by C. Howie for AOL Find a Job
It's hot, dry and dusty on a spring day at the Port of Los Angeles, but driver Hugo Salcedo is getting his feet wet as he hoses down the hood of his 80,000 lb truck. It's routine maintenance and just one of the tasks Salcedo, 37, has done every week of the seven years he's been driving. Being a truck driver may seem an unforgiving career to some, but to Salcedo it gives him the freedom of the road and a lifetime of travel.
Best time is baseball season, he says. Though today he sports a USC Trojans hat, the profession that takes him across 48 states allows him to catch the Red Sox in Boston, the Marlins in Miami and his hometown Dodgers in Los Angeles. Over the course of several months his job will take him from "Long Beach to Kentucky, Kentucky to New York, New York to Florida, Florida all the way across the country to Hayward, California."
by C. Howie for AOL Find a Job
It's hot, dry and dusty on a spring day at the Port of Los Angeles, but driver Hugo Salcedo is getting his feet wet as he hoses down the hood of his 80,000 lb truck. It's routine maintenance and just one of the tasks Salcedo, 37, has done every week of the seven years he's been driving. Being a truck driver may seem an unforgiving career to some, but to Salcedo it gives him the freedom of the road and a lifetime of travel.
Best time is baseball season, he says. Though today he sports a USC Trojans hat, the profession that takes him across 48 states allows him to catch the Red Sox in Boston, the Marlins in Miami and his hometown Dodgers in Los Angeles. Over the course of several months his job will take him from "Long Beach to Kentucky, Kentucky to New York, New York to Florida, Florida all the way across the country to Hayward, California."
Jealous yet? I was when he told me the other reason he finds trucking a rewarding profession: Money. He gets $1.55 for every mile he drives, even after the fuel surcharge. "You do the math," he says. That adds up pretty lucratively when you consider he can drive 4-5,000 miles in an average week, though he says a trucker's returns can be slim once they've paid between $60,000 and $120,000 for a new big rig.
I wonder if he suffers from loneliness on the road, but he says no. He has Internet and TV in his cab to keep him company. The most serious issue he faces on a daily basis is safety. "No. 1 you have to be safe, period,"he says. "For you and everyone around you. With an 80,000 lb truck, you gonna hit somebody you're gonna kill somebody. "It's something you're supposed to do whether you drive a car or big rig, to be safe on the road, to have the knowledge of the road, the highways and how to control a truck in an emergency situation."
As a profession, truckers are perhaps most at mercy of weather conditions and occasionally it is a tough, but vital, choice as to whether to bed down for the night, or carefully navigate a serious storm. "You gotta make changes, slow down, or don't drive at all. It's a choice you make, during the wintertime, you either gotta stop and put chains or keep going, or say, do I stop and wait til it's over?"
Sometimes, the choices Salcedo makes can put him in danger. One time, late at night, he found himself "head-on" with a car coming the opposite director, Salcedo chose to take evasive action and ended up in a ditch. He rolled, his truck traveled "150 feet" on its side. Fortunately he escaped injury but his freight – he usually carries paper in bulk for Kimberly Clarke or Wal-Mart – was ruined after it scattered along the highway.
A harrowing tale indeed, but Salcedo laughs as he tells it. He shakes his head at the thought and, as he pushes up the hood of his truck, says he's got to hit the road. Before he goes, he leaves me with a lesson trucking has taught him that perhaps applies across the career spectrum. Every time he's finds himself in a tight or challenging spot, he says, he goes with "Experience. You're not taught that. If you were taught that, everything (would) be a lot easier."
And one more lesson for working life? "Hold on to your seatbelts," he says.
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Sep 21st 2009 @ 1:15PM captroberto
Here's a comment that's not trying to sell you something. There is no way that he can drive 4000-5000 miles a week alone legally. The $1.55 a mile is gross pay to his truck out of which he than has to pay a truck payment, fuel, registration, insurance, maintainance, and finally self employment taxes. If he or the truck "get sick" for any amount of time he may never catch up financially.
Run like hell from trucking, especially owner operator.
