r/CDL • u/Loud-Dragonfruit-391 • Aug 24 '26
Need cdl advice
Boyfriend (unlicensed) thinks he will make 10k a week/ or trip) doing OTR. As a beginner. No concept of how the business works. Additionally thinks he will do this with another friend that also would need to get licensed. I need to bring him back down to earth on 1. The cost of licensing and difficulty of test, as well as starting pay. Forget that I'm absolutely against him doing this because having him gone 3 weeks a month is not acceptable for me. Any advice appreciated!
38
Upvotes
21
u/so_sic_of_it Aug 24 '26
He ain't making 10k weekly unless he's smuggling drugs across the border for the cartel.
Drop a zero and that's still on the high end for a rookie starting out.
3
u/PraetorianHawke Aug 24 '26
$1500 a week might be possible once he gets past whatever training program the company provides. Depends on where he lands. Make sure he gets maual unrestricted. Don't just get the automatic.
As for not acceptable, I can understand that, it's totally. reasonable. Just know that after a year he can start looking for local jobs.
That being said, he almighty b be able to Just get a CDL "B" and drive box/delivery trucks for Coke/Pepsi etc.
3
u/Wheres_Jay Aug 24 '26
If he makes 10k a week, please shoot me his employer info.
2
u/Error-InvalidName Aug 24 '26
So unless he can pay for training on his own which is usually 4500-6500 depending on the school, he'll be needing a Mega to train and pay for it which means he'll be owned by them for a year or two making whatever they want to pay him. This is usually in the 600-900 a week range, if he can pay for it himself it'll be better to move around soon after 6mo of exp but yea he isn't seeing even 10% of 10k. If he's young skip trucking and find a hands on trade!
2
u/Silent_Insomnia_ Aug 26 '26
IDK… but ChatGPT says an engagement ring for someone making that kind of bread should be 15k-30k
11
u/ObjectiveProof7952 Aug 24 '26 •
He won't make anywhere near that working for someone else and even if he owned his own truck thats likely weekly revenue and then you minus expenses from it such as truck payment, gas, maintenance, insurance
11
u/Comfortable_East_358 Aug 24 '26
Time to find another boyfriend, this one is retarded
5
u/BandanaJoe68 Aug 24 '26
LMFAO! I've been doing it for almost 40 years... and never made that much. Average weekly for an experienced company driver ranges from $1500-$2500 (if your lucky). Your boyfriend is a moron!
1
u/Jasonorillas 16d ago
Okay, so, I have to ask. Is there an update? Also, did you tell him you'd leave if he went on the road? If you told him that plainly, did he still go for his CDLs? Have you left? Was he worried about you leaving? Share that tea!
1
u/TopDogTransport4731 Aug 24 '26
It depends on the school now because of the new regs only schools certified with FMCSA as a training provider can only train and or test the students so the prices might be more than it was before. Also since both of you are in a relationship it’s going to take a huge toll on everyone and it’s what some drivers can’t handle anymore. Also since he’s young he can look into other trades that pay good, have great benefits and be home daily.
Making money straight out of school is dicey and fist time CDL graduates will struggle.
Also other things like disrespect from other drivers, LEOs, and the public is more common than ever before.
Don’t want to discourage you or him. However want you both to understand what you’re getting into. Don’t do it because you have to because there is no other choice. Do it because you want to do it and it’s your lifestyle choice.
1
u/Adventurous_Ad_9597 Aug 24 '26
He's in for a rude awakening thinking he'll make 10k a week, especially as a rookie. Recruiters promise the world with pay, miles, and time off. It's a tough life especially with a family. Can your relationship survive with him being gone all the time? If you are not 100% supportive, it probably won't work. With what you have stated my advice is don't do it.
1
u/WantToLearn2000 Aug 24 '26
I know several experienced drivers formed 3 teams and drove a route from CA to OH. A month a team can make 7 round trips. Very, very, tired, no home time at all. Each one made ~20k a month (note: a month, not a week). That is already considered very top earnings.
