I Used To Make $100K As A Trucker. Now I Make Minimum Wage.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- Truckers used to make $110K per year on average. Now many are homeless. So what happened? We dug into it as part of our new Class Room series, which looks at how jobs that used to provide a solid, middle class life now barely provide a living.
With trucking, that story starts with deregulation. Big Box stores like Walmart were allowed to crush worker power and wages across an entire industry.
Now there's a perpetual trucker shortage as drivers get sick of low wages, long hours, and constant surveillance.
#trucking #labor #job
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There's never a worker shortage, only a pay shortage.
There is shortage of drivers willing to work for peanuts is what they really mean.
Commercial vehicle driving is a skilled job, albeit the skill set is somewhat common.
@@erkinalp who cares about the required skill for the job? Just pay people enough to survive lmao
Two words: Illegal immigration
@whitmanmalemananything is possible when you lie
Watching a 71 year old man who worked his whole life and cannot afford a house is the saddest thing I've ever seen.
You should ask that 71 year old relic what the hell did he do during his first 62 years.
@@rulingmoss5599lmao relax
@@johnfrank6112 He worked. Did you not watch the video? Its about money no longer going to working people.
Cigarettes are an expensive habit.
@johnfrank6112 yeah how u make 100k for 30 years and still broke
I've been trucking for 34 years, and I still get paid good, but I found a company that works for me and treats me like I'm someone and not a number
your number depreciates with every indian that comes in
I'm trying to find that
That's a big part of the problem. Drivers don't apply with other companies that would benefit them. There's a shortage of truckers in America. It's totally different than my industry of residential home construction, where there are NO jobs available for anyone due to 7% interest rates.
You need your own business and get your own loads 😂
@@jeffb321no because you need to start your own business it gives you more freedom and also more risk but it pays off
"Trucking is short 80,000 drivers". You mean trucking is short 80,000 slaves for these below minimum wage job offers.
Yep. And trust me, they won't be missed. As soon as driverless trucks become mainstream the slaves will be laid off in droves. Driverless trucks don't need wages, and they don't get tired.
The companies are SHOCKED that people don't want hurt their health to be paid slave wages to be controlled.
You can tell just driving across the states right now. Truck drivers used to be drivers you looked up to when driving on the interstates. They drove safe, and were courteous. I guess at that time, they were paid well and were treated well.
Now, I have seen truck drivers, under paid, under trained, drive a truck like a road raged dad, and that is with 160 tons behind them.
It's sad. So sad.
Those jobs are not offering "below minimum wage".
You do know that they won’t be driverless, they will have to have someone in the seat to grab the wheel just in case
@@therinwhitten160 tons? You don't realize that would be 320,000 pounds. There's not a truck out there that can pull that much weight.
She failed to mention DOT harassment and fines. Also failed to mention expense of living on the road and lack of parking.
A part of it to be sure. But corrupt corporate greed and their lobbyists share a much greater share of the blame.
I think thats more of a personal problem.
The one guy is in a straight truck driving without a cdl.
That's right, and they are All a big deai to a driver. Non trucking people are clueless about how it works ( or doesn't).
Yea i quit to because of punks and idiot cops with constant harassment when all i wanted was to do my job and be left alone . But they couldnt do that!!!
Both of my roommates are truckers. People love to tell me stuff like "wow, it must be so great having the house to yourself all the time," but the truth is that i miss my friends, and when they come home after weeks or months of living in a box on wheels I can see the toll it takes on them. On top of that the drivers are constantly getting screwed on pay, time off, load scheduling, etc and yet the companies constantly complain about the lack of truckers. It's not a mystery. Trucking has to change.
Those mother fuckers are rolling in money tho. If they're out of their starter company splitting bills 3 ways... Phew that's good money right there.
Trucking is changing. Its about to get rid of ALL the drivers.
The best advice u can give to them Is invest , so they aren't this guy working minimum wage jobs cause social security isn't there to help u lol
@@bentonja668Lol good luck with that bud, the moment companies can no longer blame the driver for accidents, the moment they’ll quickly go bankrupt. All it will take is a few casualties for autonomous driving to go away.
@@cormaro13 The best advice you can give them is stop being stupid and look around for a corporate driving job.
I've been a trucker for 25yrs. I knew I couldn't afford a house, etc. so while living in my truck I squirreled away enough to pay cash for an older 23ft motorhome. My car is 22yrs old. I'm now saving up to put solar in my rv. I'm almost 67 and hope to retire soon. I won't be able to afford rv parks or fuel to travel much but I do have a few friends that will let me park on their rural property. Not what I had in mind for my golden years but much better than nothing. 😊
You'll be much happier the way you're going about retirement. Learn everything you can about your motorhome, maintenance, repairs, proper storage (while parked long term) etc. Waaay better than being stuck somewhere with just enough to get by on. You'll have freedom.. 👍
Wish u the best. Glad to see you are appreciating what you have
You’re pretty much the CEO of truckers now
I do the same. with help from RV facebook groups and youtube videos you can handle anything that comes at you!!
Hey, that sounds pretty good. My friends uncle is a truckers and wants to retire but he has a huge mortgage so can't due to that and on top of that, about to file for a divorce and ultimately lose it all. He says although the divorce will likely leave him back at $0 and no home, he still has his trucking job and plans on sleeping in the truck and simply working to live. He finds that to be better than dealing with his physico wife. I found it admirable, but your story sounds much better. Also the ability to not have to worry about working until death is a beautiful thought. 😊
I am so happy I made productive decisions about my finances that changed forever. I'm a single Dad living in Vancouver Canada, bought my first house in October and hoping to retire soon if things keep going smoothly for me
Everyone needs more than their salary to be financial stable. The best thing to do with your money is to invest it rightly, because money left for saving always end up used with no returns.
I'm a truck driver in Australia
I’m looking for something to venture into on a short term basis, I really need to create an alternate source of income
Kate Mellon Bruce is not just my family’s financial advisor, she’s a licensed and FINRA agent who other families in the US employs her services
She's active on face book @
Kate Mellon Bruce
In 1998 an old trucker warned me not to become a trucker, because he said the trucking industry wasn't what it use to be. Thank you, sir. Update: People it was 30yrs ago. I'm talking about my personal experience. That old Trucker did me a solid. I went on to a greater career. Geez
@@ScottSeufertyou grossed? I wonser what your net was after all expenses and taxes 🫥
*What about all those robot trucks I see. They've got to be so expensive they'll raise wages for all truckers, right?*
Sir tell me you don’t make life decisions that easily
@@ScottSeufert okay cool so after driving for decades and building up your owner op business you only managed to bring home 100k a year during your highest grossing years? If that doesnt tell you that 100k is a pipe dream for most drivers idk what will
@@michaelarmstrong3501 He did me a great favor. My other option was best for me anyway.
One of the worst lies in this country was that being an independent contractor trucker was a better option than being a union trucker
The worst lie was that capitalism works for everyone.
Says 1 reply but I don’t see any. I wonder what Google doesn’t want me to see.
@@somethingsomething404probably antisemitism
Who do you think is deleting comments?
@@Pensnmusic or non union.
corporations HATE unions
they FORCE their profits to be shared
it was a better option...
... for the companies
Interest rate is currently at 4.75%(8th rate hike since March last year) Inflation at 7% and mortgage rates is at over 7.5% but yet minimum wage remains the same and my retirement portfolio has suffered tremendously these past years, so my question is how do senior citizens retire and live off such unstable economy. The long term game is obviously not for me at this point.
I can’t focus on the long run when I should be retiring in 3years, you see I’ve got good companies in my portfolio and a good amount invested, but my profit has been stalling, does it mean this recession/unstable market doesn’t provide any calculated risk opportunities to make profit?
There are a lot of strategies to make tongue wetting profit especially in a down market, but such sophisticated trades can only be carried out by proper market experts
I agree, my profit has been consistent no matter the market situation, I got into the market early 2019 and the constant downtrends and losses discouraged me so I sold off, got back in Dec 2020 this time with guidance from an investment adviser that was recommended by a popular economist on a subreddit, long story short, its been 2years now and I’ve gained over $850k following guidance from my investment adviser.
I’ve been down a ton, I’m only holding on so I can recoup, I really need help, who is this investment-adviser that guides you?
All of this happened in less than a year after ‘Catherine Morrison Evans’ told me what to do. I started with less than $100,000, and now I'm about 17,000 short of having a quarter million dollars.
