What are typical cdl driver salaries?

Do some companies pay a lot more for this position than others? What does a top earner make in this field?

What skills should you learn to increase your salary?

just about every company pays the same for a rookie driver, 27-29 cents per mile to start. The biggest reason you get fired is accidents
and tickets. Its actually very tough the first year, getting through the first year with out an accident or ticket is very challenging. The first winter is very stressful, driving thru snow and worse yet ICE! is scary but if you SLOW DOWN and dont try to be a super trucker you can make it.
My first year out of a major truck driving school, i made $37,000, BUT!, dont let that decieve you, i was single and only actually got home 3 times. I spent most of the time on the road. If your married, have kids, you will want to be home more often, and you will not be able to run as many miles as i did.
As far as skills you can learn, if you dont already have patience, or wont panic in a stressful situation, learn that real quick. If you dont have any experience driving a big truck, about the only way i know to get in is to go to a truck driving school. If you can swing it, go to one at your community college. I went to a three week course
through SWIFT, they cram alot into three weeks and then if your lucky, the mentor you go out with for six weeks is a good TEACHER, and not some guy looking to pad his bank account with the miles that you run.
To increase your salary is experience, after 3 years you can go anywhere.

Swift is ok but doesn't always train everybody the way they should. I went with TMC. Great company, and look to make between 40 and 46k just starting, and after 6 months you have the opportunity to make 60,000+. And your home 46/52 weekends a year and only go 600 miles from home. Besides that you get to take the truck home with you... Does swift do that??? More money and more home time, make the choice...

LOL, swift transportation is a joke, only got paid 29 cents a mile, not 33 cents as promised, came with experience, from other trucking company, c r england, there lease program doesnt make you money either
swift, and cr england both have 24 hr roadside service, lol it takes them 24 hrs to come get us, then 5 days to get ur truck repaired....then if they dont send you home, while its being repaired, then you have to call everyday, to ck on it, well, they never returned my calls, and then you get letter in mail, that you quit...then turn down your benefit of unemployment, when you got fired, not quit, stuck in washington, but live in oklahoma

Jerry in Minneapolis, Minnesota said: Swift is ok but doesn't always train everybody the way they should. I went with TMC. Great company, and look to make between 40 and 46k just starting, and after 6 months you have the opportunity to make 60,000+. And your home 46/52 weekends a year and only go 600 miles from home. Besides that you get to take the truck home with you... Does swift do that??? More money and more home time, make the choice...

I'd like to learn more. I'm in Ohio. Do people like being a trucker ?

I'm not sure why the local newspaper is always full of Truck Driver ads. With the economy the way it is, how come people aren't taking these jobs ?

Myself, I just got laid off from 8 years at the local newspaper. Layoffs across a few departments; wasn't because of job performance.

My driving record is good. Zero points, never been in an accident. I'm somewhat interested in this idea of becoming a trucker. Like 1 of the above posters noted, I do think driving in TERRIBLE weather conditions, might be a little nerve-wracking, to a newbie. Maybe I could get practice in summer weather first.

What companies out there are good ? What companies should I stay away from, if I choose truck driving ? I don't have any family or kids. Is this a great way to travel to different parts of the country and experience different things ?

One of the things that I am a little concerned about, is dealing with the idiots on the roads, that cut in front of you or won't let truckers change lanes. I always give truckers room to do what they need to do. Is it a bit annoying, when you're driving and you suddenly realize that you need to get in the next lane over, and some MORON in the other lane, refuses to slow down or pass, so you can shift lanes ?

I don't know jack about trucking really. I would be interested in driving shot-gun with a few truckers, just to see what it's all about. I've never even been in a Big-Rig..

well, u cant get in a big rig, unless go thru a truck driving school,there r a few out there, but after you get a cdl, you'll need experience in driving, cr england is a rip off school, they say 6 weeks, i had to redo my cdl, and went thru there crap, after 13 weeks, i left them.....they lie.... if i was to do it over again, i get with U S EXPRESS, OR JB HUNT, THEY MAKE SURE YOU GET TRAINING, AND HOME TIME, NOT 21 DAYS OUT, THEN 34 HRS HOME, AFTER 2 YRS, YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE, AND BETTER PAY THEN A BREAKIN COMPANY, GOOD LUCK

after 2 yrs of o/t/r
you can go to work for better companies, but find 1 that wants you to be home with friends and family 1 to 2 days a week
not 10-21 days out, and dont do teams, u never rest, r wore out by time u get home, u sleep ur time at home....
try to stay away from swift,hunt,england,there just break in companies, that screw you in miles, and home time, gl....
scheinder has changed some, but tell u get 2 yrs in otr, slim pickings, try us express,or kllm, little hard to get on, but they only run there drivers 8-9 hrs aday, and u can rest up, dont live in a truck stop too

i have 15+ yrs of otr exp as a class b driver currently thinking bout swift training school what should i do or where should i go