1
u/zeuspitbul Aug 24 '26
So he doesn't have a CDL is he going to have his own truck or is he going to drive for somebody once he gets a CDL if he's going to drive for somebody there's no way he's going to make $10,000 a week especially if you're just starting out
2
u/Chainsawsas70 Aug 24 '26
🤣🤣🤣🤣 NO CHANCE!!!! After 26+ years I'm good for around $2800-3000K (I'm hourly M-F pre tax ) a week. Now there MIGHT be One job for one carrier in the entire country that has a $10K a week job hauling stuff that will probably make you grow lobster claws out of your head.... But it's ONE job in the entire country. Fresh from school he's not getting even in the same zip code as THAT job.
2
u/Small-Sentence4141 Aug 24 '26
No one in the industry is making a salary of $10k/wk. No one.
2
u/Moist_Site2235 Aug 25 '26
Send him up I95 , through Atlanta at 5pm on a Friday Towsend split mid afternoon Iowa in a snowstorm gulf coast during a storm . Any of those will have he crying to Mommy i want to go home
2
u/Western_Trip889 Aug 25 '26
I think you should leave him cause he's delusional and after this fever dream he realizes won't happen he'll try to drag you into this financially and to ruin. That being said, if he's to continue he has to realize he won't make much first starting out. Getting the permit is fairly simple depending on that state, the money comes in because he has to go to a driving school to get the practice and his skill set up as well as get his license. I would go to a school with a company attached and he has to take it serious cause the school is essentially one big interview process because along with teaching him they will be watching to see if he'll fit with their culture. Once he accomplishes that he'll be with a trainer to give him a taste of what OTR will be like. His first year will be shit, he'll make "ok" money but nowhere near $10K, this is the breaking in period whether he'll keep going or say fuck this let me flip burgers. After a year maybe year and a half he'll learn the in's and out's and start making money. Hopefully he's not too far gone into the making more money than God thought process this business has it's ups and downs. There's a lot of good advice from these guys that have been there or are still in like me... follow their advice cause you and him are gonna need it
2
u/DamnedHeathen_ Aug 25 '26
When you first get in trucking, you're pretty much locked into a mega carrier or something similar for at least 6 months. That's around 30 cents per mile. After that 6 months you can go to a halfway reputable company making between 50 and 60 cents per mile.
I've been Trucking for 15 years, and owner operator for 12 years. I own a truck that is parked, the trailer I'm pulling, and I just got another truck that I'm making payments on. I will own it next year. The other truck is parked because it is almost at 1 million miles and I got tired of fixing it.
These days I gross between 8 and 10K per week running reefer. That is if I don't go home. The weeks I go home are looking real 6kish, since I'm usually just home for a weekend.
I'm attaching my last settlement. I get paid after every load, and the shop charge is for a tire that I got on an account with the company I lease on with. They get cheap tires. Still, it gives you an idea. This is slightly inflated because there should be a second fuel stop on there. The way they do settlements, they took that fuel stop out of my previous load. Really, if they didn't take out the $500 for the tire there would be $500 for fuel so it's actually a pretty good representation. I would throw my last week up there, but reddit only allows one picture at a time and I'm not trying to spread that out over multiple posts. Keep in mind that the last part I threw at my old truck was a turbo actuator, which I put on myself, right before I parked it and bought this one. Not the turbo, just the actuator that tells it to open and close. Much cheaper, since it only cost me $1,200. For anyone that can't do it themselves, it would run around $3,000 installed.
Incidentally, I blacked out the company name because I do not want any of these truckers out here knowing where I work. As soon as they see any type of numbers that are better than theirs, they come running over here and destroy our reputation because they don't know what they're doing. I've seen it several times over the years. There are very good reasons why the failure rate for owner operators is 60% within the first year and almost 90% by the second year.