The problem we have is because Most people always taught that " you only need a good job to become rich " . These billionaires are operating on a whole other playbook that many don't even know exists.
Money invested is far better than money saved , when you invest it gives you the opportunity to increase your financial worth.
It is remarkable how much long term
advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid,
instead of trying to be very intelligent.
The wisest thing that should be on everyone mind currently should be to invest in different streams of income that doesn't depend on government paycheck, especially with the current economic crisis around the world. This is still a time to invest in Stocks, Forex and Digital currencies.
Many individuals report success in investing in stocks, forex, and cryptocurrency (Bitcoin), yet I continue to struggle. Can somebody help me out or advise me on what to do?
Even with the right technique and assets some investors would still make more than others. As an investor, you should've known that by now that nothing beats experience and that's final. Personally I had to reach out to a stock expert for guidance which is how I was able to grow my account close to $35k, withdraw my profit right before the correction and now I'm buying again.
I’m one of those homeless truckers. It just don’t make sense to pay over $1000 for a home and only be there 4 days a month.
But after the retirement, you have to stay in a home,
So let it be a village, let it be a small house, but have one house for you,
There is not a law in life that says "YOU HAVE TO OWN A GODDAMN HOUSE". If you don't need it or cannot afford it you don't have it. When you die you cannot take it with you anyway, so cool off.
I was one of them homeless truckers my self for well over a decade. I got tired of living to work and wanted to work to live. From my early 30s to my mid 40s I had no life I lived to drive a truck OTR. One day I just said F this and quit in DFW as that was where I was at the time and crashed on someones couch and started to look for local work. It took me a few years but I got a local job that pays an OK wage but with outright awesome benefits for a trucker. I have a 401K, company pays 95+% of my health insurance premium, I have worked up to having 26 paid days off, and work 7 days out of every two weeks working 12 hour shifts. I can burn two days off and be away from work for an entire 7 day week, and best of all no union telling me that I have to hand over half of my pay check just for the union just to screw me over.
Get a home and rent it out to cover your mortgage till you retire into a debt free home.
Why would you want to be gone all the time anyways.
Postal Worker Strike + Rail Road + Trucker all at once would bring US to the knees. Power to the people and workers. Bring Unions back!
Scary thought.
@@michael029138 based thought. People can wait on their motherfucking Amazon knick-knacks until the workers get fair pay.
Honestly, that would be so amazing. Problem is that the government would shut it all down and force the workers to submit at the cop's gunpoint.
@@monsieurdorgat6864 Biden already did this when the railroad workers tried to strike in 2022. Rail workers; too important to let strike, not important enough to pay fairly.
@@monsieurdorgat6864amen.
The continuously changing economic conditions in our society have made it necessary for people to find additional sources of income, thus I am looking at the stock market to fuel my retirement goal of $3m, my only concern is the recent market crash.
Every crash/collapse brings with it an equivalent market chance if you are early informed and equipped, I've seen folks amass wealth amid economy crisis, and even pull it off easily in favorable conditions. That should be the least of your concern. Also explore the option of working with a CFA to reduce greatly your chances of loss.
You're right, I and a few Neighbors in Bel Air Area work with an Investment Adviser who prefers we DCA across other prospective sectors instead of a lump sum purchase. As a result, my portfolio has recorded significant improvement even during the most unfavorable market season.
I'm intrigued by this. I've searched for investment advisers online but it's kind of hard to get in touch with one. Okay if I ask you for a recommendation??
'Sharon Ann Meny' is the licensed advisor I use. Just research the name. You’d find necessary details to work with a correspondence to set up an appointment
Thank you for the recommendation. I'll send her an email, and I hope I'm able to reach her.
At this point anyone who comments 'get a better job' or 'some people don't want to work' is either cruel, a bot, a CEO, or just completely unaware.
If we have the people who bring us all our consumer good not live in poverty, how will our corporate overlords afford their 5th yacht?!?!!?
You forgot the "skill gap" that CEOs keep mentioning whenever they talk about bringing back skilled labor.
dont forget brainwashed, the billionaires dont spend billions on media company for noting. They always expect larger returns on investment.
There's a lot of bootlickers that would prefer Bezos and Musk get richer if someone rather than someone else live well.
Hollywood writers for some of the biggest shows are currently getting paid near or below minimum wage. The writer for Succession couldn't afford to get his used prius fixed. Meanwhile the execs are worth billions. It's either side with the billionaires or the working class. If you aren't poor, the billionaires just haven't figured out how to steal your money yet.
@@Praisethesunson Clearly CEOs are just working 300x harder to justify their wages. Maybe if this guy was pulling 3000 hr/day shifts he wouldnt be poor lol. All that sleep he does is just being lazy.
Most homeless people I have met in Florida actually have jobs.
Their job does not pay enough to rent the crappiest apartment in the city where they work.
Their employers paid off their congressman to do this to them.
Apparently forming a union and striking is the only way to earn enough money to survive in capitalist America.
And I'm pretty sure homeless people in Florida can't vote, functionally. Go fuckin' figure.
Florida is so obviously a bought out fascist state, it's horrifying.
they should stop trying to live in a city then. there's still plenty of places to live outside of cities that aren't absurdly expensive. and whaddya know theres some jobs there too.
@@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr Hey buddy... What happens when you're too poor to afford a car? Did you ever think of that? They have to walk to their job, then. And Florida isn't exactly known for its public transit into or within their cities.
Entitled people ffs 🙄
@@monsieurdorgat6864 not to mention that people mass moving outside of cities will increase the cost of those areas as well. It’s just moving the goalpost. Some people need to use their brain.
And you think the capitalist class will sit idly by and not violently retaliate? They will. Send in the militarized police, the national guard, and paid off right wing extremist militias to ruthlessly put down labor strikes when push comes to shove.
Truck driving is easily one of the most under appreciated and under paid professions out there. Half of these companies still think drivers can get by on $800 a week…son it’s hardly a surprise the industry has a near 99% turnover rate. It’s difficult to find people willing to forfeit their family, friends, and hobbies to go out on the road for weeks at a time and get treated like a second class citizens.
Anything less than $2,000 per week is a joke.
Joe is bringing in millions of new workers that will be happy to take these jobs for pennies on the dollar with no benefits.
He promised them all good jobs.
@@harthart7529Must feel good to be a bigshot!
So true
If the drivers know this and still drive it is there fault.
"The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it." - George Carlin
There used to be an American dream. America is still great when you look around the world. but it's being destroyed fast - especially with the left's obession with destroying every aspect of the middle class
This is happening to all normal jobs, even in EU. 30y ago a man could work in a factory and have a family with house. Now normal people doing normal jobs cant afford 1 room flat. And all rich people will tell you,get a better job, but who will clean the streets,paint your house,cut the grass etc? I asked politicians many times who decides what minimum wage is and how people should live on that and nobody can answer that. All data show that middle class is getting lower and lower so now we have majority of people in lower class and small group of rich people and you can see it every day everywhere, look at restaurants where we have to tip the servise because boss pays the minimum wage to everyone so HE can have a new bugatti version. Or when a boss gets a contract on reconstruction and he pays the minimum wage,buys cheapest materials and gets maximum profit. And rich people will tell you to work harder and invest there and there and buy houses etc but from what if you get paid minimum wage since school? They will also tell you that everybody can be rich which is ultimate biggest lie and scam because if everybody is rich who will do the work? Look at Detroit etc. where big companies moved factories to China to make maximum profit and still act like an American firm,what a joke we live in right now,its sick.
Yr absolutely right
First thing I'll tell you is that there's no such thing as middle class. It's all working class, "lower" and "middle" class. Very basically, if you work for what you have, if you produce with your hands or skills, you are working class. Second biggest lie ever told is that the mega rich work for what they have and that's simply a myth.
I work in an emergency department as an EMT and can barely afford my 325 Sq ft studio apartment in the US.
My youngest was offered - but didn't take - a job as a server at a national chain restaurant here in the US paying $2.75 an hour. That's not even enough to cover the cost of getting to work, much less pay your car note. The customer is expected to pay the worker's entire salary by way of tips. Massive, massive scam.
@@BleedForTheWorld People who usually say things along the lines of "there is no middle class" generally don't have any understanding of the term. Today the term is for people who don't need to work paycheck to paycheck but still need that job to pay for their living expenses. E.g. they can take time off for a vacation and not have to worry about making ends meet, but with the loss of a job they would.
