local vs otr

[boxtruck6]

i,ve been expediating for three years now. been running regional out of indy, in, area, this year will be around 32-35 k for year. class b, d unit driver. 0 accdinets or moving violtions. home very often and weekends. what i need is feedback from other expediters what the true $ reward if i choose to stay out weeks at a time in a d-unit. i also no this is a up and town market, you got to take the good with the bad. i,m also very glad too see a website such as this where expediaters can post. thanks boxtruck



:+

 

[Larry]

You are right - this is a great website. And yes this is an up and down market. You will get a variety of opinions on driving regional or national vs. local. I haven't figured out why, but two drivers, with the same company and same type of truck will have two very different experiences (it may be luck, driver attitude or a combination of both). The biggest problem with regional or OTR driving is the potential for a lot of deadhead miles or sitting in truckstops for several days. If you can get return loads, and keep the truck rolling - then you will make money. Also, the team driven trucks will probably get the prime loads and single drivers will get what is left. I have never driven as part of a team - so you will need to hear from some of them. When taking loads away from home consider what the chances are of getting another load out of that area. It makes little sense to take a load to St. Paul, MN. and then drive back empty to Chicago.
You can make $2500 to $3000 per week expediting and you feel really good about it. But you will also have back to back weeks where you don't make enough to pay for fuel.

Drive Like A Pro.

 

[boxtruck6]

thanks for your input larry. but i guess what i,m really asking is a yearly avg, again i know that really depends on how hard the driver wants to run, the down side and goood. thank,s again phil

 

[Larry]

I think it is fair to say that in the mid to late-nineties an OTR driver could expect a gross income of $80,000. During the past couple of years drivers have been seeing a steady decline in their incomes. I have heard drivers say that they have been seeing income go down about 20% per year. The problems with these numbers is that they are really skewed by by different situations. I know there are drivers that earn $100,000 per year today, as well as drivers earning $30,000. The guys rolling regularily can earn $3,000+ per week while others are going bankrupt.

Maybe some other drivers will toss out some numbers for you. I doubt that those that is doing well are going to tell you this years income and who they driver for. The problem is also that if you walked up to a driver at a truck stop and asked how are they doing, you may not get the full truth. If they are going broke, they would be embarasseed to tell you - and if they are doing great, they would probably prefer not to encourage others to sign up for the same company and compete with them for loads.

I am sure you noticed, I haven't said whom I drive for and how much I earned this past year!!!

Drive Safe.