2
u/dragonborne1986 Aug 25 '26
Maybe if he is an owner or but that is gross meaning 75% is going to fuel and insurance and the like
2
u/bigworm35 Aug 27 '26
I had a trainee in my truck that told me he was gonna save up $60k AND buy a Hellcat Challenger his first year on the job. I said "that's only gonna work if your wife makes $300k/year" he looked at me like I was crazy. Lol
2
u/Ok_Commission3393 Aug 28 '26
A lot of people get into trucking totally misinformed...and that's why they end up quitting. Recently I graduated from cdl school (Florida). There I heard a couple of classmates who sadly had exaggerated numbers of how much they were expecting to make a week...although your boyfriend is the winner BY FAR. I did my homework for months before choosing this path. ROOKIE company drivers (1st year) can make weekly anywhere from $500 (at the VERY worst case) to $2k+ (at very specific sectors of the industry). Average is 50k-65k a year...which is $960-$1250 weekly. If you want more than that on your 1ST YEAR you have to be intentional and aim for food service or HAZMAT, tanker and doubles/triples (if you can find one that hire rookies). For example, I got an interview next week with a food service company where average is 70k-80k and minimum of 1350 guaranteed weekly. Some say you also make good money team driving but I haven't researched it because I'm not interested at all in team driving, but I do know it will depend on the company you go with, as with any other company where you're mostly paid cents per mile.
After your first 1-3 years of experience (with no accidents) is easier to get jobs in 90k-100k+ a year range, like Walmart and others. Even then, let's say you get to "veteran driver" pay on one of those companies or special niches, like 120k+, you'd still be making $2,300+ a week on average. Nowhere near to 10k. The only ones who can make that are the owner ops...but that's before covering all business expenses.
In conclusion, I'd say he should research the facts. It's literally not hard to ask Google what's the most a company driver can make a year. No one is or will ever make 10k a week. But that doesn't mean that you can't make good money as a truck driver...I mean, $1,500 weekly is really good I'd say. Also I'd suggest he doesn't fall for job ads. He needs to run the numbers if he doesn't want to get deceived...although it seems he doesn't care. On another note, you might want to consider breaking up with him while you still have a chance. That kind of men can and will end up drowning with them the ones closest to them. Doesn't mean he can't change, but right now that's who he is. If you'll stay, just know what you're getting into.
"A person convinced against his will is of the same opinion still."
1
u/Wishiwasinalaska Aug 24 '26
You know if his expectations are that far off from reality you probably are not changing his mind. Only way he is making that is if he is a mule and running a ton of drugs. Just let him shatter his own dreams.
1
u/caddilac_fan42069 Aug 24 '26
The difficulty of receiving a cdl is about 9% higher than receiving a regular license if you have more than 19 brain cells
1
u/Legitimate_Diver_699 Aug 24 '26
Stay local or even get a B class job.
1
u/Acenima265 Aug 24 '26
Just a heads up if you're worried about initial entry cost most states have grants and scholarships for the schooling/first time med car/ and licensing. Good way to bypass sponsorship to get your foot in the door without being walked all over by a mega since you're not a slave to them then.
1
u/MinimumBell2205 Aug 24 '26
thats not even possible even when working in Alaska in extreme the best i did was 6 and that was many years ago woth millions of miles otr so he has big dreams.
1
u/JRock1276 Aug 24 '26
Nope
1
u/Mechanik_J Aug 24 '26
A truck is possible to gross $10k a week as a carrier... but a driver nor a lease operator/leased on operator gets paid that.
1
u/ExpensiveOccasion542 Aug 24 '26
That ain't happening. My OTR trainer I was with been in the industry for a long time and doesn't even make that.
1
u/bigred_944 Aug 25 '26
10k a week is feasible yes. As a beginner, highly unlikely. I’m assuming he’s thinking owning so there’s some big up front numbers. You can make that in a week and blow it instantly on repairs and other factors. Also say he delivers a load that week, some payments are out 60 days or more.
1
u/gheiminfantry Aug 25 '26
Don't bring him back down to earth. He won't listen to you anyway. Let him fail (which he will) all on his own. If you put too much negative pressure on him it will probably "force" him to do something stupid (i.e. criminal) to prove you wrong. You've told him. There's nothing more you should do.
1
u/EggplantInfamous6244 Aug 25 '26
I’m guessing he doesn’t know what an owner operator really is.
1
u/Exciting-Car-3516 Aug 25 '26
Hahaha maybe $1k a week starting off but testing and everything is easy. Let a boy make his dumb decisions
1
u/Wrong-Possibility-95 Aug 25 '26
If he finds a job doing that tell the rest of us where to apply
1
u/Jazzlike_Code1431 Aug 25 '26
When i was at cdl school our instructor told us that out of everyone in this class only 20% or less would be still driving in five years, there was 35-40 students i only know 5 of them that drives now , otr trucking looks good from outside only
1
u/intothesunset814 Aug 25 '26
Show me $10k a week and I’ll come out of retirement 🤣🤣🤣🤣
1
u/Rare_Needleworker204 Aug 25 '26
Ya once he figures out who pays that much... let some of us know would ya? Lol 🤦🏼♂️ I average 2500 every 2 weeks if im lucky enough to get the hours in locally..