If you want to make a GREAT living and have an AWESOME truck. TMC is the way to go, they even let you take the truck home with you.
Check out TMCtrans.com and look at their rigs. Swift gives a lot of their drivers the run around on pay. Just stop a couple drivers at truck stops and ask what they think. I asked one guy and he said he hated it cause they didn't train him like they supposedly said they would and gave a truck and sent him on his way. He asked me on how to use the Qual-com... Go with TMC.

who is tmc and you say swift doesn't let you take your truck home right? is roadmaster a qualifiable school or what about millis- do tmc have a training school

TMC is the nations leading flat-bed carrier. They do offer a training school. Log onto the website and contact them. tmctrans.com Within your first year you can make 60k...

bigdaddy in Henderson, North Carolina said: i have 15+ yrs of otr exp as a class b driver currently thinking bout swift training school what should i do or where should i go

get retested, if not class a
if been dot running fine a job driving a dump truck, in area, unless u wanta run 48 states with swift, and make sure u have a way home always,,,,,swift has to many chiefs, and not 1 can fire you they say, but they leave u setting in other state, and no way home, because a planner has a bad day about you, i never had a wreck or was late because of my doings, they sux

Jerry in Minneapolis, Minnesota said: Swift is ok but doesn't always train everybody the way they should. I went with TMC. Great company, and look to make between 40 and 46k just starting, and after 6 months you have the opportunity to make 60,000+. And your home 46/52 weekends a year and only go 600 miles from home. Besides that you get to take the truck home with you... Does swift do that??? More money and more home time, make the choice...

yes swift allows you to take your truck home , its your truck. i work in the itermodal section out gary /chicago. i get home 4 out 5 days if i want off., with weekends off if i want them. we have some driver in day cab who make 18 an hour 12 on 12 , weekends off too

tell you 1 thing swift don't pay, and u get screw, i was with swift, overload cargo, and no roadside service, swift a fricking joke

Jerry in Minnesota sure sounds like a TMC recruiter.............

Hi, about to attend Trans-Union truck school, their job placement deals with Swift, now I'm scared, ha.

Any runs strickly out of Yakima's farming sheds?
My girl freind lives there and I want to make it
one end of my route., also, I donot have to take
a job with Swift, that's just one of the school's
main job placement company's. any Ideas?

Thanks.

I'm looking for partner to working on truck. [Edited by Host]
Natasha

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So you think you know about Swift eh? Let me tell you what my friends are saying about good ol' Swift. When you recieve your check and your miles you drove are WAY less than what Swift calculated, then you ask them about it and when you sign for your check you are agreeing to their miles, not yours. Talk about a RIPOFF!!!
You think your gonna get more than 1 or 2 hundred a week? That's a joke. Ask Swift how many of their drivers actually get paid the advertised price? They won't answer that ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you don't believe me, then ask your recruiter to put it in writing. They won't !!!!!!!

bin working solo for swift for 5 months now. have gone through 4 driver managers, cause none of them seem to listen or care about whats going on with you, all they care about is keeping that truck moving so they can make more money. the biggest paycheck i ever got was in the last couple weeks of training.. the 500 dollar a week paychecks. i havnt even come close to making a weekly paycheck like that. i make about 100 to 200 dollars a week,26 cents a mile, then deduct student loan, medical, taxes, driver advances.. sometimes i get nothing at all, because im so broke all the time i have to request driver advances, and company advances for all the toll roads, so my last paycheck... i owed swift the entire thing plus 100 more they say i owe them now. i always heard truck drivers make good money. well, they dont, atleast not starting out with swift. i have asked for as many miles as i can have in a week, and still never get 3000 miles a week.and no one answers any of the phones if you have a question at my terminal. and on weekends? forget about it. they will just put you on hold for hours, while you are in some emergency situation. they wont pay you for multiple stops, they wont pay you for driver unloads, they wont pay you for local pay, even tho they say its all taken care of. it never is. driver reimbursment for recepits doesnt happen, and you have no way of seeing your pay stub till you get your 2 days off a month.. and try calling pay roll? they will never answer their phones either..and if you are on hometime and have a medical emergency and need a couple more days off to see a doctor or dentist, you better hope it hasnt bin a week already, because they dont care whats going on with you, they will tell you if you dont get back to work, someone is coming to pick up the truck, even if you fax them medical records and proof you are ill.they also never informed me that if you get one flagrant over speed, that you will be fired if you get one more in a 12 month perio