Another sad reminder that everyone needs to wake up and realize that change needs to be fought for. My heart goes out to those truckers and I hope that they can unionize or something. Please try to find local politicians to support that are pro union, and in this case, pro trucker.
To give a perspective on how important truck drivers are... All that would need to make that change happen is for fuel trucks to shut down for 1 to 3 days. We use a just in time system, take away the fuel that makes it all go and the fallout will be epic. Think all medical supplies including life saving medications.
Why didn't he buy a house when he made $100k a year?
Why doesn't he look at doing other work?
I've been actively discriminated against for being white in America when I went to college and nobody gave me hand outs.
They just murdered my family.
When I was in the military or recently looking at jobs I got discriminated against for being a German immigrant.
Nobody cares.
Move on.
Why not use trains to move things? I think its far better to create a good train infrastructure to move things better and faster.
You mean they should not vote for Democrats?
That's absurd, anyone can afford to have a home... but they have to be making about $2K a month, to pay for EVERYTHING. So that's $500. a week. People, lie.
Truckers deserve excellent pay, excellent benefits, and excellent working conditions. They are unsung heroes. Because without truckers this country comes to a GRINDING HALT. They perform an absolutely vital service.
That's why we import so many people, who can get their license, to lower the cost/wages!
My father was an owner operator for nearly 10 years. He could be on the road for 3 weeks and back home for 1, sometimes he was gone longer and sometimes he'd stay home longer. It was a sacrifice but he didn't know another way to earn the kind of money he made trucking. I've got respect for anyone doing this kind of work because of him. RIP dad.
❤❤❤
❤❤❤
Fathers sacrifice a lot. Irresponsible and feminized sons squander the progress made by father.
@@prashanthb6521 sons now are the same as sons then for all intents and purposes
El fatiha za tvog oca.
This is actually pathetic. Not the man, but society. Our society is absolutely pathetic.
We let women vote now. What did people expect.
@@MrDucksBill True
We also let Caleb vote.
If you work your entire life and have no savings it's not because of society or the economy. There are shitloads of people who worked the same job as this guy did and are comfortably retired. He's probably just mismanaged his money.
@@managerialelitetoaster3456 Probably not.
Amazing presentation. As someone who drive trucks for more then three years, this video is accurate. Trucking is one of the hardest jobs you can do,. One of the most underpaid jobs. You will work long long long hours, you will never sleep 8 hours, ans you will never be "safe". Trucking is hell because youre working for a minimum wage. Something needs to change.
Preach
This is absolutely true. I knew an owner/operator of 15 years exactly like the old guy and even though on paper he was making $150k a year, in reality he was barely scraping by. Had to sell his truck and go into painting to make ends meet. The cost of fuel, insurance, maintenance, have all skyrocketed while their pay has barely risen. Sad sad world we live in
Become a company driver then
@@cheeseheadwizardI’m a company driver and I’m at the mercy of these evil people. My pay has fallen 20k+. If we tried to unionize, Ross corporate will be the locusts that they are and move on to another company. There are no alternative companies that pay more out there. Not even otr jobs. This is a huge problem for many. Corporate greed is the problem here.
@@jhaeros
Gross and net very basic business concepts.
@cheeseheadwizard most company jobs pay pennies on the dollar or wait to micro manage every little thing you do. Free of the road is completely gone and they basically want to starve you. Trucking sucks period
@@aacd34 Not to forget the damn camera that watches you now…
That's why I left the industry in 2019, after 20 years of trucking! Now I'm making the same money with less stress and being home every evening!
What do you do now?
Go were you're valued. Good rule for life!
I have been an owner operator for almost 3 decades and most people don't know how brutal being a trucker really is. I used to be a Canadian and Alaska hauler and we were required to drive 5000 miles a week solo. My entire career has been like that and like 25% of the work I've done, I've never been paid for. During covid I went hungry every day and washed myself in rivers because the restrooms were closed. I have been robbed and beaten, I've almost froze to death from hypothermia. I have been shot at from road rage and I can't even remember all of the times I've been hurt by horrible people. And most trucker's get treated this way, so people can eat. America is built on taking advantage of innocent people
My friend...
That's not America. That's Humanity.
Any time an advantage is presented it will be taken regardless of cost to others.
@@benjaminlear1619
Not for much longer.
this is sad
Bro that's brutal😢
Always was op
Trucking deregulated in 1980. Many important structures were deregulated in the 80s and the ever growing disparity and poverty we see today is a Direct result of deregulation.
Over regulation is exactly why we’re doing awful lmao and taxes, look up how hard it is to open a business in California.
Ever heard of "savings and loan"? Thanks g w bush, thanks Congress.
Honestly, the only way this gets any sort of fixed is to rip all of the regulations and tax loopholes, then start over on regulation and tax doctrine.
My old man used to make
$270,000 a year…
I’m not open to say how easy it was.
But if you made connections with private companies you can reel in with the tough hauls that others are afraid of doing & make a good business.
It all died when inflation hit everyone, basically 9/11.
im a millenial and a local truck driver, I made $93,000 last year and I'm also a country boy, I live rurally, my total monthly expenses for the way I live is $1900/month, I am far from struggling but I work my mf ass off. FJB-DT 2024! MAGA
@@daMillenialTrucker If you think MAGA will aid you? You are in for a surprise.
@@Lobos222 trump will help me economically speaking a hell of a lot more then Biden, it's clear as a day what the democrats are about which is funding wars and fking the country, I'll put my trust in maga then current day Dems, bud.
@@Lobos222 Lad. Neither side will help.Biden is no better than Trump.
@@Lobos222yeah as a union rail worker Biden shafted us, RFK Jr is by far my choice for president
This is America, we work to give the billionaires and ultra-millionaires the life they deserve 😅😂
You still work lol? Stop economic support for your own oppression
It really is. I lived overseas and returned because of improving my education. And I hate it here. So many people have a rise and grind attitude, but they don't get anything meaningful from it except a boring life.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever until we get organized and work to change it.
Sad but true.
@@7798-b7z
People that worshipped billionaires tend to be from a middle-class or upper-middle class background, because these people are more likely to view themselves as "one of them" or is "one in making." Working class people have more realistic views and dignity than that.
I am a homeless owner operator. I've made less than $100,000 in eleven years. I've spent close to a million dollars in repairs, fuel, insurance. Don't EVER buy your own truck
Why not go company & live in the truck for a few years stack your money??? Dupre logistics the company I drive for made 109k last year take home
@byrdman10112 I've never heard a good story from anyone about being a company driver. Unless it was loyal hazmat tanker. OTR company is usually 40k max
Lol… if you can’t succeed in trucking then that’s your own fault. I was born in one of the poorest counties in the USA and sitting on more than 6 figs in the bank, thanks to my cdl.
@handleyobusiness lmfao, only a freight broker makes money in trucking. You should have 7 figures in the bank if you have a cdl😆😆You'll never beat the broker, and you'll never compete with the big companies. I've been on my own 13 axles, I've pulled my own reefers, and I've owned multiple trucks. And hot shots. If you did make it, you're 1 in 100,000. 60,000 trucking companies go out of business every year, so odds are your full of shit
@@handleyobusinessthe last 2 years if ypu owned a truck and you didn't bank 150k net you were lazy or spent it in hookers
100k for 30 years and nothing saved? That's yo fault homie
I have been a truck driver and owner operator since 2010. It breaks my heart to see Bill working very hard at his 71 years birthday and showing the real life that we have as truck drivers.
I am thinking seriously about leaving the industry.
We have to deal with many things to make our job correctly.
We have to follow rules that don't go according to reality of our job. ELD doesn't care if you're tired. You need to go. As time goes by, our bodies don't behave the same way they did 15 years ago. ELD doesn't care about our age. I am 52 years old and I have been driving since 2010. My eyes are tired. ELDs are very strict, and we have to drive when ELD allows us. Even though we are a very regulated industry, shippers and receivers imposed fines $$ if we arrive late to our appointments.
I agree with Billy. The only way to be heard by the people who rule the American government is by getting organized in the best way possible. Everyone who wants to be a truck driver or owner operator needs to be organized. The government doesn't understand our necessities as an important industry. ELDs had created an urgency in the drivers mind. (trying to beat the clock) That is the reason you will see truck drivers driving at the highest speed limit even though the weather conditions and the road conditions are not recommended. It is not only ELDs. We have many issues in our industry, but ELDs came to add another headache.
