Trucking...

[alhope34]

Well, I'm thinking up alternate career options for myself right now, and I'm kind of interested in trucking. Is anyone here a trucker? If so, how did you go through the process of becoming one? What kind of costs were there? Who do you drive for and how did you get your job there? How does it work when you have your own rig and just take other companies' trailers?

Thanks for any advice!

[Fobio]

In a different life, I'd be a trucker too...maybe a space trucker, hauling space junk...lol...

When I first started for a bank, we got trained specifically for "trucker banking"...guys on the road a lot...these were some numbers being throw around...

- ~$600K for your rig
- ~$130K/yr income
- might be home for maybe 2 months out of the yr
- the rig usually costs more than their home
- they usually pay off their home before they even come close to paying for the rig

[alhope34]

In a different life, I'd be a trucker too...maybe a space trucker, hauling space junk...lol...

When I first started for a bank, we got trained specifically for "trucker banking"...guys on the road a lot...these were some numbers being throw around...

- ~$600K for your rig
- ~$130K/yr income
- might be home for maybe 2 months out of the yr
- the rig usually costs more than their home
- they usually pay off their home before they even come close to paying for the rig

Hmm, well I'd preferably like to work for a company first and use their trucks instead of going solo. I've head of used rigs for about $50-75k, but I'd assume they would be pretty old at that price. I guess that $130k a year would be before all related costs. (Maintenance, fuel, etc.)

[SSmoked]

first and for most u need ur a-z licence for air brakes. thats all i know.
but from people i know who been in the industry before say to do something else, sure its nice to drive to different locations, but sitting in the truck hours at a time doing nothing but shifting through 16 gears, listening to the radio is kind boring after ahwile. not to mention the long term affects of having a pretty much usless back.

[alhope34]

Yea, obviously the license lol. Also, I love shifting and I love listening to music. :)

Once on the highway there isn't much shifting, anyway. I'd be more worried about city driving which isn't TOO often. Normally trucks go to suburbs where company warehouses would be so the product can be split to smaller trucks and then taken to different locations throughout the city.

[Thrizzl3]

the trucks come with raw power so you can haul some real ASS! lmao

[JMAK74]

I've thought about getting a truck drivers license too...

Don't load them or drive them, but at work I have to deal with trucking, so from what I've heard:


Yea, obviously the license lol. Also, I love shifting and I love listening to music. :)

Odds are to get the license, you'll have to go to one of those trucking schools - remember, you'd have to learn how to turn around a 53' trailer in tight spots and back it up. Can't do that an damage enough customers dock - you won't be driving for long. Might also be a good idea to get your forklift (and there are a number of types) cerfiication - if you end up working for say Hudson Bay as a driver, you coul also do warehouse work when you out of hours/nothing to drive around.

Truck drivers can only drive, including breaks and wait times, a certain number of hours per day - exceed those hours and you get caught, you can either be fined/company fined or lose your license or both.


Once on the highway there isn't much shifting, anyway. I'd be more worried about city driving which isn't TOO often. Normally trucks go to suburbs where company warehouses would be so the product can be split to smaller trucks and then taken to different locations throughout the city.

As much as it appears that city driving would be the worst (i.e. imagine taking a 53' trailer to downtown Toronto) - the suburbs aren't all that easy either and from what i've seen when trucks pull into our warehouse, it ain't driving or turning on a street that makes a truck driver - it's how good they can back in a trailer into a dock.

Some other things:
- Between Canada and the U.S, Canada allows more gross weight to be loaded on to a truck - you can give or take load a truck to around 50,000lbs (or more) of product. In the U.S. it's around 44,000lbs.
- Whatthe above means is when your on the 401 and that you pass a transport with three axles at the back (a tri-axle - get it?) - it could be carrying 25 tons (short tons) of cargo - that doesn't include the weight of the rig or trailer barreling down the 401
- Skids, depending on product, typically usually hold around 1,000lbs of product on average. The average truck with double stacking hold 40 to 48 skids of product.
- Should you get your license and start driving - and you'll probably ask/look into - make sure it's clear if you are being paid by the hour vs. by the load.

From what the other memeber said about the cost of a rig - rigs are expensive and odds are though the$130K one are one of those 'fancy' rigs with the sleeper and such in it. Very expensive as you are probably aware. I remember my uncle and one older guy at work telling me that - a 'long time ago' most trucks were probably privately owned, however with the costs of operating a rig, it's more and more companies that own the rigs...

All the best in the decision

JMAK

[alhope34]

^^ Thanks for the advice. I already have forklift, boom lift, scissor lift, cherry picker and skid steer licenses through my current construction job.

[philipfreire]

OH Boy!

This is a huge responsibility to become a truck driver. There's a lot of liability and damages on the line. If you mess it up, it can cost your career. I was in your shoes a few years ago and decided to go down this route. I never did as I found out the outcome.

