Truck Driver Salary Pay Packages Just Don't Cut It
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- We ventured out on a project, to investigate trucking companies pay packages for their company drivers.
We asked a series of questions everything from mileage rate, waiting time pay, drop & pick-up rate, benefit package, layover pay, slip seating, days off/month, miles/week expected and much more, in order to get a good overview of what the company offered the company driver.
We wanted to compare the various packages the various trucking companies offered.
We surveyed some of the huge North American trucking companies as well as some of the smaller carriers.
Wow, no wonder there's a shortage of truck drivers! We aren't yet nearly finished our project, but the responses we've been receiving, have some pretty scary undertones, that we don't like.
Most trucking companies do not pay waiting time to their company drivers. Drivers can log dozens of hours per week, waiting to load, unload, circle checks, resets on the road etc., and all for free.
Furthermore, most of the carriers we spoke with weren't too interested in getting a driver with over 35+ years experience, with a squeaky clean driving record on board.... they weren't too familiar with their pay packages either. Really quite pathetic.
If they couldn't treat a driver right during an interview and show some interest and respect, what would it be liked after he was signed up and on their payroll? I'm sure it would only get worse.
These companies need to get their ducks in a row and smarten up.... no wonder there's a shortage of drivers.
So far, we are NOT impressed with the carriers we've spoken with... with the exception of one.
More on trucker wages :
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He is absolutely correct everyone that drives a semi should park em all for a week and see what happens lol
Josh Gitch
didn't that happen last year? how'd it go?
Josh Gitch the Russians and other people from other countries will continue to drive... it'll never work
Yea every other driver you see now a days isn't even from this side of the world and they got three or four guys in those trucks running all year straight. Again companies become wealthy from our blood and sweat then turn on us.
there will always be somebody willing to run so that will never work. I heard that a million times in my 13 yrs driving.
Count me in!
their is no driver shortage it a pay shortage
It doesn't matter what line of work you want to be in employers now days don't care about experience all they care about is who they can get to work the cheapest.
banjer96 Unfortunately, I think you are right.
trueman mann That is a short term effect.... Lower wages eventually equal no one buying things and that equals negative growth... Henry Ford knew that.
banjer96 Truck Drivers have a high demand. Good truck drivers are limited, so any person who knows how to negotiate, could acquire a good income. Most of the cheaper truck drivers are inexperienced, or they are not as efficient as the ones that demand a higher income. A good truck driver could be worth 2 or 3+ less skilled ones, so it is a matter of marketing yourself right to get a decent salary.
banjer96 That is until some inexperienced green horn gets someone killed.
Not really. You either drive for what they offer or you don't
The trucking industry will never ever ever ever change as long as you have drivers letting their ego get in the way. They give the illusion that they're making all this money just to justify having a job living in a truck. Most truck drivers are so depressed with the pay the job and everything that comes with it that they sit behind that wheel eating themselves to death. Before getting into trucking I think people should just spend a day at a truck stop and just observe what these truck drivers are looking like. Do they look happy? How many are arguing on the phone with dispatchers? How many are standing in lines with a attitude trying to get fuel. How many are complaining. The truth is in plain sight if you just take the time to see it.
You're absolutely right and what a great idea to spend a day at a truckstop if you're thinking about this as a career. The reality of this lifestyle is depressing! I believe proper wages would go a long way to correcting that. Dave
MAnAger Ankh Very good point. . .
I'm very happy, fit, healthy, and make lots of money. Don't know WTF you're talking about hater
well said, friend
Jackie Smith good on you. I don't know what you do for a living, but what are you doing here on a trucking forum?
I just started about 6 weeks ago with a smaller outfit here in Manitoba, Canada.
I started under .40 cents per kilometer. 10 bucks a drop, 10 bucks a pick. wages for washing the tractor and or trailer. waiting time if it's 2+ hours.
I'm a rookie, don't hardly know jack about shit in this industry but I paid the money down for the training and I really don't wanna give this up before a few years are spent. I NEED to make this work. one way or another, it will
I get pissed when I hear people in videos saying how great the pay is and everything is so sweet.The truth is the pay sucks and most companys think that drivers are a dime a dozen and don't respect them or their familys.Today companies think drivers are disposable.
Man i agree if u go to work for a company as a new driver on the bottom they'll run the shit out of you while their veteran drivers sit and wait for a load
Precisely my point in other posts. They have figured out that newbies get paid less--sometimes a lot less--than experienced drivers. If I was an experienced driver sitting on my ass waiting for a load and saw the new guys getting load after load I think I would just hand in the keys and work for Walmart.
steven phillips
not just drivers. metal workers, wood workers, foundry men, concreters ect. It's all OVER the board.
trueman mann plans
It's the exact same for welders... unless you're union. Shame to see it's the same in trucking too, which is what I was wanting to tranistion to. dangit!!1
This is why I don't do OTR anymore, they don't want to pay. I have a great local job, home every night (well day, off at 4 am) and $26.50 an hour driving a tanker and it's a clean, easy job! These jobs are out there, you just have to look.
Dang, this makes a new comer reconsider tremendously
Vontay Unsurpassed have you reconsidered? I'm thinking of getting in.
I'm thinking I'm only going to do this if I can go straight into being a owner-operator. I'm also interested in doing heavy recovery with a rotator..
BigDish,do you have any towing experience?
I know your post is a bit older but I wanted to answer your question. Trucking CAN pay but it doesn't always. You are guaranteed to have a rough first year or so until you can get some experience, however, I have provided for my family quite nicely as a company driver. You have to be willing to pay your dues and work. Be sure to take pride in what you do. I've made no less than 50000 a yr plus benefits but I worked and my future will be one of constant work, foreseeably. Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck.
dude just apply at UPS
*Company Truck Drivers Are Underpaid*
Wow. Have we had an education this past week. While researching trucking company pay packages for company drivers, we confirmed what we already knew, and then some.