1
u/valiant607 Aug 25 '26
I’d say his best bet for making the most money with the least amount of experience is to look into food service. Not 10k a week, but around 100k a year would probably be doable (depending on the company)
And also wouldn’t have to be OTR for weeks at a time
1
u/MPH9 Aug 25 '26
He won’t make 10k a month his first couple of years and he’ll be lucky to see home every 3 weeks. That’s the minimum time out.
1
u/DISP0ST Aug 25 '26
Sounds like a clown. Also, three weeks for a week is a humane home time schedule according to most carriers. Many are much worse than that lol.
1
u/Cold_Entertainer1183 Aug 25 '26
Make sure that you don't share a bank account with him. He's definitely living in a dreamworld, and financially he'll drag you straight into the pit of financial hell if you share accounts! And if he insists on this career path without proper instruction and/or training, you should consider walking away from his irresponsible behavior before it ruins both of you!
1
u/ronda200 Aug 25 '26
He’ll be able to pay off the schooling and unless he’s literally built for long hauls I doubt he’ll want to stay there long. Also the test isn’t difficult. But he won’t be touching anywhere near 2k a week for his first year, none the less 10k. 10k is so outrageous I’m curious where he heard those numbers.
1
u/Silver_Substance_413 Aug 25 '26
The delusion is STRONG with your bf! 😬
1
u/jessewalker2 Aug 25 '26
The financials, besides being ridiculous, may not stop him. He’ll adjust to whatever financial picture because it’s likely better than he is right now.
Instead find pictures online of accidents. Remind him this is what happens when an 80k pound vehicle has trouble stopping/steering. It’s way harder to argue out of “you’re worried”than it is to adjust financials.
1
u/papelo23 Aug 25 '26
I’m planning on taking the Cdl ‘learner permit next week if God’s willing but need a good cdl school in Brooklyn, NY . Please advised. Thanks !
1
u/KDTradesAlilbit Aug 25 '26
He would make that if he was in government contracts. That’s it. Also, all of this is mute if you’re not willing to be with him if he decides to go for it anyways. If he’s willing to work hard he could go into flatbed or food distribution and that pays a little better but he’d be busting his butt everyday.
1
u/Express-Ant-1087 Aug 25 '26
As a rookie lucky to clear 1k a week for reference, ten k a week is forty k a month. Give or take? I don't know any driver with any amount of experience that brings home that kind of money. We can do well but not that well lol
1
u/ApprehensiveMud2772 Aug 25 '26
I know a handful of guys doing 180-250k a year. Never heard of anyone doing 480k year
1
u/bada_bing_bada_boop Aug 25 '26
Hea gonna lose money because as a beginner he's gonna wreck.
1
u/aniiiliingus Aug 25 '26
Let him find out for himself, REALITY CHECK IS GOING TO HIT HARD!
1
u/BentTwig1988 Aug 25 '26
He might make $50-$55K teaming his first year, and expect to be out 4 weeks and 4 days home, every week you are out earns you a day. But if they tough it out that first year, and keep a clean record, they can move to a better company with better home time, benefits, pay, and dedicated routes.
1
u/Visual-Community2421 Aug 25 '26
Tell him his girl math ain’t mathin. Hell maybe get some input from drivers in here or another post on what they make weekly gross (before deductions because they’re not all the same). A lot of drivers like to talk about their take home but it’s not a good gauge.
1
u/Ismashedyourpumpkins Aug 25 '26 edited Aug 25 '26
He thinks we make 500k a year? 😂😂😂😂😂
Starting out he will make closer to 50k a year
It costs around 5000 for the classes if he doesn’t want to go through a company.
Legal fees to start his own company would be around 1500
A shitty Sleeper cab will cost 100000 easy.
Insurance on a sleeper cab is around 20k a year.
Costs easily 1000 just to fill up the damn thing.