Billy, I am with you 100%
They are ruining the warehouses to. So many at mine are so close to putting in thier 2 week notices as one floor leads work goes undone while he wastes time and the company wants cross training on several different things he fails to do as he does the least and complains about everyone else who gets their job done.
Management so worried about safety yet leaves Damaged flammables exposed with packing tape holding the hole closed as the Lead doesn't even use his haz whopper common sense to not follow the companies unsafe new policy of calling a recovery crew that hasn't shown in over two weeks now.
Such a toxic work environment and by design as they do all that's in the news and media that harms mental health and creates more stress as they preach about caring and making my sure we are fit the work.
I did trucking for 6 months and quit cause the company kept making me do sketchy shit and I even got a few tickets at the scale house that I had to pay from my own money
@@Blazeww sounds like you are describing a FEDEX Freight Dock…I used to be a Freight Handler / (forklift operator).
@@Jay-vr8itwhat company
I’m was just thinking about going to truck driver training for coke cola after watching this hell with them we drive and touch freight 12/13 hours a day fck that I’m tired of hard labor jobs and I have nothing to show but stress
My husband was an owner op. He read the tea leaves and pivoted to getting an accounting degree. Sometimes an industry is bigger than you; you have to make the choice to learn a new skill or trade and take control of your future.
Best of luck to both of these men.
Smart man, tell him I said that
@@mothegoat6865I second that.
My husband and I realized in the 80's that being an owner operator was profitless.
My husband sub hauled for construction company. With 20% fee for renting the trailer, 5% for finders fee, truck insurance, fuel expenses, tires, miscellaneous repairs, PUC dues, quarterly Federal and state taxes...etc,etc...as well as trying to maintain healthcare insurance for our family of four, which during the Reagan administration we could no longer write the health insurance off on the business end of the taxes.
That was an additional major hardship. Recognizing that trying to run a business as an owner operator was relentlessly fruitless and leaving the industry what's the best decision we had made.
That was approximately 30 years ago. Good luck to you. 🍀🍀🍀🍀
Crazy thing is that truckers often have REALLY conservative views. I'm gonna guess it's because they're brainwashed by conservative radio broadcasts all day - long treks through places where that's all there is. The fact that lots of truckers exalt Reagan's legacy is dumbfounding to me.
Big haul Uber basically
@@monsieurdorgat6864anti abortion pro military conservative maybe?
@@monsieurdorgat6864it helps the image when Reagan was a union leader.
@@monsieurdorgat6864 : Absolutely‼️
Blame corporations and their corrupt politicians.
@@Devdevbruhshhhhh.
Nah nvm don’t shut up. Speak up tbh 😊
And socialists think the answer is more government power
@@Devdevbruheasy there bud. They are watching
Shabbat shalom 😅
Blame HIM. he wasted his money. 100k for years, he was well paid
@@shellz831
Well maybe he spent it all on cigarettes.
If a trucker cant even affird a home, where tf is the hope for me? 😞
NGL the hope is looking pretty dim right now. I don't think I'll be ever able to afford a house, and I'll probably be lucky for whatever amount of time my partner and I will be able to rent a half-decent place. But if we continue to have to respect these billionaire's property rights at gunpoint, IDK where we'll be able to live.
@shadowban1777 it's not a conspiracy. Capitalism is not sustainable because infinite growth is simply not possible in a world with finite resources. This is why capitalism must be met with the transition to socialism.
The only hope for many of us is that we can inherit some kind of dwelling. Good luck to you out there, seriously. I wish it weren't like this.
@@BleedForTheWorldfound the idiot troll
landscaping
30 years as a trucker and homeless, sounds like several bad decisions
Exactly! If he was smart with his money in the good days back when the pay was great! He would be relaxing at this age, also what’s the point of trying to save up for a house in your 70s and trying to work overtime when this not much ahead of you. I’ll be on the pension chilling in some third world country once a year
Best comment of the day and only two replies. Speaking of bad decisions what he has spent on cigarettes alone. Over the 30 years invested properly would have given his future self some financial security.
@@carlodoms7364 it’s going downhill everywhere
My mechanic was crying the other day because the landlord raised the rent almost a thousand dollars.
Yep. Probably messing with those lot lizards 🦎 🦎 🦎 all dem years
🤦🏽♂️🤡
My husband is a driver and it's really hard to compete with foreign drivers that will work for next to nothing. It drives down the wages for all of the other drivers.
My dad actually mentioned something about that recently
There is a whole lot of truth to that. Additionally, their horrible driving habits and disregard for the law makes the job more dangerous for everyone. Eventually I assume the insurance market will catch-up and make it unprofitable for carriers to hire these guys but until then, it's only going to get worse.
@@UhYeahWhateverDudethat is part of the reason why I closed down my authority and about to sell my equipment. I constantly get treated like dog crap and I have to always compete against a foreign driver that is willing to drive for peanuts so they can send money back home in their country. I realized that this thing isn’t worth it. Anyways I’m getting into aviation. This is going to be a 3 year journey but It will beat this crap
yep, my dad is a trucker also and he says he sees a lot of foreigner truck drivers that can't even speak english, or drive without hitting something
@@UhYeahWhateverDude Something I've learned is that companies will pay extra to keep you poor and begging
I'm in my 60s and I've lived below the poverty line all my life. Even when working two jobs I was still poor. Now they're trying to criminalize poverty. Damn shame.
I hope your situation gets better
Mind to ask what is your jobs? Even working 2 jobs still below poverty line is horrible. Might we learn something from it.
I'm curious as I live in a country where no job will leave you poor. What jobs did you work?
@@MrRoyalbeers I waited tables, I did office work...as I got older I took training and was able to work as a mediation specialist in my city. I also worked in electronic production. Basically whatever opportunities I could find...while raising two fine sons. I've worked with people who have alzheimers and dementia. I worked with people coming out of incarceration. Whenever I could give back, to a city and community that's been good to me and my family. I got married, and gained three stepchildren, and went on to foster and adopt children. I've been busy. Now in my 60s, I look to the next generation...and I wish they had it better. So many people struggling, especially young people.
@@miapdx503i feel your pain .
Sir if you made $100K per year for 30yrs, and did not buy a house, sir you mismanaged your money.
Yeah but it doesn't look like he did.
This is what I’m trying to figure out. How much is his overhead? If his overhead was to high, how was he still in business? And if he still made money to put aside all these years how is he broke? If he was living out of his trucks all these years how does he only have $1200?
We need bank statements. These days millionaires are also broke in the bank because they have so much flow and costs.
“Mismanaged” is a bit of an understatement here. I can only dream of making that much in a lifetime.
@@TwistedFoo they are "broke" because all their assets are in trusts and money is in stocks. They have a lot of value but they do not have much money.
I was a trucker for 24 years and was pushed out due to finding out about a heart disease. It was a love hate relationship. Once you become a trucker and stop , it’s hard to get it out of your blood.
It's not about "getting trucking out of your blood"
People are habitual, whatever you do consistently gets wired into your brain.
I agree! Best thing to do is get on disability and drive around the country with a small camper
I loved Trucking and would go back if I could. Medical issues too.
@@masmith1960 I have a heart defibrillator implant i can't drive so I'm waiting my SSDI then I going to Asia to live
I understand. Been a trucker and a police officer. To old to work the pd. Have like you med issues for dot. Been turned down on ssdi. For me it’s like so many of us trucking is in my blood. Should have never become a cop. Liked helping people and the job was okay but it was never like trucking for me.
I had a trainer who taught me flatbed in 2004. He said he made 50k the year before. He also told me he made 50k in 1978. That's equivalent to 200k in today's money. Flatbed drivers today make just a bit more than the same 50k. Pay has barely gone up at all in more than 40 years.
Exactly
My old man made about 50k in 05. Nearly 70k in 15. He’s gone now, but I picked up the reins as a flat bedder, on route to 100k+ this year. If you’re not making at least 75k, it’s time to find a different company. There’s no shortage of jobs. This documentary is full of bad information.
poor people don't want to pay taxes so the rich believe the world is theirs and by all means it is
This is with every industry. Especially construction. This is not unique to trucking.