Out of 12 carriers we spoke to so far, only 1 pays waiting time... not great pay, but something.
Watch this video and you'll know why there's a shortage of drivers in this industry.
The carriers for the most part just don't seem to care who fills the seat... as long as he's got a pulse.
#truckingindustry #trucker #trucking
+Smart-Trucking.com hello there,if you would research salary packages in my country Holland and the rest of Europe and what the rules are with driving and resting for drivers and compare that information with US salary packages and rules.
I think you would be surprised.
Here in Holland and the rest of western Europe they pay driver every 4 weeks and pay overtime and by law and inagreement with the unions they pay drivers pension fees every 4 weeks and in agreement with laws a driver always gets a basic salary wich is around 1.500 euros if you drive in your country alone if you go over the border your basic salary would be around 2.500 euros every 4 weeks and this is without your overtime hours so all in all a driver who drives nationaly would make 2.600 euros every 4 weeks and a driver who drives internationaly 3.500 euros and these amounts are after taxes and with overtime hours.
bob bobo the way truck drivers are paid in the US is out of date and a thing of the past in the rest of the world,in my country it is not allowed anymore for atleast 40 years or so
+bob bobo did you not just hear bernie sanders say he wants to shut down truck drivers and start using the rail system? wake up!
+bob bobo its the same thing every time. Europe's got better worker rights in virtually every industry and always will. American government only does enough to keep the companies happy. Companies first, thats why they all want to do business here
This big companies don't care about their drivers that's why their is a driver shortage. If the pay was better a lot of people would stay driving
Let's form a North American truck driver's union and establish a minimum hourly pay for drivers, full benefits, reasonable hours, paid vacation. This is not an unreasonable request guys and gals. If we strike together we can raise the standards of our skilled trade significantly. A work shut down and company owners will be forced to listen.
I'm in! Dave
This is going to happen there are too many people without jobs and they tried the mega corporation trucking and found the pay is useless. Once they quit trucking and go back home they find there's no more jobs in the small town America to pay the bills. A all-encompassing Union for drivers is the only answer to this madness. There must be a market adjusted minimum salary that covers all down time and vacation. I would say the right number is somewhere around $20 a hour every single hour you are away from home. No matter what is happening to the truck, you are paid to be away from your family.
You should checkout Wal-Mart. I drive for them and do ok. I don’t work as much as I should but still manage to make a little over $100k.
Holy crap! I've NEVER heard anyone tell it like it is like you do brother! That's the main reason I sold my truck and got out of trucking for good! When I added up all the hours I worked vs th pay I got, I realized quick that I would be FAR better off flipping hamburgers at McDonald's and be able to sleep in my own bed, have regular days off and have benefits!!!
seanoleary1979 plus you get all an unlimited amount of fries and cheeseburgers
Woohoo! Death by cholesterol!
I'm a new driver. I feel very disappointed at trucking as a career. It pays crap, over worked, too much time away from my family. I'm seriously now reconsidering a new career change
Try short haul or regional. Get on with a company with a decent schedule. They are out there.
Go back to school, I did almost 3 years OTR and was so depressed with the bullsh*t I finally pulled the trigger and signed up for school, now in my last semester and couldn't be happier, it was fun to start with but after a while I was like damn, all this time away, sat at dock doors for hours on end and big brother(ELOGS)always watching me isn't worth my life or the hassle, I made good money but money isn't everything, truckers need to earn guaranteed money these days, have an increasing scale for experience and safety record, let's say 0-5 years, no accidents, gets you guaranteed 1000 a week plus fuel and safety bonus
Should get paid for the whole time you're not at home period. Your time on earth is finite. Your life's time is your personal property. And should be compensated justly.
i started a new job and harrisburg pa. I have heard about people from other countries coming here and getting grants to purchase a truck but never seen proof. Well that changed and now i have seen proof not once but twice. And im gonna try and explain one to ya. One middle easterner was proud to show me his grant 40,000 dollars good for fifty percent of his puchase. so if he gets a truck for 60,000 gov pays 30,000 if truck is 50,000 gov pays 25,000 basically gov pays half the cost of the truck up to 80,000. hope you got that cause now im gonna explain how he even got more out of it. He went to a truck lot and found a 60,000 dollar truck had the guy lie and say truck was 80,000 so he could get the whole 40,000 and and say he put 20,000 down on it. Then he actually put down 10,000 . hope you followed that. So he is actually financing ten grand. His truck payment is less than my car payment. now he is running around undercutting all the other drivers cause he can afford to. The funny thing is the dumbass was bragging to me cause he thinks he is a buisness genius. The other one i dont know all the details. all i know is a mother from south of the border( which country i dont know) was able to get money from the gov to purchase a tractor. Now the tractor was for her son to work and drive but it has to stay in her name. Her son just got his lic and he gets to start his driving career in a truck free and clear as a o/o and just keeps the truck in his mothers name. And truck was not junk not new but def not junk very nice red double bunk condo that ofcourse he could afford to chrome out. Me personally im really sick of this shit. How does the gov handle the driver shortage? Not by improving the salaries and job standards to help us all and atract other u.s. citizens into the industry. They go outside the country and bring in people from other countries and give them incentives that they cant refuse and set them up for total success. basically a offer they cant refuse. What do they give us? SH*T and your gonna eat it and your gonna like it!!! When the hell are we gonna wake up and put a end to this shit. ME PERSONALLY I HAVE HAD ENOUGH we def need to get together and end this crap and demand better. we need to bite the bullett and shut these trucks down until somthing changes. they cant fire us all and if they do there will be plenty of job openings.
That story is even more sickening than the wages these major carriers (and if you don't know anyone and are just starting out, you almost are forced to start out with a major carrier) are paying...this is my dream job, i work my ass off each and every day to get to where you just stated those guys STARTED OFF with...