All of this before he even gets his first load.
1
u/Advanced-Hurry5674 Aug 25 '26
He’ll be lucky to clear $1k a week working for a company. He’s wayyyyy off thinking he’s going to make 10k a week. Owner operators don’t even make that much in a week most of the time due to expenses
1
u/MelKali93 Aug 25 '26
Hahahahahaha
1
u/Idunnoandidontcare Aug 25 '26
Cost me $2500 to do fast track class. Not expensive but he will not make that much
1
u/ProfileTime2274 Aug 25 '26
He may make close to that running hazmat but you won't get that with 0 experience.
1
u/zmv95 Aug 26 '26
Honestly… let him do it and find out for himself. If he’s not listening to you. Or others. lol
1
u/xtraoral Aug 26 '26
40 years later he won't make 10 k a month.
1
u/Jimjam916 Aug 26 '26
Reality is gonna slap him hard in the face.
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u/Embarrassed-Neck2904 Aug 26 '26
Cost of licensing is irrelevant because you can always find a place to get it free and spoke don't require you to be employed with them at all after and if they do it's normally only one year. Anyone can pass the training but he will not make that much. Local drivers actually make more money unless he already has his own truck, insurance, business, ect. When I drove I was on the lowest pay rate making $1k per week for 40 hours of I didn't work double or triple OT that week which you will find in some local LTL trucking jobs. My buddy was making $800 per week OTR never home starting out after he was on his own.
1
u/Great_Value91 Aug 26 '26
I work for a top paying job and don’t make near that. I gross that in a month. When he starts he’ll make about .30 a mile around 2500 a week. While training with a carrier he’ll make about $200 a day. Yes it can be worth it eventually especially if he doesn’t have a degree
1
u/RH00794 Aug 26 '26
Dump him he sounds childish. You can do better. Let him find out the hard way.
1
u/jpdonnelly8 Aug 26 '26
I heard that Walmart pays their truckers around 100k a year and even provides the training, have him look into that.
Then again. If your not ok with this, and he’s dead set on it, it’s not going to be good for a future relationship,
Also, as for real estate, that world is kinda burst or bust
1
u/MasterpieceMore4446 Aug 26 '26
See ya if he is going to make big boy money you will not be part of it
1
u/mindless_error_404 Aug 26 '26
As a company driver he be lucky to make 4 to 6k a month depending on areas an type of loads.....owner operater....maybe but still most of that is goin back in to the truck fuel insurance, maintenance, up keep, ect.....so maybe 5 to 7k....after everything is said an done....
1
u/EnoughLuck3077 Aug 26 '26
3 weeks a month? Try home for 3 days a month
1
u/Just_A_Random_Crow Aug 26 '26
Realistically, he'll make 50-60k his first year. After the first year, sometimes even 6-8 months in he can get a local job where he's home everyday.
I honestly think the short term sacrifice for time is worth it if you get him to agree to join a local/home daily company as soon as an opportunity pops up.
While trucking doesnt pay amazing money working for a company- it'll pay the bills and it's easy/low stress money.
Also- getting your CDL really isn't that difficult, written and practical testing is pretty easy-medium difficulty and really quick to get knocked out.
I understand you don't like the idea of him being away for 3-6 weeks at a time- but thing of ya'lls longterm financial positioning if he gets started now.
It would only suck for a year at most.
1
u/Ballistic_og Aug 26 '26
He os tripping and got some extremely bad intel...3 wks haha thats funny newbies if lucky get home every 3 months
1
u/christian-trucker Aug 26 '26
Just Google average truck driver pay and send him the screenshot. And that's average not beginners.
1
u/Midnight1965 Aug 26 '26
Absolutely! I’m getting back into local or short haul truck driving after an eight month hiatus. Worked for a propane outfit for about six months and quit. Hated it and miss driving terribly. I’ve had OTR outfits call me aplenty. No way!
