Everyone who becomes a professional truck driver has one thing on their mind and that is how can I make the most money possible with my CDL. In this article on Truck Driver CDL101 we are going to look at ways to make the most money possible as a truck driver.
How To Make The Most Money As A Truck Driver: Loyalty Cards
One of the very first things you should do when you get your CDL is to sign up for the loyalty programs at the major truck stops. Whether it is Pilot/Flying J or Loves or TA/Petro they all have programs that enable truck drivers to earn points and free showers
Normally once you fill up your tanks with fifty gallons of diesel you are awarded with a free shower. Since showers can go up to twenty five bucks a washing this is one of the main perks when it comes to the loyalty programs. If you fill up enough throughout a given month then you can earn the shower power which basically means you get a free shower each day
The other main factor when it comes to loyalty cards is that for each gallon of fuel that you fill you are granted a point. So 100 gallons of diesel equals a 100 points or basically a $1.00 to be used in the particular truck stop. Again each loyalty program has different methods where you can earn a multiplier dependent on how often you fill up so you could earn up to four points per gallon once it is maxed out.
Even if you are still in CDL school take a few moments and sign up for the loyalty cards and download their apps
How To Make The Most Money As A Truck Driver: Avoid Truck Stops
Now I just spend the first part of this article talking about the importance of truck stop loyalty programs however if you truly want to save the most money possible truck stops are a money pit
Every single item that you will find at a truck stop is marked up as high as possible. Think your basic convenience store on steroids in terms of pricing. If you want a fast meal than the truck stop makes sense however make sure you have enough points saved through your loyalty program to cover the cost
If you are in desperately in the need of a shower ask a fellow driver for most have a few extras they do not mind passing on to their fellow driver. A bit of awkwardness is better than paying $25 for a shower
How To Make The Most Money As A Truck Driver: Keep Your Dispatcher Happy
I hate to say it and most dispatchers will never agree to this statement however dispatchers have favorite drivers who are rewarded with the better more high paying routes
If you are constantly late and are always complaining the dispatcher is going to send you on the garbage runs time after time
When you are running OTR the most important thing is the number of miles that you can cover in a given week. If you are sent to live load after live load this is going to deeply impact the number of miles you can obtain in a given week. However a ton of drop and hook stops will help you to maximize your hours and more importantly the number of miles you can get
How To Make The Most Money As A Truck Driver: Safety Program
The majority of truck companies have a safety program where you can earn additional cents per mile for meeting their goals which can add up to a couple of hundred bucks per week (dependent on how many miles you cover)
When I was working for the mega their safety program bonus broke down to MPG, Stopping At Designated Fuel Stops and Arriving At Stops On Time. The designated fuel stops was a pain in the butt however if you fuel up at a terminal it is not held against you. The Miles Per Gallon was worth two cents and at the time the trucks did not have APU’s so on hot summer days it was a choice of sleeping comfortably or letting your truck idle overnight which would affect your MPG
If you can max out your safety bonus it will quickly add hundreds to your pay check. However if you are involved in accident your safety bonus may become invalid for up to a year
How To Make The Most Money As A Truck Driver: Meal Prep
If you want to make the most money as a truck driver the best thing that you can do is meal prep. Obviously if you are out for weeks at a time this can be very difficult however if you are driving Monday to Friday than it is more than possible
Anytime that you eat out of your freezer and not in a truck stop you are saving a ton of money.
For the last couple of years that I was driving OTR I had a microwave, cooler and fridge in my truck and would avoid truck stops at all costs. Every couple of weeks I would get a meal out of a truck stop when I had enough loyalty points to cover it. I would make coffee in my truck for it was cheaper plus most truck stop coffee is horrible. A side note hear is that truck stops do not sell sugar for they want you to buy their coffee
Its a shame that as a truck driver we are no longer allowed access to grocery store parking lots such as Walmart due to truckers in the past leaving a heck of a mess behind.
How To Make The Most Money As A Truck Driver: Conclusion
This article was mostly directed to new truck drivers who may be working for a company that does not pay that well out of the gate. As you gain more and more experience behind the wheel with no incidents than you can move on to better companies that will pay much better however the tips in this article will still allow you to bring home the most money possible
Remember in order to make the most money as a truck driver keep your left door shut