AMEN Brother. Stay Safe.
That Amen was meant for you Patrick.....
Yes, they have done this in the excavation business also. These foreigners continually low bid the jobs cause there equipment cost is nothing and they've got brand new shit!
Congratulations......you and every other trucker just paid for Mohammed to buy his truck in the taxes you pay and the low pay you get. Don't think the trucking companies aren't looking at this and drooling. Say a company gets 10 Mohammeds to get this grant. They will sell him the truck and finance (probably through a subsidiary 'finance" company) the balance of the truck cost. or do some leaseback stunt and deduct the payments from Mohammeds pay. Mohammed will work as an owner/operator for a lot less than a citizen does. The company makes out like a bandit......they charge Mohammed interest on the loan....they know they're going to get paid on the loan because they deduct from Mohammed's pay or they repo the truck.....they pay him a lot less......and they know they've got him for at least the term of the loan. So Mohammed just got his dream gig.....he didn't pay a nickel up front for the truck.....he's got an income that he could never make at home....and in 5 years or so he owns the truck and can continue to undercut the other poor slobs who had to do it the hard way. Not only does this smell.....we all provide the tax money that feeds the engine of our own destruction. Nice, huh?
and thats why i ONLY do local driveing and ONLY drive tractor trailer being paid by the hour with overtime pay and Nothing less than 20$ an hour
Even in the local hauling business you have to be careful because it can mean leaving at 3: A.M and not getting home until dark. And sometimes if you were held up in a traffic jam and couldn't get in a delivery by the companies closing time, it was added to the next day's load and you had to go that much harder. So everyone go in with your eyes open and play it smart.
I bet honestly, most companies would feel threatened by a driver with so much knowledge, and experience.
the problem is that there are to many new foreners being brought in to the country by the bigger companies and paid very minmal wages and allowed to run with three and four drivers in the same cab
that's part of it..the main problem is the owners of these companies are billionaires and have lobbyists in place to ensure no gets the idea to pay every trucker a minimum wage...if ur not getting a load or on a break down and not getting paid u should be home ...if not ur a slave...
A most eloquent professional!. From this guy, it is at least to hear the sad truth!
thank you sir!
This is reason why I'm very happy with being lucky enough to have landed an hourly paid otr job.
There isn't enough of those hourly driving jobs, if you wan't one work for a specialty carrier.
My father with an exemplary driving record quit trucking 7 years ago and for the last 6 years he was a company driver with a large "respected" carrier. He worked real hard (I went with him on few rides) and when all the hours got computed versus the time given towards work it amounted to barely above minimum wage. As a matter of fact the wages in trucking had steadily decreased in comparison to the cost of living, way much more pronouncedly than in other industries. There is no driver shortage at all. The is a large surplus of drivers who put up with garbage and hope from carrier to carrier. The trucking executives are crying for drivers who can work for free so they can charge even less to their customers and fatten their own pockets at the same time.
You got it Sandy! Dave
i have a trucking company in Iran and I pay my driver's fixed
monthly salary load or no load it's very hard to fined a good driver now this days SIR if anyone with you.'re experience knocks on my door be sure that he or she is more than welcome to work for my CO
American government knows better that more than half USA economy is running by truck drivers and the law makers in youre government should do something about this problem in Americans trucking industry .
WITH RESPECT
HAPPY TRUCKING
Along with increased freight the fact of how companies treat drivers is the reason there is a shortage of drivers
100% the honest truth and that's why experience truck driver don't want to drive OTR over the road coast to coast I mean there is a true reason why OTR companies are ALWAYS hiring drivers. You told the truth and I wanted to say thank you Sir.
Vincent Gallegos Yes, it's a shame this industry is in such a mess.... but there's some clear cut reasons it's such a mess. (Dave)
Well...I'm 20 days away from starting my CDL training and have to admit that after watching this video my enthusiasm went down the pipe. I'm not criticizing the video, on the contrary, I appreciate that someone who knows what's the real deal is sharing the naked truth about the facts, but it was a low blow for me. I have a couple of friends who lost their jobs in the last 5 years and got their CDLs and now work local for FedEx and tell me how happy they are there, and they were the ones who actually got me into considering this option as I'm gonna run the same fate in my job soon, but Idk now....I'm afraid my bubble burst.
But thanks for the video anyway...I'll be using it to make my final decision.
Most FED Ex drivers are contractors that bid on routes. Low bid gets the route then they hire a driver with no benefits and crap wages. UPS on the other hand does pay real wages as do the restaurant supply outfits.
Juan, did you end up getting CDL training? Interested in how it went/is going. Thanks.
Joel Blea - Unfortunately not yet. Since my training is gonna be paid thru the unemployment I had the appointment with the counselor already and he said everything looks good but things are kind of behind here in NJ and I was told to wait about 3 weeks, and the 3rd week is actually this week, so I'm expecting news any time now, Joel.
Take care and happy new year 👍
Ron Dye - Hmm, thanks for the info, Ron.
Juan Jaramillo thanks and good luck.
Thank you explained the best way for 20+ yrs.from the insurance company to the brokers to the companies they don't respect dedication and loyalty
Appreciate the straight talk backed up with 40 years of experience..Certainly though, there must be a few companies put there who are doing the right thing..
Brett Kramer yes ,there are good companies out there. The trick is to find them. dave
Thanks and if the trucking business is like other businesses, if you have a really good thing going, you don't talk about it..
Brett Kramer exellent point!
+Brett Kramer Why should they treat drivers better than they have to , do you still believe in Santa . This is capitalism at its finest where the strong shit on the weak . Its all around you ,open your eyes and quit hoping
FYI ....everytime you make a video, TH-cam puts a counter video advertising great paying driving jobs attempting to debunk your sto ries,... TH-cam are for supporting the big companies.
Thanks and keep up the great work.. we truckers need it!!
