A few questions for you veterans

[picturethis]

I have been thinking about getting into trucking for a while now... I recently met a few guys who do it, both for Swift... They have both been working for 3-5 years, and both claim to make between 60 and 75k a year.... I am wondering a few things:
1. can 60-75k be expected after only 3-5 years?
2. Is Swift a good company?
3. Is the only way to make GOOD money to become an owner/operator?
4. What's better in terms of money; Over the road where you're gone for a week or more at a time, or driving and being able to go home every night. I'd assume over the road pays better, but I could be wrong.

Thanks ahead of time for the replies!

[JLKKLJ777]

Yes it is possible to make 60 to 75 k with 3 to 5 years experience.
The key is to move the freight and burn up the highway. Maximize your earnings thru good time management and making yourself available for extra runs as needed.
Swift is the largest publicly owned truckload carrier in the nation. They did this thru careful growth and having trucks that are governed around 65 mph. They used to be governed lower but have had to bump up their speed due to driver retention issues (and I heard some western states were complaining about rolling road blocks whenever 2 swift trucks would attempt to pass 1 another).
Swift is a trainee company from what I can tell which means they take students and give them an opportunity to become a trucker. Drivers will usually start with a big carrier like Swift but will switch after a few years to find something that pays better and gets the driver home more often.

As far as being an owner operator dont.
Unless you have the business savvy and experience with the trucking industry you will not be making money and could lose everything you do have to boot. Short of buying your own truck, trailer, and getting your own operating authority, you will more than likely become a "lease operator."
A lease operator is nothing more than a company driver without the benefits. Lease operators make "payments" on company equipment, pay for the fuel and maintenance on said vehicle as well as the bobtail insurance and other "fees. Lease operators are considered an independant contractor for tax purposes.
Companies will try and get drivers to do a lease for the following reasons: A lease operator will drive and work harder than a normal company driver because the lease driver has "expenses to pay;" Truck payments, fuel payments, bobtail insurance, Fuel tax reporting fees, Plates and permit expenses, maintenance escrow accounts, qualcomm fees, trip pak expenses, medical, dental, vision, unemployment and disability insurance, then you have to figure out your federal tax, state tax, local tax, social security (12.6%), and medicare. Figure on your fixed expenses being around 2000.00 to 2500.00 per week with revenue of around 3000.00 to 3500.00 per week. This is using the standard lease operator pay model of around .90 cpm plus .20 cpm fuel surcharge and running 3000 to 3500 miles weekly.
As a company driver the employer pays a large portion of your insurance package (medical, dental, vision, disability, unemployment, and half of the social security tax). They are responsible for all the truck expenses such as payments, fuel, cargo insurance, bobtail insurance, plates permits, etc. You will collect a paycheck and go home where you can forget about the truck while there.
On the flipside as a lease operator you will spend less time at home (because those fixed expenses are required every week) and chance are will be working on the truck in the hopes of "saving" some of your hard earned money.

As for comparing otr to local it is very simple. Local pays hourly compared to otr paying by the mile. Otr is easier in that you are "on the job" all the time. No commuting back and forth to work just slide back the curtain and sit in the drivers seat. Local jobs are very intense, stressful and time consuming with apointments and battling city traffic every day. Otr driving (especially longhaul coast to coast) is actually less stressful and you will have more flexibility in regards to your driving time, sleep time and meal stops.

The best advice any of us can give you is attempt to get in with a union company. Union companies are predominantly ltl carriers. They will have a higher pay scale and benefits package than the truckload sector. Unfortunately these better paying jobs usually require at least 3 years experience with a clean driving record and no accidents. The best companies to get into are also the ones with the toughest hiring requirements such as Wal Mart and Frito Lay.
Most newbies will find they have no choice but to become an otr driver. Most local jobs will require at least 2 to 3 years experience.
Get into the drivers seat and stick with it for 3 years or so with 1 carrier. Get no tickets and stay out of accidents and you will be able to pretty much get on with any reputable carrier out here.

[picturethis]

Is Swift a company known for layoffs? I am a very hard worker, and nothing will make me more upset than having to sit on my *** doing nothing!

[JLKKLJ777]

I have never heard of a layoff at Swift, Schneider, Werner, JB Hunt, etc. In the event of a slow down the company tries to reward their senior drivers with as much freight as they can and will "weed out" the lower performers through reducing the number of loads and miles run. It may not be fair but the fact is the drivers that perform for the company are treated better than the new guys and the cry babies.
Show that you are a reliable, dependable, and safe driver and chance are you will rise to the top and be "taken care of" during the slower winter months.

[picturethis]

It's a big step to take to get into this. My gf of 2 years basically said it's over if I do it.. I tried to explain to her the financial prospects, but she only thinks about the time I'd be away... My friend Brad said that anyone going into it with a gf/wife might as well end if before they leave, since it'll be over soon anyways...He was on the road for a few months and his wife said either come home or she was filing for divorce... lol... Idk, I can see where she is coming from but who knows. It's definitely not something that would help a relationship, that's for sure.. But I think it'd be a fun job, with a nice chance at some good money... are you in it because you enjoy it, or because you are making better money in it now than you would if you quit and found a different job?

[necie67]

Originally Posted by picturethis

It's a big step to take to get into this. My gf of 2 years basically said it's over if I do it.. I tried to explain to her the financial prospects, but she only thinks about the time I'd be away... My friend Brad said that anyone going into it with a gf/wife might as well end if before they leave, since it'll be over soon anyways...He was on the road for a few months and his wife said either come home or she was filing for divorce... lol... Idk, I can see where she is coming from but who knows. It's definitely not something that would help a relationship, that's for sure.. But I think it'd be a fun job, with a nice chance at some good money... are you in it because you enjoy it, or because you are making better money in it now than you would if you quit and found a different job?

Sadly, you are right.. it broke my husb and me up for about a year.. He would be on the road for one to 3 months at a time, and was like a stranger sometimes... After being apart for a year, we still loved each other, and realized that if we were going to make it work, I needed to be with him. I love him so much that I quit my job, and went on the road with him...and now I drive with him, and love it.