I would advise anyone interested in getting their CDL to find a way to go to a private driving school, like at a community college or the like. You have to be careful when you have a trucking company train you. They don't charge you up front, but if you aren't happy with the company during your contract period you will have to pay them back for your training - at a price they set. And yes, there is a contract period - a time frame you are expected to work for them after your training, usually one or two years. If you aren't happy with the company, you may have to buy your way out of your job - not a fun prospect. To get started you need a clean driving record, a clean criminal record (usually), and the ability to pass a drug screen. Figure on 6 weeks of training, $4500 to $5500 for the class, physical, drug test, etc. - and ask them how many students are in a truck during a driving session.

Most major carriers are a joke. Anyone serious about trucking needs to get to know someone that runs there own truck. Trucking schools only teach enough to get someone killed. I've been in business 20 plus years. Ups and downs. Make a decent living. Second generation trucker so I was taught by my father. Over the years I have seen a few that invested wisely in different things and made a good retirement. Most over the years are paycheck rich. O/O especially. I've had weeks of over 15grand. Then weeks of nothing. If a person wants to work and doesn't want the pain of owning you can expect to make about 30 grand a year. Don't let anyone b.s. you. Some are making over 50 but few. If they are and new to the business they live in the truck with no life. It's not easy if it were everyone would do it. You can make a good life trucking but it takes years and a lot of work.

i was so pumped up to b a trucker ... i was goin to my community college to b trained ... i planed on working alot but bein home at least a few times a month and making good money ... but i think i dnt kno who to believe ... im a try it out and c whats whats

Well Jerry say what you will. 15k a week yep. I didn't say every week, and yea I haul high stress high aggravation loads. Typically grossing over 150,000lbs and over 200 feet long up to 18 feet wide. Let me know at the end of that year when and if you get it in, how much you actually make. Don't forget my comment originally posted was for drivers just starting out. When the "HoneyMoon" is over at your "new" job. Let me know how they treat you then.

Jerry in Minneapolis, Minnesota said: TMC is the nations leading flat-bed carrier. They do offer a training school. Log onto the website and contact them. tmctrans.com Within your first year you can make 60k...

Can you work for TMC and live in southern Ca.?

I will be retired in about 1 year and will male a decent income. This being the case, anyone have any suggestions as to where I could go for good quality training? With the economy the way it is, one must still work if you want to maintain a good lifestyle.

The best training you can get is from an owner operator. Most driving schools are a joke. If you want real solid training try to meet someone that would be willing to train you. It may take a little longer, but will be worth it in the long haul.

Ok I see alot of people asking about school and companies. I am 35yrs old attended CDL A School in North Carolina for $2500 for a 80hour coarse. They had no problems taking my money with false promises of guaranteed employment. Even after I fully disclosed my background and driving history, They assured me I'd get a job. I have a drug possession misdemeanor from 2006, most companies told me after 3 years I would be hire able, now with the economy, there are more drivers than there are jobs. Most companies have raised their hiring standards when it comes to drugs, dui's and felonies etc. The catch is it's not most of the companies doing this it's the insurance regulators that won't insure unexperienced or "un" high risk drivers. What happens when all the baby boomer generation retires,and the economy is back in full swing , they will be forced in my opinion to re-lower their standards. I can tell you from 1st hand experience unless you want to work for next to nothing and possibly never see your own truck, Stay away from CR England, They did accept me with a my crappy driving record and a drug misdemeanor , when they interview you on the spot you'd be surprised what they will accept, they just want to see if your honest. Now as far as swift and JB Hunt , swift 10yrs no drug convictions, JB hunt and Schneider are now 5yrs with no drug or dui convictions. Schneider is a all around good training company if you don't have any of these issues and they will pay for you to go to orientation and free hotels etc. I could ramble for ever , just thought i'd give my side of things. With that said < I have a valid Class A & DOT Card, if any o/o's or anyone looking to lease/buy a truck that wants to partner up or need help please let me know