Thanks Reginald, drive safe! Dave
totally agree ,hammer on the nail why the industry can't keep drivers
This Guy speak the Truth..Driving Truck just isn’t a middle income Job anymore. If I had done my Research like he did I wouldn’t have started trucking two years ago.
Thank you for making and posting this video. I'm 44 years old and thought about changing careers so I have really been thinking about getting my CDL and becoming a truck driver. I've been checking into the industry and do my homework. It all really sounded good "on paper", but after watching this video I have reconsidered. I know and understand there is a lot more to it but you made such good points to me that I feel it is no longer worth the time, effort, and money. Thank you again you saved me a lot of time and trouble.
I'm with a major carrier. We have detention pay and layover pay. I have 9 years experience and I make 56 cents a mile. We are out of spokane Washington.
loso j Good company, who do you work for? Hang on to that job. dave
I know this video is old. But 25 years of driving out here as OTR driving. I realized these companies would rather have non experience driver( fresh out of truck driving school, or two years less) then experience road driver. There no money out here anymore to be made. The ELD( electronic log data) keep you from making any money, and I don't think it help out in safety either. I think drivers are more stressed out, more in a rush, more careless, and more reckless because of it. These trucks stops are over price these days, no where for use to park anymore, fuel too high, no real benefits anymore. I have too much down time out here( waiting for load/ waiting to get loaded/ waiting to get unloaded/ traffic is worser/ more road work than ever/ more uncaring fellow truck drivers ). The DOT physical has got silly in some ways, and maybe unrealistic in it demands. When are you not going to get a truck drivers, that a couples of pounds over weight. Or will they have a perfect blood pressure with all the bullsh*t, that go with this kind of job. All these trucking companies lie( big or small ) to get you to come work for them. Break theirs promise, don't care about you, and tried to cheat you out of money, and personal time. You wonder why there a shortage of truck drivers on the road these days. This is also a dangerous job( especially in what type of trailers you pull for a living. A lot of times this can be a lonely job, that keep us from ours family/ friends/ and home for many days, or weeks.
The issue is that drivers take this BS.. so it's not the standard. I brought some issues up during our last company meeting, some of the old timers answer with "that's just trucking".
Thank you for your opinion, I've been tossing the idea of buy my own truck. I just wasn't sure if it was worth the risk. Now I know it is definitely worth it.
It’s not going to change. The recruiter at the last company I worked for would look at the best drivers they had and tell them that if they didn’t like something they could leave. They had a line of warm bodies waiting to hold a steering wheel. That was his favorite response to everything.
And as a result thousands leave every month. See how smart he looks in a few more years! Dave
I worked for USA Truck in 2010. I worked for one year and quit. I can’t even tell you how many times I sat at a truck stop for a reset and didn’t get a dime. There were a few occasions I had to sit two to three days and wait on loads and never once was paid any retention money. Automatic transmission went out in my truck and the dealer had it for three weeks and they paid me $75 total. Luckily I was only a hundred miles from my parents house when it died and they came and got me or I would have been living in a hotel all that time. Thing that made me laugh was the dispatcher was angry/confused when I quit. Guess I wasn’t grateful enough for my average of 400 miles a week at 25 cents a mile.
No respect for drivers, until they run out of groceries.
Great videos! J.B. Hunt Intermodal!!
I’ve worked for JB on the intermodal side for eight years now. They get better every year. I’ve worked for seven other companies and wish that I had found JB in the beginning. Intermodel is no touch freight. $50 every time you bump a dock. And anytime you do bump a dock it’s usually a pretty quick load anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour or so and JB seems to have priority at most of the customers with $20 an hour after the first hour of wait time on top of the $50. If you break down for any reason it’s $20 an hour from the moment you call Road Service. These are just a few of the extra pay benefits. I’ve trained for them for the past four years. All the fleet managers (dispatchers) are just fantastic people. They all understand what it’s like to live on the road. They actually get classes about that. I work Monday through Friday and have the weekends off at home. The mileage cap I believe is at .50 a mile (at the moment) Anyway check them out. Again, J.B. Hunt Intermodal.
Mega carriers should pay all waiting time not just after 2 hours that is a joke I can believe drivers actually do that.... Works for free..
Learned to drive on a farm at age 11. I worked as a mechanic with my Class A. The above video is the reason I am not a driver for any of these companies.
By the way. Truckers that earn hourly which is a dream , don't get overtime. Loophole in the laws excludes trucking from overtime requirements. Truckers screwed again.
MrStropparo I've worked nothing but hourly driving jobs... I got overtime at everyone.. otr is crap... took me 2 weeks to figure that out.
Well, some get OT but most fit into one of the loop holes. Like containers or any freight that originates over seas. Many others too!
MrStropparo Not true from my perspective. $35 per hr. + benefits + plenty OT if you want it.
Which trucking companies pay overtime hours?
MrStropparo FED-EX, ODW, OAK HARBOR FREIGHT LINES, ALL PAY OVERTIME, MEALS, HOTEL IF NEEDED, IF YOU BREAKDOWN AFTER EIGHT HOURS ITS ALL OVERTIME!
That's why I started a local driving job. 21/hr 48hrs/week and the home time is amazing.
That's the way to go these days! Dave
You need to also be asking about their idle policy or lack thereof. And don't start with the Espar heater comments. I am talking about trying to sleep in Houston or Sarasota, not up north. You will not get proper rest in the South without a method of staying cool and leaving a window down will get you killed. And so after 30+ years of Class 8 driving.......I gave it up for a $16 an hour job just up the street, sleep in a BED with a shower close by and have as much Social Life as I can stand. WITHOUT a Dispatcher wanting to know why I want to go Home. Good luck and God bless my fellow Children of the Wind.
