my hubby is thinking of getting his CDL any truckers out there with advice whether its worth it or not?
Asked by jltrcbell
he is considering it and from what he is hearing its a great idea ($$ benefits etc) but I just dont know if what he is hearing is the truth. SO any truckers or truckers spouses out the in Yahooland give it up..... whats the real deal??? He is considering driving for Werner (they say he can pick his on schedule he is thinking 4 out 3 home). Thanks. If it matters we live in Indiana.

Best Answer:
Since the gas is so high now, you might have noticed less truckers on the road. This is because they try to send truckers out on their rounds as little as possible because of the high gas. Therefore truckers are getting little pay as before.

I thought of that also.According to a co-worker He said the money is great only your away from home a lot.He said to young guys in there 20s are making 120,000 a yr.But they arn't married they are on the rode all the time.He said when it gets slow its tougher.There is the high cost of fuel too.Its also more profitable buying your own truck and say reefer trailer as well.This guy said he got the job say to to go to Florida pickup a load take say to St.Louis.He then would go online to look for another load nearby.That Florida load might bring say 2,500.00. You should ask around.
Answered by topguntony

http://gettinginfo.commodore.at you can get much information in this website, If you will check anyone blue link in website.
Answered by JASMIN J

I have a good friend of mine who was a retired trucker and he says it's not like in the movies speaking into the C.B. saying,"Breaker,Breaker". It's a lot of work and nine times out of ten you load your own trailer. He says it was even tougher because he was seldom home and he missed birthdays and anniversaries with his family. Now he regrets it,but he says it's perfect for a young single man.
Answered by gustavo6723

i think werner is a good company and indiana is located kinda in the center of the states. so i guess they could get him home often. i would try looking for an LTL trucking job,(yellow-- rodeway---fed ex) home every night, or a dedicated route with werner,a lot of(OTR) companies lie to you just to get a hire,just remember no miles- no money,he wont get paid much to sit at a factory or truck stop waiting to get a load or loaded. i would still get a class A cdl -always good to have.the govt --D.O.T.---has made trucking a hassle---werner uses computers in the truck also--they know where you are at all times--and when the computer tells you to stop because you are out of driving time you must stop,even if you are just 50 miles from home--good luck
Answered by Schizophrenic Psycho

Living in Indiana he might have some good options for local/regional work, right out of school. Usually, new drivers need to anticipate 1-2 years OTR or at least regional, before they can pick and choose their ideal driving job. As a rookie driver he'll be limited to the companies that will hire him; Werner, Schneider, Covenant, etc....and they are primarily OTR. Yet in some areas they do have local/regional routes; a friend of mine's husband got a local run with Werner in Florida straight out of school. If being home with you and your kids is a priority for him, and a company is "promising" this flexible schedule where he can be home, tell him to GET IT IN WRITING before he agrees to hire on with the company. Many times, recruiters will blow sunshine up someone's bum to get them to hire on....and then it's a whole different world. If he doesn't want to be away from home long, he needs to be GUARANTEED the position he wants, otherwise he may not get it. He may need to be away from home 1-2 months right after school, to complete his company training. Usually, drivers go out with a trainer to solidify their real-world skills and learn company policy; but again if he's been guaranteed a local job he should be able to get it once his training is complete. Schneider also has a team driving schedule where he can be out for 2 weeks and home for 1 week....they "rotate" 3 people on a truck and 2 people drive when the 3rd guy is at home. Teaming can be stressful unless you get along with your teammates, but it might be something else he could look into. Covenant also has local dedicated routes out of Indianapolis....there is limited availability and if he goes that route I can't stress GET IT IN WRITING strongly enough (I used to work for them). I don't know what you've heard about the salary range, but for the 1st or 2nd year driver, 30-35,000 dollars is about average. Benefits are usually pretty decent. Once he has 3-5 years SAFE experience, his earning potential will go up substantially. Fed Ex, Saia, Estes and other LTL/Linehaul companies pay in the range of $75,000 per year and he can be home every night in some cases. He could even learn how to haul cars or other specialized freight and make even more. But like any other job, he will have to pay his dues and get the experience. It can be a good job, even in this economy, even with fuel prices. The large trucking companies are still in demand and are still financially stable.....fuel prices won't affect his income unless he becomes an owner/operator. I'd say if he can nab a job that gets him home with the family often, he'd be pretty lucky as rookie drivers go....but if he can do it, go for it!
Answered by Forest Basenji