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Sep 2nd 2009 @ 1:17AM Jason
Ok first of all, you sir are an idiot. You are stating that you can not legally run 4000-5000 miles per week. So lets do the math. Average road speed of an OTR company truck is 60mph governed. Now DOT law mandates no more than 11 hours per day can be driven with a total not to exceed 70 hours per week. Now 60mph and 11 hours per day, you get 660 miles per day. At 6 days you get a total of 66 hours and 4200 miles. Now the 7th day you have a total of 4 hours remaining before you must take a 34 hour restart. So on the 7th day you have another 240 miles possible. So lets add this all up. 4200 miles, plus 240 comes to a grand total of 4440 miles. Well between your 4000-5000 mile limit, and still within legal DOT regulations. Now 60 mph is a general round number and may fluctuate based on things like each company, or an Owner Operator having an unregulated truck. Also based on city drive time too, where speeds are under 60 mph. Personally I have pulled 4500 miles legally in a week with a 64mph truck on chicago to PA loads only. Owner Operators need to learn to run a successful business before they attempt to purchase a truck. Pay the truck first. 1.55 per mile is not bad pay for a box van operator. Fuel per week is approx half the pay. Then 35% of the remainder is to pay the truck (truck note, insurance, DOT, taxes etc.) The remaining 15% is to pay the driver. If you follow that you can successfully be an owner operator. But if you do not have money in the bank and break down, you are going to tank. You can claim all you want because your company doesnt pay dick, or makes you drive 55mph and slow down traffic, or just cant get you freight to haul. But from personal experience, if you are good at what you do, you get the loads you want to make the money you want. People who complain about everything, and take their time on loads, and generally suck at doing their jobs are the ones writing on sites like this bitching because they cant get a load. Get off the damn computer and out of the truck stop and do your damn job. I have been driving for almost 5 years now, and I have never once had a problem getting what I want. My disbatch gets me where I want to be, and I get there when they need me there by. Legally as possible, and if I need to bend a rule to complete my job successfully and safely, then I will. Know your limits and dont go beyond them. If you want to tell me you cant break or bend a rule, find a new company other than a rookie company. CRST, Warner, JB Hunt, any company that tracks your every movement is going to hold you back. It may be in the name of safety, but its still a leash.
Sep 3rd 2009 @ 2:28PM Tammy
Hi captain maybe it is not the job for you maybe boats would be better for you or maybe Limousine service, but by all means, find a job you love so you sir can be happy and content doing it. all jobs have complications that's a part of life, but are the troubles really worth your time is the real question. good luck
Sep 1st 2009 @ 8:56PM Daniel
do owner operato get paid,if they is out of work or sick.For unemployment.I would like to know.
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Sep 2nd 2009 @ 1:21AM Jason
No an owner operator does not get paid if his truck is not moving. A work comp injury is another thing however. It just depends on how he/she is injured and where they are injured/
Sep 4th 2009 @ 6:15PM scott
owner operators are the same as a small business owner now work comp no unemployment some can't even get wellfare when times real bad
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Sep 8th 2009 @ 5:41PM Reggut
I would go along with the Captain thoughts before Jason's. Since Jason likes to do math, check this out. Once you have driven the remaining 4 hours on the 7th day, you have to take a 34 hour break, or almost a day and a half. So unless your week has 8 days in it, you can't drive the 4,000 to 5,000 a week as the article states, but you can drive that much in one week. Also, not all loads are drop and hook. Loading and unloading can and will increase your on duty time, and that can cut down your driving time. Here's more food for thought for those who read this article and think this would be a good way to go. More than 50% of those who start in trucking quit before 6 months, and 80% will quit before 2 years. Driving is not just a job, it's a lifestyle. I have been driving for over 12 years, Jason has less than 5 years. Do the math, I have more than double his experience. However, his comments on the financial aspects of being an owner operator are good. Trucking is not for everyone, be careful before you make a comitment to it.
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Sep 11th 2009 @ 4:48PM sam spade
Right on about a lifestyle, not a job. And before you sign up for driving school, take a good long look at the life you live. If you have a family, and love to be with them, this life is deffinately NOT for you. I have been driving for 23 years, and I can tell yopu, you give up a ton of stuff to do what we do. Forget about weekends off, and home evry night. Forget about home with the family on most holidays. Birthdays come anmd go, and so does Christmas, and anniversaries, and weddings and funerals, ands anything else that's only important to you. Then add in the cost ti live out here. $30-$40 a day for food and snacks, plus incidentals such as laundry and truck supplies. And that's if yopu're a company driver. For the owner/operators, you also need to save back 30% of that 15% for your income taxes, and another $0.05 per mile for repairs. I do this because I love it, but it cost me a relationship with my son, and my family. I got luicky with my present wife, only becauser I was a driver when we met. Bottom lin, be sure you're willing to make the sacrifice before you spend the money and try the life.
Sep 8th 2009 @ 6:17PM Diane
People, please....Jason is correct about the DOT regs and the miles for the week. Reggut is correct as well about the 34 hour rule for the following week. Yes, it is a lifestyle and yes you can make good money. After 10 years of doing electronic transport (I was a specialist) I made great money but wanted to go to school and left the industry. I miss the open road and the money but now have something I love better. BTW....I didn't even start my truck for under $4.00 a mile but then again I had to load and unload and there were NO excuses. It got there in the same shape it was when I picked it up. My customers knew I was the most dependable person they could get and the more sensitive the electronics the more they paid but it was worth it to them. So, sir, please remember that each and every career has its ups and downs. There were times I wanted to cry because I was tired, cold, bored, frustrated and just didn't want to do it any longer. Many times what got me through was seeing a customer who had been on a 4 year waiting list getting what they needed. Good times and bad and no, I wouldn't trade those 10 years for anything. I believe you might be able to be a drop and drag freight hauler but you'd never make an electronic transport specialist. Good luck!
