Just got CDL

The time,hours and money put into getting your CDL are worth the effort to keeping your CDL. If you lose the CDL then you have to spend possibly the same time, money and hours to get it back. A person can make a paycheck ranging from $42,000-$100,00 driving a truck. This may not seem like much to some but to others it can be a comfortable lifestyle.

 

The driver should always drive their truck as if it has been loaded by someone that did not load it correctly. Therefore it is always the drivers responsibility. An overwhelming amount of rollovers are the fault of the driver. Most loads , the driver is responsible for the way a load is loaded and secured. The loads coming out of the Ports are already sealed and the driver does not have the opportunity to see the load, this can be where the loader has loaded the trailer incorrectly and the driver is unaware.

 

Also, please be kind and honk your horn when I do the pull thing with my arms. When I was a kid that kind of stuff made my day.

 

Haha, I have scared the s### out of a few parents by doing this, but it is always nice to see a smiling kid.

 

Congrats on your CDL. I actually work for a software company that develops software for electronic driver logs so I've got tons of respect for truckers. Its really tough work but you can make a good living.

 

Be on time for your appointments. That doesn't only mean don't be late. That also means don't be here a day early and then b**** when I can't get you loaded then. Appointments are there for a reason.

[/rant]

 

All those doors lead to one place, my friend.

Nebraska.

 

Yep that's it, people have no idea how much the United States depends on cdl holders. Boat, truck or train it has to get their. I work in the chemical industry and and all the big companies would fall to there knees without drivers.

 

Lol I agree if they can help it. Not always their fault though.

 

Yeah, this must be a universal story. This is definitely a point of contention on a regular basis.

 

I've read the median wage for a truck drivers is 35k. That doesn't sound like a good living, especially if you have a family.

 

I had heard 70k but maybe that was higher end with more hours on the road. No idea really.

 

This may be the medium wage because the turnover in trucking is astronomical. People get all excited about traveling for a living, then they are hit with the reality of living in a box on the back of a truck, having to walk a 1/2 mile everyday to take a shower in a shower that you have to wait 30 minutes in line to get to, then walk back to your little box and sleep or try to sleep so you can get up and drive 400-600 miles everyday.
These are just a few of the realities that hit a driver head on, but the hardest part is being away from your family while being paid a wage that was the norm 15-20 years ago. The point is that trucking is a lifestyle and has a culture all in itself. Some can adapt and thrive and some just go home, the ones that thrive and make the better money are becoming few and far between for the reasons stated above and for many more reasons within the culture.
The big trucking companies are taking advantage of the fact that they can advertise making $40,000 to $60,000 a year. You have someone making minimum wage and they see this opportunity and they jump on it and then they spend the 3-6000 dollars on the training and then hit the road. Then reality hits and it is a big Oh HELL NO!! So they go home and the next sucker steps in and the turnover rolls on.

 

The significance and importance of holding onto a CDL is a means of income. Many people who have a CDL do not use it in the job they have but if something happens you can always fall back on your CDL. I was laid off from middle management job when recession hit. I was glad I had CDL when unemployment ran out.

 

OP's rig.