Well I'm a flatbedder and I've never made less then 90k/yr as a company driver and not have to do H/H or OD
I was in trucking for a dozen years after 25 years of tech and 3 years in the oilfield. I liked it and made it work for me. I made a plan to retire oversees 10 years prior to getting out. I saved and spent nothing while trucking. Fortunately for me I broke my collarbone at work so I got a 1 year sabbatical on workman's comp with my family. I'm now in the Philippines debt free with no housing cost beyond normal living expenses.
That being said, trucking has become very exploitative and restrictive as this video illustrated. Truckers must unite to force change like the farmers did in the Netherlands or it's going to keep getting worse. Nobody else cares about truckers beyond other truckers.
So you wasted 20+ years before hitting the jackpot at the oil fields. I haul water to and from oil fields. I do a lot of money and in another 4 years I'll move to a cheap paradise like you did.
@@spharion7988 I don't think I "wasted" 20 years before going to the oilfield. I was in tech for 25 years which provided a good life for my family. I didn't truck in the oilfield either. I was in directional services. Trucking was my last career before retirement. I'm glad I didn't do it for more that I did. It's a hard, isolating life. Money isn't everything. Living the one life we are given to the fullest is priceless.
Truckers in the Netherlands get 18,60 an hour lol.
Thanks for the continuous update! I am super excited about how my stock investment is going so far, making over $41k weekly is an amazing gain.
Do you invest with a professional broker? I would appreciate it if you could show me how to go about it.
Thanks to Mrs. Bruce Christelle time in my life, which had a profound impact on me.
@@KajoStanleyWow! Kind of in shock you mentioned expert, Bruce Christelle What a coincidence!!
Bruce Christelle has really set the standard for others to follow, we love her here in the UK as she has been really helpful and changed lots of lives
Life is easier when the cash keeps popping in, thanks to Bruce Christelle services. Glad she's getting the recognition she deserves
Long haul
Hardly home
Divorce
Single income
Lose home
Disorganized finances
Must keep working
That about sum it up?
Thanks.
that list should have been a lot longer lol
Well I’m trying not to let it happen to me. Staying on a dedicated route , I’ll Put in my 3 years behind the wheel collect my company match and move on.
Dont forget vices like those cancer sticks.
What’s excuses for paying them poorly with hyperbolic insults?
The most needed workers in this country are also the lowest paid. That spells trouble.
I am a long haul trucker. Right this minute, I am trying to get ahold of the small Mom and Pop carrier so I can get paid. I need to make my 1200.00 a week truck payment. I texted yesterday. No response. Today, straight to voice mail. I am sitting in my truck terrified. I live in my truck. I only have 8 months left for payoff. The freight rates are horrible. By living in my truck and keeping expenses down, I have been making payments but living very hard. Please pray for us. I ❤ you. I haul food to you, over 6 million pounds a year of refrigerated freight, mostly avocados and strawberries, CA to TX. Please pray for me.
Thank you for your hard work, and prayers for your success 🙏
I'm so sorry. Take care of yourself, and I hope your burden and worries are alleviated. It shouldn't be this way.
There's a few things to do in this case, call their neighbors, friends, otherworkers/emergency services if you suspect the may be permanently unavailable
Better business bureau is another good contact to have
Bad business is so rampant in trucking it makes me not want to get into it in the first place
I feel for you. God bless you and I pray that things are better for you. Thank you for all your hard work ❤🙏
Wow I feel for you. Rip off mechanics and long downtime in between repairs. It never ends. I have been an owner operator for 6 years. Both my truck and trailer are paid off and I have my own authority. Even with paid for equipment, I’m still getting out of the industry. Sitting down all day everyday and eating a bunch of overpriced junk from the truck stop. I ended up weighing 305lbs! I dropped down to 275, but my blood pressure is through the roof and I’m now on blood pressure pills and I’m only 31. Im done driving trucks because my health comes first and I’m not going to catch a stroke out here on the road. Now that my blood pressure is under control, I’m going to continue this lifestyle change so I can lose more weight so that I can get into flight school in order to fly commercially as a pilot. Y’all can have this trucking crap.
The National Trucking Association protects corporations not the drivers. They are not Truckers they are share holders.
All absolutely true!! I am Canadian.. used to live in a truck doing long haul. Now, I haul aggregate local. Paid $34/hr for all hours worked. No log book, and in 14 years of that.. own a house and two nice vehicles. Also take time away from work for hobbies. Because I can afford to. I will never go back to freight hauling, there is no money in it.
That sounds like a great rate. After hauling refrigerated my son just got offered $24/hr US to deliver building supplies. He'll be home every night and have paid holidays. Hope it works out as good as it sounds.
In the US most places won't go above $25 an hour for local from what I've seen but most don't get that
@@FrankLadd the dollar is irrelevant, as you spend usd. And earn usd. I make cad and spend cad. Only difference is things are more expensive in cad. Your son will do well, running local. It is more difficult for companies to screw drivers over when you see them face to face every day. Lol. If things don’t fly for him with building supplies, might I suggest he check out aggregates. All the best to him :)
I started at a mega carrier. Made absolutely nothing, below poverty level. My point being is thiers better options, I left.
@@ballpuncher45 yes, that is true…. Try out aggregate, or other specialized. Freight does not pay, at any point.
The whole "waiting for a load" aspect of the work being unpaid is so absolutely bonkers. In the quest for annual percentage increase in revenue, our supply chains have been whittled down to nothing more than a house of cards... We saw what a major disruption looks like in 2020, but all corporations think of is "How do we get back to 2019" instead of "let's do this differently so 2020 doesn't happen again." Really feels like insanity
The only way to prevent 2020 from happening again is to prevent the government from banning people from working. No matter how much people are paid, they aren't going to work when the government bans them under threat of jail.
So you will add even higher costs to the end product then we already have? I manage a lot of carriers and they got extremely greedy during Covid. You don’t get to cry would when you made millions of dollars more and squandered it after the rates came down. Owner ops were the same way. There is always a cycle. Shippers market than drivers market. We just came out of a drivers market. Now we are back to a shippers market. The carriers who have been around for decades already prepared for this. A lot of non truckers and truckers who thought they could get rich bought or leased equipment that is now more expensive to move then to keep sitting. It’s not just coronation equal bad.
@@TheSonyExperienceYou take for granted that prices SHOULD be low forever, and also assume that value is not being siphoned by megacorps who reach record profits every year for a half-century. That’s not everyone’s goal… some of us would trade cheap flat screen TVs for an equitable economy
Someone is making a lot of money while people can’t afford the cheap garbage they transport out produce. Business cycles aren’t some natural fact of nature, they are reckonings of an unsustainable system. Go ahead and tell me I’m the naive one though, tell me how doing anything differently from the demands of rich people could never ever work
@@gridlock489 I’m not sure what your argument is. It would be great as a shipper to have low rates forever and less variability in my transportation budget. We can agree on that. The only argument would be about how the market should work in your opinion opposed to the reality? Also you mentioned cheap garbage that is shipped. How about the produce? How about medical equipment? Do you know why rates can’t stay the same? There aren’t enough carriers for all of the demand hence the driver shortage. If there was enough carrier capacity, there would be no benefit to being a carrier. There would be very low margins. Your argument is fundamentally about capitalism at this point. Prices are set by what folks are willing to pay in any market. Unless the government dictates it. The issue with that is the government could set it low, but they can’t force carriers into the market. So all you would do is constrain capacity leading to shortages in every possible way. Then the shippers would just move to their own fleets and pay drivers hourly. That’s a great way to cap prices. Then you just don’t pay as much.
@@TheSonyExperience You're missing the point - if we can only afford certain things by exploiting drivers, we can't actually afford those things. If 'cheap garbage' costs twice as much because of realistic shipping prices, whether those are set via collective bargaining or regulation, then the consumer will simply have to choose to consume less. If high volume/weight low-cost goods like produce need to be subsidized to ensure everyone still has access to healthy food, that should be the responsibility of the government, not the drivers.
Not sure what you are talking about regarding margin... Workers don't care about margin, they care about reasonable pay and work-life balance.
Gave up my CDL after 7 years. The last company I drove for was JB Hunt. I had to call in at 8am every morning and wait up till 2 or 3 in the afternoon to get a load, not on the clock. Then I'd get a load to run 10 to 12 hours after already being awake for 5 or 6 hours. Then I'd be required to call in at 8am the next morning and they'd look at my e-logs and say well you're eligible at 10am and give me another 10 to 12 hour run on 5 or 6 hours sleep.