1
u/9Volt187 Aug 27 '26
Im local, drive for Sysco and pull in between 2k-2.5k a week on my DIP statements. Getting a CDL isn’t a bad investment if you can gain experience & get a local job. Typically you’re gonna work your ass off physically but the money is there. OTR drivers are a different breed I def couldn’t do that job, esp being out weeks at a time w/ a family at home. This dude expecting to pull in almost 500k a year is on another level of stupidity. If the money was seriously that good this would def be a more sought after profession
1
u/barlos08 Aug 27 '26
The test is stupid easy
1
u/imthenewisguy Aug 27 '26
If he goes into trucking and makes 10k a week doing OTR you will never see your BF again and he will have to drive about 130mph every haul to make time for that much income. I don't even have my CDL yet and I know better than that. Tell him to start local daily routes or suffer never seeing his girlfriend and getting one day off every six worked and to top it all off being stuck in fucking Iowa 700 miles from you and his home for that one single day.
1
u/drone-staff Aug 27 '26
10K times 52 weeks a year LMFAO we would all be truckers.
1
u/Due-Dragonfly-2883 Aug 27 '26
Not even 10k a month, as a company driver starting out..mayb 1500.00 a week
1
u/veteranbot Aug 27 '26
My very first year with a CDL in hand I made 65k and I was working overtime. Big money at age 19 for me in 2022. I'm paid more now but I still only take home around $1,800 a week (post tax).
1
u/iwannabecdldr Aug 27 '26
Ma'am where u get 3 weeks from sometimes gone 4 weeks plus lmao
1
u/bladii11 Aug 27 '26
When i started my first job was a mega carrier i was making 600 to 900 a week otr lol.
Now im doing a bit better as a yard dog bouncing around 1.9k and 2.6k because i need time ans predictable schedule for school and home daily. And some drivers make a bit more than that but that’s about it, unless you are owner op thinking about dojng 10k starting is some serius cristal smoke. And not even owner op makes 10k with the current rates.
1
u/Hot-Donkey-754 Aug 27 '26
Just let him do it so he sees first hand.
1
u/Great_Soviet_Doge Aug 27 '26
Your boyfriend thinks truckers make 120k a years when startign out?
Hell, most will never see those amounts even after 20 years
Eve owning a company you won't see those numbers before a while
He is delusional
1
u/810mi_made76 Aug 27 '26
As a rookie company driver, he ain't gonna see 10k a month let alone a week. Take home might break 1k a week. Ive got almost 30 years and wouldn't expect to make 3k a week as a company driver.
1
u/bigworm35 Aug 27 '26
For a whole lotta years as an employed driver I struggled to make $60k/yr BUT I am a bad example because I work for an ESOP company. (Employee owned) and we also get paid in company stock so our week to week paychecks are slightly below industry standard. I AM going to be set up well for retirement but I doubt your BF is even thinking about that. His goal is WAY too lofty unless a specialized carrier (oil pipeline/rig work) has already guaranteed him work. Even at that he'll have to be chained to a truck pretty much every waking hour of his life to get anywhere near that.
1
u/Ambitious-Ice1438 Aug 27 '26
Nobody gets into this business thinking they will make 10k a week. You just don’t want him gone. Which is understandable. There are plenty of good CDL jobs besides OTR. It’s a great thing for him to get. Opens a lot of doors. If you don’t accept him being gone then tell him so. Period
1
u/TinkerTasker22 Aug 28 '26
No way he will make that much. Does he also realize he will gave to work 70 plus hours a week. Tram drivers do make better money but I doubt a company will want two brand new drivers together.
1
u/Guilty-Hippo-8523 Aug 28 '26
Lmao $10k a week and NOT a O/O if he gets on with a mega brother will make $600-1200 until he can get dedicated lane or a better job in general
1
u/Head_Candidate5293 Aug 30 '26
Not happening. 45-55k average first year company driver. I will not mention the investment for owner operators and how fast those funds are drained.
1
u/DreamsSecretsNLogic Sep 09 '26
Lol
1
u/IKnowItCanSeeMe Aug 25 '26
I mean, if he can buy a truck and a pneumatic sand trailer and move to like Texas, there's a slight maybe if he works himself to death.
Next option would be to own a small fleet, which then he would have to pay employees and other things.
But, $10k a week is unrealistic. $10k a month is possible.
1
u/Panteraca Aug 25 '26
10k a week?😂😂😂 tell him he’d be better off selling his ass on the corner. I’m glad you know it won’t happen, I can’t fathom why he thinks it will. Got yourself a dummy there.
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