I hear a lot of truckers that are promised the world, and then reality sets in after the novelty wares off. My guestimation in the pay area is that, Companies have not paid miles or hourly in a pay bracket based on early 1990's rates. Up a bit, I would hazard a guess no later than 1993 at best. I was just talking to RBM Carriers and they pay by the Hub Miles. Mostly mid west USA and your carrying over sized loads at about .52 max and .42 least. Trucks are Peterbilt and Kenworth. Yep ,things have to change soon. Drivers are getting very peeved when they are sleeping in a hostels or barely making rent and bills and the owner drives home every night in his Lexus or BMW M4 Series.. And he shows off.. My worst peeve..
I'm ready to park my trucks!!!! Just say when!!!
My first year out of school with my cdl A I got hired on with an underground construction company hauling equipment and driving dump trucks. I started out at $22 per hour here in Boston, MA. It can be hard work but I work about 60 hours a week in the busy season and 40 all winter. My first year I made $65,000 and got decent benefits. Not bad, I hear of people making 50,000 doing long haul. If your willing to labor as well and want to be home at night its great.
When the insurance companies finally come to their senses and realize they have 21 year old kids driving quarter million dollars trucks with $100,000.00+ worth of cargo....
the companies know how to deal with that
This video is A jewel that will probably improve your life if your thinking about getting into the trucking industry, a lot of other video are putting bs out here
MrMariobig I appreciate it . thanks dave
I have been driving for 20 years, and I have been watching this industry get worse,from companies ripping you off, to the influx of new drivers that have no clue and will work for nothing. There will be one less experienced driver out there because i have had enough.
+Bryan C Two less, count me in too. Dave
I Burned a Perfect CDL and Medical card seven years ago KNOWING there were ZERO Jobs in my area. Haven't Worked a day since. I don't live a damned BIT Worse than I did Trucking. Plus, I don't want to KILL Everyone I encounter with my bare hands,lol. I don't TRY to run people over anymore, either, when they pull out in front of me. Still got High Blood Pressure, though. I do miss my LargeCar Pete's, Pilot Coffee, and Petro's Chicken Fried Steak. ALL the Rest of the Industry they can stick in their asses.
Im not a trucker and will never be, but find your videos so interesting. The trucking industry seems similar to airline pilots these days.
I'm pretty sure the pilots are making a lot better money. Dave
Smart-Trucking.com Really? Maybe Ive not seen enough of your videos. Entry level regional pilots are starting around 20-25k, which is quite scary.
There is no truck driver shortage. Actually there are too many truck drivers, and that is causing the low pay for the job. The whole thing created by the companies to decrease transportation costs. And yet they still mentioning truck driver shortage everywhere. No comment.
How is there not shortage when almost every trucking company is looking for drivers
There running everything on rails,
There's no shortage, if it was as bad as they say they wouldn't be getting away with .90 freight.
I live in Toledo and my company was bought out in 2017 from a single owner and 2p or so trucks, pay is 25% for the first 5 years and then went up to 28% of load pay when the new company took over they keep us on at the same rate we were at and increased our pay by $10 to $15 a load. Detention after 2 hours ($15.00) break down of $125 for that day (no it's not load pay but it's better then what we were getting). Maintenance is better then it was. I've been here a total of 7 1/2 years clean driving record and grossing $1500 weekly. Iam not going to complain.
This video needs 5 million hits!
the biggest problem with trucking pay is you work 100 hours , log 70 hours and get paid for 50 hours. truck drivers should get hourly wages depending on the experience of the driver. I believe that $12 per hour for no experience to start with $2 per hour for every year of service for 3 years then a buck an hour to top out at $30 per hour for all hours worked which would include loading and unloading , break downs and sitting in traffic. I know , I used to drive but know more.
It has become a sick numbers game.
Not just Trucking, welcome to the world.
I like your videos. I've been driving 20+ years. I have every endorsement and a TWIC card. I found the same thing. I worked for MBI/ Mr. Bult's for a year. Local driving. I hauled trash. It is dirty, dangerous and it stinks. I had to climb up on top of trailers loaded with crap and walk the length of it in all weather conditions to pull the tarp over the load at times. I too was "paid by the load". I worked about 60 hours a week. I averaged about $16.00 an hour @ straight time for a job that "according to the US bureau of labor statistics" said it should pay $21.00 an hour. I did 3 loads a day and they each paid $50.00 - $75.00. The waiting time. 2-3 hours a day uncompensated. 12-15 hours a week of my time waiting to load or unload. Screw them I quit and am looking for a better situation. It's terrible. $16.00 an hour for that crap. Got any info on Smith Transport? I am kinda interested in them.
lol makes you wonder what the "compensation" package was for the recruiter sounds like recruiters are really salesman............and all a salesman cares about is HIS commission and that comes down to the numbers game.............
You've got it exactly! Dave
Try taking about a 10 -15% pay CUT from a company you've done good work for after 24 years.
Today this world is all about me me me so I have no choice but to act the same to survive. I have zero loyalty now to anything at all but family. I'm done asap. Owners are greedy and conceded. Dispatcher only cares about what makes him look good & can be sadistic. Some fellow drivers are shamelessly lazy & are child like selfish. I've learn that the worst part of a job is not the work at all. It's the people you work for & with.
It's the people that could ruin a job at a mattress factory as a tester.
I wish I could get out of trucking but have no real options where I live.
All of this unpaid time has lead to my dismissal from me revolting. On one occasion I remember waiting over the weekend because the consignee decided to reschedule. My company told me to find a place nearby and camp out. I then ask what my compensation was. After I was told that they don't pay for my weekend layover I drove the truck 500+ miles back to the terminal and got in my car and went home.
The following Monday I was summoned back to the terminal to find out that they charged me full fuel surcharge rate (0.56/mile) for unauthorized equipment move and a termination. The amount of money charged exceeded my final paycheck which I never paid the difference. They has placed a bad report on hire right which cause some impedance from landing another job in the trucking industry.