Dang that's crazy. I start out at Swift in 2006. We never had to do that. Loads are sent to us by Qualcomm. I'd be outside my truck inside the terminal playing on my laptop. They never call me. So I'd check it every 2-3 hours. If you replied too late, just wait for another load.
Loophole. Crazy slave drivers.
i retired from trucking in 2017 and not a minute too soon! i saw it go from a great job to being nothing more than a human transmission .
most truckers do it for the freedom and couldn't imagine sitting in an office everyday their whole lives or in a factory with someone looking over their shoulder all day,but now you are one of the most under surveillance people in the world, on camera,computer watching every gear shifted every time you touch the brakes every turn you make every move your truck makes the temperature of your engine the rpms, exactly pinpointed by gps on a map down to the yard and how many minutes you sat there or if you nudged forward 6 inches or 20 feet. and if your truck is running or shut off , and if you follow orders and drive exactly as youre told exactly when youre told the exact route youre told and stop when and where youre told you really are just a human link between the accelerator and clutch and the gps map on your dash and the orders coming thru the dashtop computer, basically a "transmission" a robot all day...and night.
so much for taking a different route down the country road parallel to the highway to see the scenery or small town america or eating at your favorite mom and pop truckstops while passing thru to say HI to your favorite waitress and give her a tip, learning the quiet scenic shortcuts over the CB from other guys... those days are gone.
If you do drive down any of those roads today - all across america you will see all the boarded up closed down eateries and truckstops and deserted ruins of all the businesses that used to make a living off of, and feed their families off of, the truckers friendly visits of the good ol' days.
☮
I felt that and im a 7 yr vet. I still go down back rd. I started right when everything begin to change I remember when companies were still running off logs. It was all for safety. The data is in and there’s nothing safe about trucks running out of “time” and parking in entrance ramps of having no where to park at truck stop. And now even at Walmart they booting trucks now and starting price to get it off is 250$ it’s sad. But I love driving.
@@Trollmaster08 I hear ya, but it'll never be like the good ol days.
This is so true .
It is sad how a career known to attract people who greatly desire freedom above all, now gets regulated more than almost any other job out there. It's perverse really.
The office cubicle workers are now getting the preferential treatment,
he is absolutely right at the end... if they were unionized, they would be able to demand their rights. this is what you get when you do not heed warnings some of us have been giving for over 50yrs. it all went south with the advent of the neo-liberal chicago school of economics corporate takeover of our country. and most of us watched it happen and could not be bothered to support workers. this is what you get when you have a welfare state for the rich.
There is no stable way to unionize trucking in the U.S.
The barrier to owning the equipment is very low, and the supply of people capable of learning to drive truck is essentially infinite, it just isn't rocket science. Tractors and trailers are relatively standardized, and you can hire essentially anyone to complete a job in the case of a strike.
The conditions simply don't exist; and even if they did exist, I could tell you why the union would not produce the effects you're looking for in the medium to long term. Union propaganda preys on the desperate, but is ultimately still just propaganda.
@@microcolonel and yet... there is a driver shortage. because while entry may not be hard, staying is. the more people know what is going on, the worst it will get. i do agree that there needs to be a huge reversal of the extreme independent contractor implementations in many areas like this. now that we have been beating unions up for over 50yrs, some of which they deserved, people are seeing that they are necessary and the majority of people are turning away from the hyper-capitalist corporate welfare system we have created for the rich. in time this fascist right wing extreme swing will turn to moderation again. only if we would teach history so generation after generation, we would not repeat our mistakes.
@@microcolonel and oh... unions are not perfect but they are not all just propaganda either. your last sentence is pure propaganda. i suggest you study the history and understand that while individuals at times will always abuse power and no organization is ever perfect, unions benefited workers tremendously. do we need to learn from our mistakes and make them better? yes... but that is true with everything. your logic is to throw out the baby with the bath water. instead of emotional response, we must act rationally and logically to improve processes and balance benefits and needs.
@@AlsanPine there is no driver shortage. More or less material moves depending on the supply and demand. Supply is also highly elastic with otr, because for straight highway miles it just doesn't take that long to train somebody.
The word "shortage" is used right now because customers are choosing not to bother moving their freight, abandoning or scaling down deliveries because of the price of moving goods; it's not something you would do if supply is growing (which was the norm for a long time), which is why it seems weird to them.
Spending on haulage will be less spontaneous as it makes up a greater proportion of the cost of doing business, but that doesn't make a shortage.
P.S. corporate welfare isn't "hyper capitalist", it's literally the opposite.
@@microcolonel i know of several businesses around here (NW) that have had a hell of a time finding drivers. they are not huge businesses... local and regional ones but they are decent companies with decent wages. as more and more drivers have a hard time to manage, the problem will deepen. you can abuse people so long... eventually they will rise and kick your butt.
your info is probably correct for trucking companies or large corporations, i don't know, but for companies hiring their own truck drivers to get their products around regionally, it is hard. one of the companies i deal with was short drivers for over a year and finally filled one position just a couple of months ago.
as for corporate welfare and hyper capitalist being opposites... you need to look at what capitalism actually is not the propaganda taught from chicago school of economics. the fact that we have had both of these things for decades proves the fallacy of this dogma. i know a few things about this as i spent too much of my life using one of my degrees to make very rich people a lot richer until i just had to stop.
My dad was a trucker for 50 years before he passed away. He was one of the hardest working men I ever knew. He was a long haul trucker, so there was no home every night for him. He would come home for a weekend out of the month, or if he was passing close to our city. When I got old enough, in my teens, I would go with him a lot. I've seen a lot of the country. He taught me how to drive, but I never wanted to do it, because I always wanted a family, and didn't want to stay gone all the time. I guess I could've gotten a short haul job, but they don't pay like long haul does. I've thought about it again since my wife passed away and my daughter is grown, but now watching this, I'm wondering if it would be worth it, with all the hard work and sacrifice you have to put into it.
Im sorry to hear about your wife.
Go have some conversations with truckers at truck stop. Get first hand info. You can always try it out a year and go from there.
Not with Biden as President
Not with it.
As a married man with 3 girls, I just put myself in your shoes for a second. If I was you, I’d definitely do it. The time alone to think could be therapeutic.
I drove from 2005-2014. Even at the end of that timeframe it was junk. I quit driving and now run a semi trailer repair shop. I make just shy of 6 figures, I’m home every night, weekends and holidays off, no idiots cutting me off, and I’m not responsible for a multi million dollar load for peanuts. Been here for 10 years now and it’s great.
Truckers could make good money if it wasn’t for the brokers, factoring companies and the outrageous insurance rates they have to pay.
Be responsible with your money, union idiots.
A little more to it than that.
Truckers need to be smart who they are working for.
No more millionaires and billionaires. Time for essential workers to rule the government. And have politicians falling over themselves to make our lives better
That would be great, but those billionaries will fly to a different country if the new laws make a lot of losses for them
@@bronzyriot892fly where? America is their only safe house
You're in the wrong country pal
quit voting democrat then
@@SgtJoeSmith 🤡🫵🏻
Where are those "cheaper prices" now? They must have went out for milk and haven't returned for 40 years.
I've been a driver for just about 25 years and owned a truck for 17 of those years. We sold our truck in early 19 not knowing what was coming in 20. Wow!! What a blessing in disguise. Now I'm a company guy and there are a couple outfits where you can do really well. I left the best outfit I've ever worked for to go back to open deck trailers and I sure do miss where I was at. But at the same time, I'm on my way out of the industry. The regs and political stuff aren't the only thing affecting the industry nowadays. The selfish society that we live in happened to get in and the drivers don't even talk to each other much. And I won't start on how some of the drivers actually drive the truck itself. 😮😮 And then the self driving ones are coming!! I used to love it, which some parts of it I will always hold in my heart. I've met some really good people and seen a lot. It's time for something different.
I am trucker for over 30 years, I made a lot of money, spent it all and working at 71.
Exactly 😂
I've been doing it for 23 years. Back when I first got started, I was able to keep a nice apartment and still have a really nice chunk of disposable income. But today? I have to budget my money just like a worker at McDonald's - a traditionally minimum wage job - did back those 23 years ago. And I work just as hard as I did back then, drive as many miles and put in just as many hours.
