Question:
Hey Everyone,
This is my first day on here and i have been reading through your posts. And this looks like a good place to post my questions i have. i am going to be turning 21 im a month and i plan to go and get my CDL. i have had a few people tell me it isnt a good idea but i wanted to come and get some input from the people who actually do it not read about it.
so here are some of my questions.
what is probably avg starting wage for a young driver with no exp?
is truck driving as good as it looks...i know no job is perfect and there is always something that gets on your nerves but is the industry a good place to get into? well just hit me back and let me know what you think about the truck driving industry and if you had to do it over again what would you do?
ohh and if somebody is wondering i am more than certain i will be over the road. thanks guys

Answer:

ok, I'm new to this industry too, about a month solo. but to answer your questions:
from an experienced truck driver, (not me)expect your first year income to be between $26,000 and $32,000 a year.
driving the trucks is not all the recruiters make it out to be, its a hard job that takes time to learn and lots of patience, once you learn how to work the system at the company you are with it does get easier but you still have long periods of time away from your family, and the usual b\s. I used to be a taxi driver and can attest that trucking isn't nearly as bad all things considered as driving a taxi. If i had to do it all over again, yes i would , and i would most likely go the route i chose.
I know what every one on here says about companies like schnider, swift, and werner and the like, but every ones experience is unique. I figured out that if i went to a local community college and get my cdl, then i would not be able to drive a truck, just able to obtain a cdl, so i went to schnider for training. Its a good training program that gave me real time experience at their expense driving a truck, i see so many new drivers that came out of a school, be it a community college or a mill, make the same mistakes over and over that i was trained from early on not to make. if you have any more questions, feel free to pm me, or post in here, and i'll do my best to answer them.
taylor
Answer:
I will add one other thing, be prepared to have to search for a carrier to accept you, with regards to your age. Most companies require you to be 23 yrs old to drive OTR for them. Check with several companies for their qualifications. There are links on this website to carriers and you can go to your local truck stops and pick up all the trucking magazines you can get your hands on. Don't let your eagerness to drive cloud any decision you make regarding taking a job with them.
Check with all the companies mentioned above and others. I'll add 1 company to check, I used to train for them and they do have a school that is free, if you stay with them for a year. MCT which is short for Midwest Coast Transport, in Sioux Falls, SD. Their phone number is 1-800-843-9904. Ask for the school and they'll give you the lowdown on their program. The ONLY reason I suggest them is the fact that I know they have a good school with a good on the road training program. I did train a 21 yr old a few years ago for them, but he had driven his father's straight truck hauling scrapped cars.
Good luck, I hope the lure of the road turns into a career you want to continue for many years. I know it has for me.

Answer:
thank you magic man, i knew i forgot a thing or two, i keepforgetting that i'm turning 34 next week. And age does seem to matter to these companies.
taylor