In conclusion, if you feel you are jerked around by a carrier, don't retaliate by doing what I did. Wait till they get you home and turn in their keys. It will be worth it in the end.
After watching this, I am glad I drive in Europe :)
The pay will be crap until people move on to other occupations and the trucking companies are desperate enough for drivers to pay drivers a decent wage. But there seems to always be guys who are told, "The pay's not too good, but the hours are lousy," and they say, "OK."
I sure hope a lot of important people in this industry watch these videos. I want to get into trucking myself, but am also on the fence.
Do all of your research first. Don't be in a rush to get into this job. There's a lot of sacrifices that many folks don't realize, until they've sunk a lot of time and money into training.
***** My old man has been a driver for about 15 years now. I use him as an example while trying to decide. But yes you are right, im not going to rush anything. I would prefer after the winter to take action.
***** A big racket! They get your 5 grand and they know you will quit 50 people at 5 grand..Do the math..:()
***** True
S-T.com Then to add to all you said, there's companys like HTC, who I drive for. They got a pay scale thats so complicated, I don't know if my pay is right or not. You get payed by the hour if the run is under 150 miles, and there are three hourly pay levels depending on how long you've been working there. Then there's three mileage pays, 151-200, 201-300, and 301+. And to the mileage four experience levels to each, and I need a CPA to figure my weekly paycheck. ADP dose our payroll, so you have to go to their website to see your pay-stub, taxes withholding and all. Then you have to go to the company website to see what you got payed for each load. You can spend your day off just checking on your check!! OR, like I do, trust-em.
it's only getting worse i get a couple calls every day with job offers and I tell the same thing getting paid per mile now a days is a scam. I work for hourly rates only
Only way to go anymore in my opinion. Dave
I drove a truck for a short period of time after I left the military. I am glad now that I did not stick with it for the long haul! My daughter drives and loves it but the time away on the road is starting to erode her enthusiasm.
Detention time pay is the reason I just quit TMC
You said it! As you stated, there are going to be more and more empty trucks as people encounter the lip service and indifference that truck drivers are treated to. There will be a tipping point when freight movement falls behind the demand.
I don’t know how old this video is but you had touched on a specific subject regarding truck driving I have been saying for the past four or five years. That subject being working for free. Although I really appreciated all the points you discussed I feel you could have elaborated more on the free part. One of the “free” issues I have trouble with is not only are we expected to work for free by our employers, our government also requires us to work for free. If I’m not mistaken, I believe this is the only industry where a government requires its workforce to work for free in the United States. The more I continue to drive the more I realize that I am convinced that slavery still exists in America.
In this industry now. It don't matter about your experience. A drivers a driver. New guys are easier to take advantage of for the company.
These companies want students!! They don't want students trained by people like you and me!! Experience is a downfall, because we know their tricks and want pay for our experiences!!
very well said you are so right why this industry doesnt take better care of the people they need to do the job is crazy
It's now 2020 ....we've had a missive round of Covid ... and it still hasn't got any better...
It does gotta change. It's bullshit. I've got a clean record, 13 years driving. Was working for a local company for good money but their equipment and fmcsa score is shit. So now I work local, 3 states. Home just about every night. Weekends off. Make 225 a day. 12 hour days. But nice equipment and great score. Pros and cons with every company. I'd stay away from long haul. Just not worth it.
I'm trying to get my CDL now. you think I can work local like that?
Your videos are so useful. You have 4 million miles or more, WOW! Everything you mentioned is so very true. I am familiar with every aspect you spoke about. I also have the Class A and 10 years experience, I got away from this work back in 2009. I have been thinking about getting back into it, but I just don't know. I still drive today just not trailers, and almost everyday I tell myself I hope to never have to go do that work again. I've been out there(like you) blizzards and ice and some of the worst weather you can imagine. Driving in some nasty stuff you wouldn't want to even send your mother in law out in. Yet they are questioning detention time? Like your suppose to get $0 for your time to care for THEIR vehicle, I mean you don't legally own the truck and trailer! I used to get detention time after one hour, like when I would wait to get unloaded at some warehouse. Break down pay(lumping) now that's another story! I doubt I would ever go into OTR again and have done plenty of LTL(which sucks even worse). I have had this long standing discussion with a truck driver friend of mine about a need for better wages for at least 15 years, it really has NOT gotten better. I hate being a negative nanny but that's the way I see it and yes it is reality!I will come to your videos from time to time. You know what's going on. Thank you very much!
Lawrence Black professional driver 2.5 million miles.
I believe it began as a response to the typical billing practice of charging for transportation of goods according to how far away the customer was. After all, it only makes sense: if you charge your customers by the mile, and you receive your revenue according to mileage, it’s logical to pay your employees by the mile.
Beyond that, the transportation industry doesn’t really fit into the neat little box that most occupations do, where everything is regimented and scheduled into regular set appointments. As an example: if you work manufacturing widgets, you very quickly figure how many widgets your line can produce each hour, how much you can profit from that hour of production, and how much you can pay your line workers and still maintain a healthy profit margin. If you work transporting those widgets, on the other hand, your per hour costs can vary wildly with a change in any one of a number of factors outside your control: traffic, weather, breakdowns, etc. The only way to have any ability to control costs is to eliminate the uncertainties as much as possible, therefore, Pay Per Mile.
Hourly pay, with the exception for local and site work, just isn’t feasible. If a driver was being paid by the hour, I can absolutely guarantee that a sizable percentage of drivers would intentionally choose the worst times to travel in urban areas, using the bogged down traffic of “rush hour” to pad their paychecks. Companies wouldn’t be able to earn a profit or make any financial plans because of the wildly changing costs of labor in the driver pool.
Hub miles, aren’t really any kind of a solution, either. The same type of employee who would intentionally drive during the worst traffic times of the day would also be the type to take the “scenic route” in getting from point A to B. Also for the purpose of illegitimately padding their paycheck. These are the type of driver would, when delivering to the southeast side of Dallas, take the northern loop around the entire metroplex.
