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Thread: Who Drives Truck?????

  1. #21
    AzDon
    Originally posted by lynden
    So what is it all about? I'm in Texas, and have thought long and hard about trucking. I've loved rigs since I could see straight, is it even worth getting into now?
    Trucking jobs usually produce an average yearly salary that most people would consider acceptable. The catch is that the salaries are based on 70 hour workweeks and living on the job. If you are going to work for others, you will live this lifestyle in the truck you are assigned, in all kinds of weather, and likely will be assigned a driving partner to share less than 70 square feet with you. Most OTR driver pay is strictly mileage, so all other required duties are uncompensated. If you have a problem with being a slave laborer, you aren't going to like this feature. Often this includes completely hand-loading your truck, so being fit is also a requirement. You also need to be generally healthy because you could have problems far from help and your normal providers. You will not be visiting the tourist side of town in most cases, and most of your contacts will treat you like a piece of meat. And then there is law enforcement and revenue agents...
    Is it worth it?....
    I've been at it for 30 years and I only intended to do trucking until I had a clear idea of what I might prefer to do instead "when I grew up". I still can't imagine what I'd rather do for a living!
    Because many feel as I do about trucking there is enough of an oversupply of drivers and trucks to keep rates and wages depressed. Many community colleges are now offerring truck driver training courses because it's a high-turnover field that is always hiring at annual wages that look good. Many of the new jobs in the statistics are driving jobs.... they really aren't new, just being re-filled.

  2. #22
    jerry billet
    Don't drive, but own a trucking company. All company drivers, paid hourly with full benifits. Do use O/O on occasion, have even used 058. Mostly during peak or if we need his flat bed experience.
    Operate a wine whse in American Canyon, CA near Napa. Our drivers pick up and deliver Wine and related items. Mostly routes, mostly no touch. Know the job can be touph, but also know they are getting paid to drive around and listen to the radio all day up in the beautiful wine territory. Some loads are in/out of the piers.
    As for driver pay, we pay from start to finish, and that includes time for checking oil, washing windows and truck inspection. they get paid for thier whole day, wether sitting at the customers door, at the pier or eating lunch. Yes we pay for thier lunch hour, too hard to regulate it. If they claim they did not get lunch, just tack it onto the end of the day, go home an hour ealier than they clock out. Probably ate thier lunch while waiting to get loaded. But also know that we dispatch them with a hard day and most times only have a few minutes to eat. They are happy to be home an hour earlier.
    The difference, we have happy, hard working drivers. Most earn thier safety bonus, we pay overtime after 10, and on Weekends. Provide newer model trucks and all air ride equipment.
    I have sympathy for the drivers. Allways let them merge in front of me, sometimes pissing off the driver behind me when I put on the brakes or leave a large window in anticipation of a driver wanting my lane.
    We are also hiring at this time. Bought 2 trucks last week. Looking for locals at this time. We expect to be running betweenn the bay area and LA later this year.
    I'm going to actualy get my CDL also. Want to be able to drive the rig for the race boat.
    Jerry

  3. #23
    spectratoad
    Originally posted by rrrr
    I figured out that with the hour rules, weigh stations, and fuel stops, a trucker could average somewhere between 50 and 55 MPH. That's freekin' slow. If you figure a guy is working for a damn good carrier, the .26-29 cents per mile works out to be less than $20/hour.
    That's not much money for being away from home, having no opportunity to live a normal life, and eating crappy food to boot. I feel for those guys that are grossly overweight and don't have any other means of making a living. Truck driving is a hell I don't wish to visit.....
    Let me forward this to some of my friends over in Iraq. I am sure there will be tons of sympathy.
    I have alot of respect though for people that work in whatever profession they choose. Yes I always let trucks in, flash my lights for them to get back over and whatever else I can do to help make their drive less hectic.
    Also, when I was younger, thought about driving a truck. Thought it would be neat to see the country and get paid for it but instead joined the military, see the world and get paid for it. After 15 years I still have minimal pay compared to civilian counterparts.
    Here is my point, you pick your profession. If you are smart you research it or get whatever info you can about it. I knew going into the military I would get low pay, mediocre food and at times questionable places to call "home" and yes lots of time away from home.
    So I tell this to all my friends who are in the military(low pay, bad food, away from home), teachers( ???low pay, deal with low budgets, Idiot parents, bad kids.) nurses(wierd hours, unions, decent pay, etc...)
    Get your pay upped somehow or find a job that pays better.
    Let the flaming begin

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