(iam am in st. Paul MN-not sure why it says O'fallon Missouri) I am debating between paying into training with a local Truck Driver Training School(St. Paul, MN) which will place me with Werner or TMC ....OR going with a company in Iowa that provides training if you sign an 8 month contract. They do 20 days on 10 days off with a Team driving starting at .22 cents ml. per split mileage.

[who="OhioGuy33 in Toledo, Ohio"]
Quote: I don't know jack about trucking really. I would be interested in driving shot-gun with a few truckers, just to see what it's all about. I've never even been in a Big-Rig..

I got to ride shotgun with truckers, twice in the same week by hitchhiking. Just to give an idea on how to learn whats its about. And whats even better is usually the person who stops for you tells you where he's going and whats his life like. He told me that he misses home, and all his other trucker friends that he made already retired because they couldn't stand to be on the road anymore. He also said that he loved the traveling when he first started out in the business but than you would start to get tired of it, and would just want an actual homecooked meal, instead of restaurants and fast food joints. Its very "homey" in the truck, wheres you have your things, including clothes, towels, blankets, ect. But it also gets lonely if you don't have people to talk to every so often, such as he called his wife while I was in shotgun to wake her up, ect.

I am second generation trucker and love it. 22 plus years. Salaries vary on expierence and willingness to learn. When I started I made about 35,000 a year 22 years ago but I had a pretty good headstart. Looking now I'd say you could do 45,000 pretty easy and if you pick it up and get into it you could easily do 70,000 but don't let the numbers fool you. It's a lot of irregular hours and stress. Good Luck.

mike, a cdl driver said: just about every company pays the same for a rookie driver, 27-29 cents per mile to start. The biggest reason you get fired is accidents
and tickets. Its actually very tough the first year, getting through the first year with out an accident or ticket is very challenging. The first winter is very stressful, driving thru snow and worse yet ICE! is scary but if you SLOW DOWN and dont try to be a super trucker you can make it.
My first year out of a major truck driving school, i made $37,000, BUT!, dont let that decieve you, i was single and only actually got home 3 times. I spent most of the time on the road. If your married, have kids, you will want to be home more often, and you will not be able to run as many miles as i did.
As far as skills you can learn, if you dont already have patience, or wont panic in a stressful situation, learn that real quick. If you dont have any experience driving a big truck, about the only way i know to get in is to go to a truck driving school. If you can swing it, go to one at your community college. I went to a three week course
through SWIFT, they cram alot into three weeks and then if your lucky, the mentor you go out with for six weeks is a good TEACHER, and not some guy looking to pad his bank account with the miles that you run.
To increase your salary is experience, after 3 years you can go anywhere.

so that souds goog untit thay ssk you to work weekeeds

Everyone here has said how hard it is to drive for Swift; I started with Swift and I guess I was lucky because I got a driver manager that was compassionate, fair and honest. I got home time when asked for and plenty of loads (drive time). Yes, it is true that you do start out at a cpm that isn't very much but it depends on how your driver manager is with you that will make or break you, but I didn't refuse a load either which helps, it shows you are willing to work and it is appreciated by the driver manager. I have been driving for 9 yrs now, it was tough at first but when you are new to driving it will be. I currently work for a private company making an hourly salary of $22.47 and put in 36 hours a week which makes me happy and contented, for the moment....lol. Good luck in your endevour.

Fox Valley Technical College in appleton wisconsin is the best school you can get into. For 3000 dollars you get a 10 week course and 1 day of decision driving on jj keller course they have there. You also get a PTCA CERTIFICATE AND A TECHNICAL DEGREE HOW BOUT THAT. one on one training and a crash course where you get to jacknife your truck and learn how to control it. It was fun and great learning experience.