It is totally sad. People just see the products they want on their store shelves. They put very little thought to how it all got there. We are ignored. Our plights are ignored. Moreover, we're very often treated like hated obstacles on the highway, by those same people who depend on us. And in the mean time, shippers are constantly doing their best to work out how they can pay us less and less and less all the time.
It's a truly sad state of affairs.
Today, people at McDonalds, are making more money than us truckers.
I am a trucker and I own my own home. I live a pretty good life honestly.
@@jimmyboard he lies.
@@powshredder3716 No lie. Trucker salaries aren't that bad. I'm on pace for 130K delivering diesel.
@@RobFishYT that's tanker work. different.
A lot of people don’t realize there’s good paying companies out there. I team drive w my husband & we make very good money. It depends how hard you want it. Good money management too!
@@powshredder3716 What's wrong with tanker work? The driver goes to work, he does his job, and then he goes home.
That's probably the first time I've seen a good video on truckin! Keep up the good work
My brother and sister-in-law work for a dispatch company that hires owner-operators on ad hoc contracts. I have forwarded this video to them.
Let us know what they say.
They already know, they just either dont care or they have to block it out as there's nothing they can do anyway.
@@richardspillers6282 exactly.
@@richardspillers6282 They already know, for sure. Assuming they do typical dispatch like is done in my area, they will know that the video is a lot of hyperbole as a pro-union / mob-boss-underwriting campaign. Jimmy Hoffa would have loved it, until he didn't. A company solo driver in my state averages $1,200/week. I don't know any minimum-wage jobs around me where someone is making that, or more, unless they have huge amounts of paid overtime. People who go into owner/operator and don't understand the economics, that's a bad idea, but that's also a choice.
They used to make at least twice that amount in the 80s. So you must be one of these companies that don’t want to pay drivers, that sets a 6 am drop off and don’t get to it till 10 am and then another 2-4 hours waiting on paperwork.
There's a lot of shady shit that happens in trucking. Companies pushing people to lease a truck from them so they can give them the lower rate freight to make it so that drivers end up having to pay to work, fly by night companies that take advantage of immigrants by assigning them as independent contractors while saying they don't own the truck for tax evasion purposes, lumpers... List goes on.
Be responsible with your money, union idiots...
Immigration drove our wages down. I’m in the industry. There’s very few Americans doing this job now.
How is the dude in the straight van a 'Long Haul Trucker'? He doesn't even need a CDL for that van.
😂
i thought that was a girl
100% turn over rate? I guess those truckers took the advice of ignorant capitalist and quit trucking and got a better job. What happens when all the truckers decide to get a better job? What happens when all the baristas decide to get a better job? What happens when all the burger flippers decide to get a better job?
The notion to "Just get a better job", to replace the one you have that doesn't provide you with a basic standard of living is not only short sided, it's simple minded.
Maybe when they can't get any workers, they'll be forced to raise the rate of pay once they realize how desperately they need workers.
lol, what?
@@Memoreism That Hasn't happened yet.
That's just another lie from the gospel according to capitalism.
We are already seeing the "what happens" part, its deregulating child labor.
A lot of us have got into or want to go into trucking to get out of retail. Funny how no matter what we choose for success, it is taken from us and we are left hold a bag of empty promises and forgone livelihoods. 🙃
Billy is a big part of the problem. He has a trucking company. The company has one truck and one driver. He obviously is lousy at business and takes low paying loads all the time. Whether that is by choice or because brokers don't want to deal with him because of past or current results. Or maybe they require an over the road trucker to be in a sleeper cab and not a day cab! Billy breaks the law every time he logs off duty for sleep and stays in his truck. Billy taking these low paying loads and hauling them illegally, puts downward pressure on what loads pay. If no one took loads at minimum pay, the loads would pay more. The freight HAS to be moved. Supply and demand. DOT should shut him down and put him out of business. He's running "outlaw" and I suspect with the high cost of maintenance, he's cut a few corners there as well. Ever see what happens when 80,000 lbs has bad brakes?
There are plenty of companies out there that pay their drivers a good living. Almost all the major LTL companies (Old Dominion,Saia,Estes,UPS, etc) pay well. Many major carriers pay experienced drivers a good wage. Perhaps Billy driving record precludes him from getting a job with a good company. Whatever the reason he is in this situation, it's HIS DOING. Be a MAN Billy, and take responsibility for your actions in life.
I've been in trucking over a few decades and will retire soon. You see clowns like this every day on the road. The vast majority of drivers are professional and keep a good bit of distance away from the Billys on the road.
My uncle said the problem is we have too many trucks on the roads, so they can't sustain a livable wage. As soon as anyone see's you making money, they buy a truck and drive down your wages.
Part of the problem for sure. There are many layers to trucker politics but there's always someone who shows up under cutting everyone just to get in the door not even realizing they'll be loosing money. However, the hiring company will still use their rates to drive yours down even though they couldn't stay in business for more than 3 months. You also have brokers, they have done plenty of damage in screwing up all the rates on both sides trying to get a gready cut just being a middle man.
Too many towel ,,,heads on the road.
brokering should be illegal
My grandmother was a truck driver, many of my cousins became truckers I grew up with this, and I can confirm this is what has happened.
More Perfect Union might want to look into what Ryder did to the drivers who worked for Mead and their pensions when they bought them out.
Be responsible with your money, union idiots.
Boo freakin hoo. Go work for another company that wasn't Mead.
@@johnfrank6112 You're a fool if you think this problem is only a singular company.
OMG no one cares about your pensions
Same here, worked contract driving, made over 100k a year, lost everything after the pandemic and now at almost 60 working a labor job for $10 hour. My advice to anyone getting in is do not take anything low paying, anything. I was taken advantage of for years until it was too late for me, but its possible to be successful even today
If you made 100k 30 years ago, you may have spent some money wrong my guy
Too many lot lizards
All them smokes cost money too.
Should be illegal for people that work jobs that keep our country running not being able to afford a nice home
In my experience the drivers that aren't making the money aren't doing the work. It's a hard job if you want to make a lot of money but an easy job if you're fine just scraping by.
You're describing complete socialist control of our lives. We did this experiment. It doesn't elevate the poor. It brings everything back to dirt, and it often ends in mass blood shed.
Is that you, Bernie Sanders?
@@StarDustMoonRocket Is that you conservative doormat?
No matter what you do, there is a lesson here: don’t think everything is going to be sweet forever. There is a time to sow and a time to reap. If you aren’t saving or investing anything or preparing for any kind of downturn, you are setting yourself up for failure.
True words
Life was never sweet
So true. I find a lot of people have this attitude. Just because you have a good job now/ making money does not mean that will necessary be the case in 5-10 years. Anything can happen and you have to be prepared and not blow your money on stupid crap. Invest wisely for the future and don't assume that your job will be around forever.
It is going to get to the point where all of the money will be worthless and we will be using it to burn wood. It wont matter how much of it you have. If you spent it on tangible investments (gold, silver, houses, etc) then that's a different story.
That's what I said as well. Especially when covid came, I knew that the crisis of this decade has basically came. Which is why I went to a regional college instead of somewhere else in the state or country in 2019, I just knew something was going to happen, but, yes, as the world gets worse, we are seeing times that we should look at ourselves not just financially, but how if a modern disaster unfolds, what do we do ourselves. People are out here enjoying it, as if wars and fronts aren't opening, revolutions and coups are taking place, and the US has asked for more people to recruit. We're basically at pre WW1 or WW2 level. But, regardless, you don't know what your next spot is going to be in a year or so. It always does come full circle. The world isn't going to cry cause they already doing that. It's like what I was once told, "Your peace maybe someone's bother, but that person's peace may just become your bother."
I used to make a million dollars a year. Now I'm homeless.
😅
🤔 that means u made $250,000 a yr and u made the government $750,000 a yr
Why? What did you do with your income (seed) when you had it?
Should have saved it then.
So was that my pillow guy. Stupidity bit him in the ass.
My Dad once delivered a load of bananas to a major grocery store . He didn't know that his refrigerated trailer had stopped cooling his load of bananas from Brazil .
When he opened the trailer doors there were a bunch of tarantulas crawling all over the walls and ceiling !!!
Most reefer has a light on the left hand side of the trailer, that tells you its status. Green - good, anything else - better pull over & check. Your dad should learn to, every now & then, check the status light. Instead of driving like most driver & just stare straight ahead.
