I think what the KKK does is stupid and very, very wrong. As conservative as I am, I would never advocate any of that kind of stuff.

[Tikker]

what I don't understand is how every couple of weeks you come here posting about some job you heard about on the internet that pays big bucks, and how you're suddenly all gung ho about that new career

pick one, and get going

[Lyion]

Did you know alot of managers at Target and Walmart make over 150k a year?

wow, how tough is it to get there?

[Narrock]

what I don't understand is how every couple of weeks you come here posting about some job you heard about on the internet that pays big bucks, and how you're suddenly all gung ho about that new career

pick one, and get going

I really wasn't that gung ho about the other ones. I posted that I did some research in those particular fields, and came here asking questions about it. And it was only two other career fields if you remember... the medical path I was looking at to become a radiologist, and the SAP/R3 consulting. There's a 2 1/2 year waiting list to get into the radiology program, and to become a SAP consultant would take way too long to get to that point starting from ground zero.

I am actually going to a trucking school today to talk to them about this industry. What I know so far from talking to a recruiter yesterday is that trucking school is 4 weeks long, and then when you graduate you take the test at the DMV to get your class A CDL, and then try to get on board with a trucking company. They have job placement specialists there at the school. Once you get hired by a trucking company you do another 4-6 weeks OJT with a one-on-one personal trainer that observes you while you're "over-the-road" (OTR). When that training is done, and you pass, then they hand you the keys to your own truck and you're ready for dispatch. :P

[Jimmy Durante]

Truckin, up to buffalo. been thinkin, you got to mellow slow
Takes time, you pick a place to go, and just keep truckin on.

[The Kizzy]

I HATE, LOATHE, ABHOR driving. I hate driving the 25 miles to my day care and then to work everyday. It sucks, and I hate it. I don't know if I could hndle driving OTR. THe absence if healthy food and a shower would be the biggest turn off for me.

[Narrock]

I HATE, LOATHE, ABHOR driving. I hate driving the 25 miles to my day care and then to work everyday. It sucks, and I hate it. I don't know if I could hndle driving OTR. THe absence if healthy food and a shower would be the biggest turn off for me.

I would put in for the I-5 corridor which goes from Canada down through Washington, Oregon, California, and into Mexico. There are many truck stops along the way that have shower facilities, restaurants, gift shops, recreation and fitness rooms, big-screen TV rooms, computer rooms, and other things. I saw some pics of the truck stops... they really are quite impressive.

[Tossica]

Don't forget the hookers and cocaine... Ah... the life of a trucker. My grandfather was a trucker for most of his life. He died at 52. Hard life.

[10sun]

Just make sure you aren't doing your own loading / unloading. Easy way for accidents to happen.

[Captain Insano]

I think it's a great idea Mindia. I would go drive for another company for a year or two and learn as much as possible about the biz...Get your credit up there and then buy two of your own trucks and start your own company.

Trucking can also lead into all the other even more lucrative aspects of import/export and transportation.

PS Your new name sucks change it back

[Donnel]

Trucking can also lead into all the other even more lucrative aspects of import/export and transportation.

Like shuttling illegals!

[Tikker]

I saw some pics of the truck stops... they really are quite impressive.

if you're spending any time at all in the truck stops, you're already doing something wrong