To Whom It May Concern:
Being retired from the Air Force and going into civilian life I have been layed off. Somthing that would have never happened in the Air Force as I was both in Vietnam and Desert Storm. The civilian world does not understand the military and vice versa.
I am currently enrolled at National Truck Driving School in Green Cove Spring, Florida and am doing my 33 lessons on line before going to the school for actual hands on training which takes at the minimum 4 more weeks. I have never driven a tractor trailor before and would like to know, WHO IS THE BEST COMPANY TO WORK FOR IN THE FIELD, CPM I SHOULD EXPECT, AND AVG MILAGE AS A SOLO/TEAM DRIVER. I am concerned about the team driving although many companies share that if I do not live in a 50 mile area of their terminal that the first 6-12 months I must team with someone. Could be great or could be scarry depending on the other person and myself meshing with our personalities.

PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE IN THE FIELD BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH THE INTERNAL PART OF THE WORLD THAT RECRUITERS FAIL TO SHARE WITH YOU!!!!!!!

Jerry in Minneapolis, Minnesota said: TMC is the nations leading flat-bed carrier. They do offer a training school. Log onto the website and contact them. tmctrans.com Within your first year you can make 60k...

LOL you can smell recruiter all over this post. And I will tell you that finding a recruiter that will tell you the truth is like winning the lottery. Been out here since '89, never worked for them, but will tell ANYONE this, talk to the drivers in PERSON at truck stops. Only way to really know how they company is. Sites like this are good to get a idea what's wrong but remember this, how many satisfied people go looking for a site to report bad comments just to say something good? FACTS if thinking of being a OTR driver. Long hours(no way to do it without it), being lied to by your company (if they told you the truth all the time you would quit right off), lower pay than 20 years ago (yes rates are up but miles are down at almost all companies, you can be promised .40 cpm but if you only run 2000 mi a week that's nothing). Poor health (eat good at a truck stop? Not when your living off the .99 menu most of the time. Exercise? Always too tired or frustrated Blood pressure? Just wait till any week day between 3-7pm anywhere near Atlanta GA). I could go on but no one listens lol.

This guy is absolutely right, but the bigger the company the more they pound on th BS. I haven't hauled frieght in over 22 years. I'm second generration oversize hauler. But basically it comes down the pike. The bigger the company the bigger the BS. You want to drive and make a good living be prepared to put in 100 hours a week. Union jobs are a joke on call on a board bla bla bla... Think local runs sound good? Be prepared to sit asked to do way out of route runs and things that don't apply. The problem with trucking is not the lack of good drivers it's the lack of drivers who know how to say NO! If the drivers just say NO to BS it would be a great place to work. But one drivers says no the next will do it to make a frigging dollar. Instead of making two hundred. THINK! Quit doing stuff for nothing and quit frigging bitching. Just SAY NO!

Well, I have a pre hire with swift. At this point I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I just want to be treated fairly! I always treat others as they treat me, SO saying that, how long till I get fired? lol
Maybe it's like one comment said, if you have a bad dispatcher who doesn't care then it makes the company look bad but if you have a good dispatcher who has some compassion and will to treat you fairly then maybe the company isn't that bad.?
I'm new in the business and actually still in school. I will be graduating in June. From A great school by the way, training with 48'ers. But I'm a very hard worker and I don't complain. But I want to be paid fairly and not get ripped of of my miles. I'm sure it's NOT easy work so I want to be treated fairly,,, that's all. I don't have to be home every weekend, I can stay out for months at a time so JUST pay me the money I earned,,,OK? It's that simple. Keep your employees happy and you get amazing affects from it. Then every one is happy.
Treat some one like dirt, you get dirt back.

Jerry in Minneapolis, Minnesota said: If you want to make a GREAT living and have an AWESOME truck. TMC is the way to go, they even let you take the truck home with you.
Check out TMCtrans.com and look at their rigs. Swift gives a lot of their drivers the run around on pay. Just stop a couple drivers at truck stops and ask what they think. I asked one guy and he said he hated it cause they didn't train him like they supposedly said they would and gave a truck and sent him on his way. He asked me on how to use the Qual-com... Go with TMC.

thanks in advance im surly going with TMC

Does anybody have experience with Premier training? I'm looking to do it at a local community college in Illinois. Thanks!

Im currently going to nettts my graduation is for 9_28_2012 im thinking about going with tmc trucking because they do have a great starting plan but i realy want a local job driving local does anyone know if its dificut to get a local job or do i have to go to tmc i realy would appriciate the feed back.also i have a criminal background ive been on probation for 3 years i get of in nov this year will it be a problem to get hired anywhere