I decided to get out when I found myself pulling oversized mobile homes for 12.00 an hour. I went in, in 05, was out by 12. I know guys the teamsters screwed out of their pensions. Not a driver shortage, it's a pay shortage. No one wants to pay to ship anything, and then you've got the fed adding to it with fines and permits and such.
But what if the tree
My grandfather was a truck driver and a member of the Teamsters. Unfortunately, he passed away six years before I was born, but I have always had a deep respect for unions. I am hopeful that we will see more unions and more strikes, as it is time for workers to receive their fair share of surplus labor.
Yes bc communism works so well everywhere in history! Did you finish 6th grade?
@@deathlarsen7502 Unions are not communism, neither is receiving a fair wage. Did YOU finish 6th grade?
@@deathlarsen7502 bait
@@deathlarsen7502The floor is communism and the sky is 6th grade
@@deathlarsen7502Is communism in the room with us now? Do you hear communism in the middle of the night.....DO YOU SEE RED?
They forgot to mention that there’s cops out there just to give tickets to truck drivers and take more of our money
Truckers back the blue...right?
Neither party gives a damn about workers anymore.
Owner Operator basically makes him a small business owner who takes all of the risk and doesn't see all of the benefit
Truckers are the backbone of America, let’s treat them and pay fairly
Truck drivers are getting payed right but the Owner operators and the company's are not. From the costumer or 3rd party Broker.
@@amg5795Extactly. Company drivers are already getting paid well. Its just Owner Operators are getting the scraps and left overs. They get into a industry and they have no clue what they are getting into. They just have big egos they dont wanna check or queztion themselves. I haul local with a company in AZ and one thing I noticed is that many of these businesses already have contracts with local truck companies to help them haul their loads around that they dont need to do business with a owner operator. Plus imagine who do the companies call when need to haul OTR?? Knight. Swift. Western.
They are few jobs in between the industry where owner operator can thrive and make big money but I havent seen or the companies do not accept Owner Operators cause they already have enough drivers.
Its a tough for owner operators.
@@amg5795 time for truckers to demand there fair share and stand together
@@Robertmacmediaowner operators get paid by the loads/miles
@@computerlearingchannel4257 diesel fuel ⛽️ high insurance costs maintenance going up, brokers and companies should step up the $$ in my opinion
Yep! I ended up selling my stuff after 8 years of otr trucking. It used to be great with it’s ups and downs but this DOWN just keeps getting worse. I sacrificed years of my life living in the rig and ended up with nothing, selling my rig for Pennies… and Elogs made it worse for safety too! Drivers speed more than ever now to make up for the lost time.
I used to be in trucking for 3 years amd loved the job, then I found out at the local factory I could make more with half the hours so I switched. Now 7 years later I work as an engineer in tech and make twice what I would’ve made in trucking working half the hours. I’d recommend against going into trucking even though it’s a beautiful job because it will hardly pay the bills and you won’t see your kids grow up
There is ABSOLUTELY NOT a driver shortage. There’s a driver retention problem.
I am a trucker in europe, I wish you tbe best, strike is a must! thankfully I am paid by a day in a truck, whether I drive or not, wish every trucker the same! good luck to all truckers everywhere!🙋🇨🇿
These guys all claim they want fair pay then want to get paid by the km or by the hour. Math is a rare skill in North America.
He's right. We want to be paid a variation on the ideals, we want to be paid for all hours away from our driveway and white picket fence. We are dedicated to the task, we want to be fairly compensated for our dedication to duty. Which is making sure you have a good day!
I got a friend who just moved to Texas, owner operator and he’s killing it. Another buddy with a class A moved there as well and has nothing but truck companies hitting him up to drive, and he’s killing it. Both making well over 100k.
Looking to get a cdl, these comments had me down but I remembered I'm in Dallas, the companies compete for drivers over here.
Plenty of company drivers home ED make well over 6 figures here in TX
@@jaybloc615its a lot of local companies ready to hire in Dallas it just depends on the area & if you’re single & young trucking is a golden opt
Location can really make a big difference. IMO Living in a cold state is far worse than a warm state for trucking. If you live in Colorado expect trucking companies to push you through the hellish mountain landscapes of i-70, because they gotta get that dough.
THANKs Perfect Union for POSTing This☝️Video
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Nothing but truth here. My husband is a driver and my father did it over 40 years till his health wouldn't allow it. I am a mail carrier and I agree with the person who said if all us delivery people stop something would have to change. I really feel for owner operators. Dad always stayed with companies and honestly that was a smart move. God bless the drivers. Keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down.
Your assessment of trucking tiday is DEAD ON 100%❤! MY THANKS for it sirs and madam!!!
Perfect example of making someone suffer for consumer convinience
Yep, the customer is always first, I'll be in a hurry to make all my stops, but everybody stops unloading me, just to serve the customer that just pulled in, meaning I get home later and have less life, so the rich costumer can play with his stuff sooner.
I'm 47 and I'm just about done with all this second class citizen shit.
@@simemsayss4395 Just about? Either you're done with it, or you're fine with it. Make your choice and stand by it.
@claytonreeves150 who are you, should I care?
Get lost dude.
Every trucker I’ve talked to is saying to hop into trucking and the demand for trucking has been booming for the past few years. Even growing up I heard truckers made good money. He ain’t doing something right, he used to make 100k and still didn’t buy a house in the prime era
Trucking industry is in a recession right now. Yellow is a big company and sounds like it’s about to go under they have about 30k workers
Exactly. If he made $100k+ for decades, why didn't he buy a house and get it paid off then?
I was gonna say, something isn't adding up here. Wouldn't surprise me if there was something else in his life eating that money - booze, drugs, alimony and child support, etc. There's no way you'll be homeless on 100K a year for years if you live below your means and invest as much disposable income as you can into something generating compound interest over time like an index fund. The only way you'd be homeless on that salary is if you're blowing your money on something or you're living way above your means and not saving anything...
My thoughts exactly, any fools story will sound true until someone tells the other side and sets the record straight.
One of the major trucking companies Yellow is filing for bankruptcy. Trucking is not in good shape.
To obtain financial freedom, one must either be a business owner, an investor or both, generating passive income particularly on a weekly or monthly basis. That’s the key to living financially stable...
I want to compliment you, you have said it all. I am a little business owner and I really want to expand my business to the next level by making myself an investor but I really don't know how to go about it..
imagine investing in Btcoin earlier.... You could have been a multi millionaire precently
@@Brookeinda You are right. Been thinking of going into gold and cyptocurrency
Assets that can make you rich
*FX
*Btcoin
*Stocks
*Gold
*Real estate
You’re right but a lot of people remain poor due to ignorance
I worked regional and then LTL the last about 21 years. I peaked out at 100k, bought a house and we adopted my son late in life. Then i had a stroke and now im home, teaching my son, and we are carefully managing multiple small income streams to keep the house and have any quality of life. So far, so good. We have always been careful and frugal. No new cars, no expensive toys and big vacations. God has provided.
Were you Linehaul? Graveyard shift?
Your imaginary friend hasn't provided shit. All of you have collectively. Give yourselves credit, not that god PoS that condones slavery and let's starving children suffer.
The literal life blood of a nation is distro. If resources can't get to where they are needed shit don't go. Why are we allowing mistreatment of our essential services.
because the US is built on slave labour.
Because no one is willing to get their hands dirty and stand in solidarity
@@G-lg1dxand why would I do that when I got mine they can get eaten by vultures for all I care...
Hey why is that vulture following me 🤔
Be responsible with your money, union idiots...
Unions have always been and will always be the answer!
Bro needed a financial planner. He still needs one.
Being an owner operator has always been a boom/bust business. I am a company driver (hazmat tanker - home nightly) and make over 110K a year. I am also paid hourly and overtime after 40 hours a week. There are good trucking jobs out there.
I drove for a trucking company for 22 years and retired at 62 I'm also financially well heeled and set for life because I invested a portion of my pay. Billy probably has poor money managing skills like a lot of folks.
I’m new to trucking I still have to get my endorsement. 110k isn’t bad until you consider you’re driving your own truck and have a bomb behind you. 😅
I’d consider it for 140
Be responsible with your money, union idiots...
Sound like you work for a fuel hauler. I’ve thought about doing that but I get the yips every time I haul a flammable load.
@@angelgjr1999 I am a company driver. I would not want to own my own rig in this market.