1. Driving your personal vehicle and shifting is totally different than a truck. - Your slower. Therefore you require more patience. Especially with other punks on the road, which brings me to:

2. Traffic. People cutting you off, pulling crazy shit. Weather conditions. Theres a lot at stake. Bringing me to:

3. Liability. Even tho you may be covered under your company due to an accident, you will live with it for the rest of your life - Depending on the accident - what employer would want you?


Honestly try it out. Do the school. If you have a good perception of depth and can back a trailer in and out - you can handle the traffic and daily commute then go for it!

Another good job out there is construction truck drivers.
You can contract yourself (buy your own truck - paint it whatever you like with your name or whatever) and do work for companies. You get higher pay and its less stress and workload.

If I had a huge truck - I would paint it blue and red... with a huge optimus prime logo on the hood. hahahaha...

serious i actually would tho. :)

[Flagrum_3]

Forget owning your own rig here in Canada, these poor suckers are getting hosed ever since de-regulation, you can't compete with the U.S truckers.

To get your AZ will cost you a couple thousand$ by the time your finished, maybe more now, I'm not sure.

IF once you get your license, you could always work for companies such as Xtra, which a former boss of mine once worked for doing 'Long Haul' runs, he said it was the best type of runs, gone for 1 1/2 to 2 weeks (mostly State-side), paid by the km he would take in about a $1200 aweek.

Al you ever think of getting your CZ? ...that's all you need to run a dumptruck!...lots of work there too and you can make some good money also.


_3

[bubba1983]

thats DZ for dumptruck....

the az course runs roughly 4-5 thousand dollars now, the z part of the license is your air endorsement only....the A part allows you to haul freight

shifting in a highway tractor is totally different than a car, the transmission is not synchronized, its a sliding ball clutch..you only use your clutch for first and reverse...its easy pease once you get it past your head its non synchronized....progressive shifting in a highway tractor is key...depending on the engine manufacturer trucks shift at different points...cat engines like to shift at about 1200rpm, detroits like to shift higher, at roughly 1400rpm-1500rpm, cummins engines shift low, at about 1100rpm, and when progressive shifting, shift quick as their rev's drop fast...that said...i can drive these trucks...so it can't be that hard, lol

ontario is soon passing the law to pull B trains...dual 53 footers...keep that in mind...my workplace is on the test bed for that program...

there are alot of rules and regulations for a truck driver, its quite a bit of work to do...


just throwing my 2 cents in to peoples responces....

[Flagrum_3]

thats DZ for dumptruck....the az course runs roughly 4-5 thousand dollars now, the z part of the license is your air endorsement only....the A part allows you to haul freight

shifting in a highway tractor is totally different than a car, the transmission is not synchronized, its a sliding ball clutch..you only use your clutch for first and reverse...its easy pease once you get it past your head its non synchronized....progressive shifting in a highway tractor is key...depending on the engine manufacturer trucks shift at different points...cat engines like to shift at about 1200rpm, detroits like to shift higher, at roughly 1400rpm-1500rpm, cummins engines shift low, at about 1100rpm, and when progressive shifting, shift quick as their rev's drop fast...that said...i can drive these trucks...so it can't be that hard, lol

ontario is soon passing the law to pull B trains...dual 53 footers...keep that in mind...my workplace is on the test bed for that program...

there are alot of rules and regulations for a truck driver, its quite a bit of work to do...


just throwing my 2 cents in to peoples responces....

That's what I meant....sorry :chuckle CZ is for buses lol, that's my qualification at the moment.


_3

[bubba1983]

jus to throw some prices out there....a complete inframe overhaul for a truck usually runs in the 30K range (pistons, liners, rings, head, plus all your gaskets, pumps, oil coolers, etc)...a clutch usually runs 1200...jus for the clutch ibelieve, not flywheel...a full service, (grease and oil and inspection) usually takes 1-2 hours, pending what you find (roughly 30+L of oil pending on the size of your oil pan)....etc...thats all i can think at top of my head atm...cause im tired....lol.....and its bedtime....peace

[JashiK]

It's bedtime? It's 8:36am... Guess you work overnights?

[Slade]

My dad has actually drove Tractor all his life. He hauls for a moving company. So its not all driving. He did run the Ontario/Quebec region, but now try's to stay local.

I ran with him for 10years, as a kid it was a blast. I have seen more in my short life than a lot of people will in all of their life. I know it's a bit different than hauling freight(he also did this).

Getting stuck at an MTO inspection station can cost you your day, you have to keep your log book up to date within a few hours, your only allowed so many driving hours a day. There are lots of factors to look at, do you want local or long distance hauling? Do you have a family that might not mind you gone for a week at a time?

If you can get with a company that will pay for your cert's and training then definitely go for it. If I were to get into it, I definitely would make sure the company was liable for the truck, trailer, and maintenance, as it can get costly.

[alhope34]

Some real great advice here guys, thanks. I have thought of the DZ before, that's something else I might look in to. Dump truck and concrete truck are both DZ, and being in the construction industry already, it wouldn't be too big of a jump for me.