IMHO, the most practical alternative to PPM, would be to pay drivers by salary. Every company has access to the information necessary to determine the average revenue per truck, average profit per truck, average costs per truck (fuel, repairs, idling, etc.), average costs per accident per truck, etc. This information could be used to create a salary schedule for drivers based on experience, years-of-service, and safety record. Quarterly bonuses could be established for those who regularly surpass the average benchmark, and those who regularly underperform could be placed on probation or terminated.
This would alleviate the major complaint by drivers: the lack of a dependable income, while still incentivizing drivers to maximize their production. It would also eliminate much of the stress of the job that results from constantly worrying whether or not you would get enough miles to make a decent week’s paycheck.
I’m not holding my breath.
Wow! That is sad. I have been a manager in a different industry. And to some degree, yeah when we travel we don't charge an hourly for time en route (mostly flying commercial), and arriving early say Sunday night for a Monday morning meeting. But, we definitely got our meals covered within specific limits for the type of meal. Sometimes they'd purposely book us a hotel with complimentary breakfast to cover that one. Then we'd expense the other two meals. Same thing coming back, no pay for travel hours. Maybe they'd cover airport parking? I've been a loyal worker wherever I've worked. Never trying to gouge my employer for expenses. But, your point is well taken that someone who has proven to be so solid should be given a higher rate (however that is calculated, i.e. cents per mile, dollars per hour, etc.). God bless and thanks for the education.
Really sorry I didn't see your video several years ago. The company I retired from paid all the break-down time and detention time by the hour. If you reset your 34 on the road it's hourly. So many companies suck at paying by the hour.
How about giving truck drivers tax exempt status?
marianasreality I like that idea! Dave
Great video I hope it makes some drivers think. Listen Garelick Farms pays by the hour plus overtime and you work 4 days a week. If you want a 5th day you can work it. I know you all are in different parts of the country so the one I work at is Garelick Farms in Rensselaer, New York. Dean Foods is the Main company name and they are located throughout the nation. Good luck
Thanks for the info Bruce! Dave
In France WE are payed by houre , and the company pay our détention Time plus 3 repas (eating Time ) but de have Time driving and Time reset to respect its 9 hours à day driving and 11h daily Time reset and 45hours weekend reset and maximum Time work in two sliding weeks its 90hours . Thanks for this vidéo and wish you thé best sir
Thank you sir! Dave
im with u ive been driving 29 yrs 0 points on mvr and they pay a newbie pretty much the same. plus dot rules getting worse. im really thinking about quitting this business
I know exactly how you feel, my problem is that I still love to drive! Someone told me it's a sickness. Dave
Well put brother while I am not in the States (Aus ) the situation is much the same. Tradesmen get a good earn but us drivers (truckers) don't get any where near what we are worth for the hours we spend behind the wheel and having to deal with bad mannered customers. you are right the industry needs to change as a whole because if one changed the customer would simply change couriers because ultimately the customer will fund this change so it needs to happen across the board and there are too many greedy transport owners out there for that to happen.
Cheers
Geoff
here in norway its not legal to pay drivers for how long they drive or % of the loads, otr drivers usally get payed per day they are out, if the truck rolling or not, its the companys job to keep the truck working and if it breaks down the driver still get his pay, same with resets. 350-400 dollars per day is normal, that including 45 dollar for food that are reqiered to pay if the worker is away from home for over 12 hours.
a mate works for the biggest fuel carrier and works two weeks and have one week off.
and its about free healthcare, schools etc and if you get sick and cant work you still get full pay up to a year. so if get fed up with the american dream you know where we are :)
but the transport industry is challenged from cheap east european companies that treat people like crap, some companies here also use drivers from the east and pay them next to nothing sence there is nothing called minimum wage here.
Yes, but that's Norway... Here is "legal"what they say. If you don't like you'll be asked to leave under "some" circumstances or just be quiet.... :) They say - I have 300 resumes on my desk for your truck.
What a country! What a world!
Indexed prices for stuff in Norway are about double what they are in the US because of the tax burden, and the increased COL because of it. So $350-$400 is more like $200 in the US. Still, there are a lot of guys driving trucks who don't make $200 a day. I could eat for 4 days easily in the US on $45 if I had time to plan. I wouldn't want to always do that, but I could do it - just not sitting at a bar paying a tip every day.
hehe, a bar run here is not cheap, 15 dollars for a pint, 20 for a drink :p
wages are not the highest for truckdrivers here, but many makes over 100k dollars a year if work as much as an american. still makes 25 an hour working at a supermarked so if you got a job here you will manage fine, stil in big cities its expensive to live though.
Depends on the bar here, but beers are $2 in happy hour and double that maybe after that unless you want something *good*, then maybe $6.
There's more opportunity in the US to have a significant amount of disposable income, but more disparity than Norway and you have to have more personal initiative to get it, I guess.
Just different systems. Trucking's in a bad way right now because the pencil pushers realize there's a huge labor supply and they'll just put people in the seats as long as they can. The fact that the mileage rates are close to where they were 15-20 years ago pretty much tells the story.
It'll be that way here until the labor supply isn't so large. A lot of the pencil pushers are addicted to the idea of being able to get legalized immigrant labor so they can keep it as low as possible.
Maybe things are much different in the USA but I drive in Canada, get paid $30 per hour, overtime after 80 hours in 2 weeks, only work 3-4 days a week, home every single night (regional driver), get 4 weeks vacation, pension plan and benefits. I've put in my time doing long haul and being away from home but what I'm getting at is great jobs are still out there, keep searching for the right one for you and your family.
we need a union like board getting screwed is not fun
I’m on your side. High school guidance counselors think this is the default occupation for people that can’t or don’t fit their idea of a valuable citizen. The laws of supply and demand are starting to kick in. ATA carriers are trying to increase the supply by lowering the age for interstate drivers to 18 and using military experience as a qualifier for a CDL. Pay is starting to rise in the interim but as long as the mega carriers can sweep the streets and fill their driving schools, we’ll still have that downward pressure.