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Sep 11th 2009 @ 4:40PM bigrigger
to many typos to be taken seriously.smells like someones cookin' up some spam!!!
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Sep 11th 2009 @ 8:07PM MICHAEL
I SPENT 23 LONG HARD YEARS OUT THERE, RUNNING EVERYTHING FROM A FLATBED TO A VAN AND A REFER AND EVEN WIDE-LOADS FOR ABOUT 4 1/2 OF THOSE YEARS. I HAVE A LITTLE OVER 2 MILLION MILES ON DOT LOG. I RAN TEAM FOR 10 YEARS, 5 OF THOSE WERE WITH MY WIFE. THOSE WERE THE GOOD YEARS, FUEL WAS CHEAP AND I HAD THE LOVE OF MY LIFE WITH ME. I BOUGHT MY FIRST TRUCK IN 1972, RIGHT OUT OF SERVICE AND BEFORE REGULATION. BACK IN THOSE DAYS WE DID RUN 5,000 - 5,500 PER WEEK AND WERE BEGGING FOR MORE. YOU HAD TO RUN LIKE THAT TO MAKE A LIVING AND SURVIVE OUT THERE. MY RECORD FOR BEING GONE FROM HOME WAS 9 MO. AND 1 DAY, THAT WAS BACK IN 1984. I GOT STUPID AND BOUGHT 2 MORE TRUCKS. THAT MADE 3 COUNTING THE ONE I WAS DRIVING. I PUT A COUSIN ON 1 AND A GOOD FRIEND ON THE OTHER, NEITHER OF THEM LASTED 6 WEEKS. I WENT THRU 7 DRIVERS THAT YEAR BECAUSE NOBODY WANTED TO STAY OUT THERE AND RUN. SO I STAYED OUT FOR OVER 9 MONTHS STRAIGHT TRYING TO PAY FOR ALL 3 TRUCKS. ALMOST LOST MY WIFE AND FAMILY DURING THAT TIME. COME JANURARY '85 I SOLD THE OTHER 2 TRUCKS AND REANALIZED MY LIFESTYLE. I WENT HOME MORE OFTEN AND HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 42 YEARS NOW TO THE SAME WOMAN. LOVED WHAT I DID BUT DON'T MISS IT NOW. I DON'T EVEN DRIVE THE CAR NOW, I LET HER DRIVE EVERYWHERE WE GO. FEEL LIKE I PUT IN MY TIME AND BEAT THE ODDS SO I JUST LEAN THE SEAT BACK AND ENJOY THE RIDE NOW......
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Sep 11th 2009 @ 7:42PM Ace
I have to laugh at some of you. Your still young and what i call still wet behind the ears!Some of you I need to put on my boots cause it getting deep! I've been driving for 23 yrs now,and yet to lay one over or put in a ditch. I'm good at what i do and do it with safty. I know when to hustle and when i need to slow down. I know how to read the road and my surroundings. I'm not saying i'm the best, for there is always someone better and room for me to learn somthing new! Been around since i was 17 yrs old starting out by pumping fuel.I must say been shown by some of the best at that time. Most of them are not around anymore, either retired or the pills got them. Ive seen laws and rules change so much over the years its a wonder im still driving.I dont like the changes, especially when it comes from some damn pencil pusher who never drove one of these in there life! Why the heck dont they just leave us alone. At times I thought of buying my own rig, but why? why the headach. I come home i want to enjoy it , not have to work on a truck. More power to you owner op! Let me say this, and this comes from a very good sorce with conection to washington, The cheating, lying, falsifying,and all the loophole you may know, will be in the past! In about 2 yrs or sooner all trucks will have to comply with the black box which includes electronic logs ! So them 660 miles you are doing today, will be the past, for with electronic logs im lucky enough to get 600 miles, and thats pushing it! So you all get ready, enjoy what your doing for its coming to a hault ! No, i dont drive for J.B. , Warner, or Crst. Three C's to you all, Be Cool,Calm, and Careful.
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Nov 19th 2009 @ 9:49PM Gabriel
This goes out to Jason. I read and figure that you know what you are talking about when it comes to owner operators. I have a few questions, I hope you take the time to respond to. The reason, I'm thinking of goind owner operator. First, you said paying the truck is first priority, is it better to buy a used truck or new truck. I was figuring new hoping to have less maintenance expenses the first couple years. Versus, a uses truck which may require maintenance expenses right away. What is your take on that? Typically, what would you say is the annual expenses for the truck in a year? If the truck is new, how much of a down payment is required? How soon would you attempt to pay off the truck?
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