Well said Doug! Dave
One word ...UNIONIZE
well I am Canadian and I did 3 years long haul team and single driving across us and Canada went all over us except far northeast.
9.50 for bus driver is a shame. pay rate for me as a bus driver for private company is 20.22 which will soon increase to 22.22. there are transit companies like go transit and TTC that have starting wage of 26 per hour. off course there is considerable tax deduction and health care is universal. I have been to California many times especially la and average people over there are so poor and so many homeless people. I usually go to 634 crocker street for delivery and I always seen 5 full streets of homeless people with count over 300 easy. I was fed up of trucking at that time so I switch to transit operator
Owning your own truck can be more profitable, but a lot of people are not cut out for that. Working for a good company can make you a good salary, at least $40K/year if you are a good driver. Once you have the required experience, you will be able to get a good salary.
Add in the fact that many people do not want to be truck drivers, you will be able to get a higher salary, due to a limited supply of truckers. I say an experience truck driver should be at least in the $50K range yearly if they know how to negotiate and to choose the right market, which is good.
+KevZen2000 How do you pass the drug test because you must be smoking some good shit
+aidan conneely Agreed 50k a yr for no life and paying for everything on the road is chump change.
OTR doesn't pay anything neither does owning your own truck. Truth be told hauling freight doesn't pay anything.. unless you work for UPS and good luck getting in there.
I'm hauling gasoline and jet fuel local around the tri state area it's the most $$$ I've ever made.. il probably make more then most o/o . Look into hauling stuff nobody wants to haul gas ,chemicals anything that requires some knowledge of how to load and unload this stuff
Gregory Geloewski
Wat does o/o mean?
I drove for a small-ish refrigerated company for five months. I made no more than $600-$700 a week on average entirely because of the HOS regulations and I think my company really didn't have enough freight to go around to the non-team drivers. Once you're detained and at the will of the also-underpaid and thoroughly abused dock workers, there's nothing you can do. Funny thing is that it's the mega carriers' lobbying organization that has supported all of the HOS and e-log regulation over the years, which created this perfect storm where they aren't really paying drivers much more than I made as a Domino's delivery driver working 40 hours a week with all the free food I could handle.
I had no problem going between 650 and 670 miles in an 11 hour window every time the opportunity was available, but those chances were extremely rare. We were governed at 65, so it was just about impossible to go much more than 670 miles during your drive time, unless you had a lot of downhill coasting and no traffic situations. I was never late and never refused a load. Heck, I was top 25 in a group of 400 drivers. Only thing that kept me out of the top ten was fuel mileage. Yet, I never could get more than 2,000 miles in a week on average. There would be weeks where I'd hit 3600 miles on a check, but that was only because of paperwork being behind on 1,000+ mile weekend trips.
One Friday, I wound up stranded in Vermont at a shipper that we got a load from through a broker. The broker screwed up the dates, and the load wouldn't be ready until Monday. Since it was in the middle of Vermont, and there wasn't any freight that our company could get anywhere near me, I ended up driving home unloaded, which they did pay me for. I turned in my keys afterwards. I still miss driving, but I could never go back unless there is at least a massive change in HOS regulations.
For that, there needs to be mass coordinated effort. We're all to disconnected/divided in our thinking to do that to force an industry overhaul. It would be like a mass union strike. Than the entire nation would realize the value of truckers. But since everyone is like an individual pigeon pecking for their own crumbs, companies will always milk it... Why not? It's just good business. In their eyes, they don't owe you anything. An if this coordinated "strike" happens, they just have to appease truckers until the automated self driving trucks hit the market.
Nowadays a trucker must choose carefully. For instance, OTR Coast to Coast is quickly dying with the economy, making the railway more cost effective. So, intermodal (shipping/railway containers) will remain strong and steady for the next decade+. Regional and better yet dedicated regional gigs are better than most local jobs and much less drama too. There are good driving jobs out there, just have to choose carefully after much research of both the different types and the better companies that offer them.
Thanks for you honesty man, new truckers need to know the true about this shitty industry
I saw in Arkansas (I believe) where the state judicial system ruled that truckers had to be paid minimum-wage when they’re not driving & “On Duty”. I don’t know how much further this went but hopefully it’s a wake up call for companies in that state and it spreads nationwide (all states) and hopefully at the federal level (Dept Of Labor).
I drove a truck for a little over 36 years starting in 1975 and ending in 2011. I started out the first 2 years as an OO and lost my truck. The rest of my career was driving for 2 major companies. Ben Franking Craft and Varity stores who I worked for for 18 years until they went bankrupt in 1996. Then I went to work for Wal-Mart out of the Seymour Indiana Distrubition center for 14 years and that was the best paying job I ever had. Ben Franklin I averaged around $45000 a year. At Wal-Mart they paid for everything they even paid you $42.00 to sleep in the truck for your break. My best year as a company driver for Wal-Mart was a little over $93700 a year. But I liked my time off so most years I averaged around $81000 a year. But while it was the best paying job I ever had it was also the worst job I ever had. You would just have to work there to understand that statement. I miss Ben Franklin...I don't miss Wal-Mart at all. :)
I like your videos man it's inspire me to go get my CDL but then again living on the road is a next thing I really don't want to do
You could always run local. That's what I'm doing these days and I'm quite enjoying it! Dave
Couldn't agree with you more sir. Thank you for sharing. Really hope carriers view this and take something away from it. Only a matter of time before they're all pretty much forced to increase pay and incentives, time to get real!
It's exactly the same in the UK all drivers are underpaid and overworked but we get paid night allowance anywhere upto £26 per night