To any new drivers starting in trucking-if they ever tell you in an interview/orientation " we put you on 30 days probation", tell them (the company), "thank you, because I am only giving you 2 weeks probation". Let them know from day one that they need you and you don't need them. Never love/like a company because they will never love you back. Always keep the back door open. Advice from 36 years OTR.
@@SmartTrucking no, the you need me/i dont need you thing...wont and dont work....drivers are a dime a dozen, there is no driver shortage, its a PAY shortage, nothing more...so if you say you need me/i dont need you? lol..they will say ok bye..and grab the next one on the list
When confronted with the "you are an at will employee and can be terminated at any time, without notice for any or no reason" I respond "You are an at will employer. I can quit at any time without notice for any or no reason.". Usually the intetview was over. I have learned if that is used the first day you go to work, keep looking.
This is exactly why i ended up getting fired from work, they offer me a $5,000 bonus,500 at 30 days and the balance at 6 months,so 2 weeks before the 6 months dead line i was late to work(1st time ever)and the boss was waiting for me at the front door just to tell me:WE PARTING WAYS! (I was ready for this) I ended up approved for unemployment benefits(28 weeks at 667) and i also took them to court for the rest of MY "sign on bonus" that i had ON WRITTING(be smart,get this shit on paper) and guess what? They have a long record on firing drivers weeks before the dead line so I also ended up getting my $4,500 !!! Just wanted to share the experience with u guys !
Got burned out being a RN so went and became a OTR driver for almost a year. Never thought I would be so excited to go back to nursing after being screwed by the company I started with
Gregory Bailey I continue to wonder why is there a shortage because usually economics of supply and demand will address that. However after listening to dozens of videos I think you are right the shortage is because of constant turnover due to conditions with no economic payoff as advertised.
I always told my company if they spent as much time looking for ways to build their customer base as they do figuring out ways to take money out of the driver's pocket, things would be better.
I got my revenge on Aarhus United in NJ. They made me sit there 4 days idling fast idle because their employees were incompetent. They refused to pay detention time for my own truck, that had to stay running the entire time there cause it was veggie oil in a tanker. I saw that they had a tank overflow and spilled palm oil into the storm sewer at the Port we was at. Turned them in, turned out they never had any permits for hazmat, and the oil was another violation. Cost them a couple million dollars in fines. Fuuu Aarhus.. screw me, I screw you.
Glad you mentioned about the companies cheating you: When you outsmart them, and beat them at their own game, suddenly your service is no longer needed.
Auto Chris no it's not really there are good company's and great company's find one that pays by the hour 18.00- 23.00 bucks and O.T paid and home everyday they are out there I'm driving for one as we speak and couldn't be happier making GREAT money and working with great equipment no bonus's no fuel issues just show up deliver the product and go home taking home between 1000.00 and 1150.00 a week every week made 72.000.00 for 2017
americans are spoiled,,,,and in need of cheap labor people,,,,,otherwise the US Economy cant grow,even mr,trump hire easteuropeans that work hard for the$,,
I 100% agree, I just quit Covenant, since they never paid what they offered me, on top, they had me pay for tolls, pad-locks, car rentals and other stuff, and never reimburse me for none of it, not to mention I only collected 2 checks for only 12% of what I was promised, so if anyone is considering Covenant, please run, run fast and far away from Covenant, they will rip you off heartless!!!
I got wacked for a lumper fee: $175. I went home for the week and turned my truck over to my co-driver. He was going to complete the run. I asked him if he new how to do the lumper check. All good. I few weeks later, in a different truck, my wife called screaming about getting a $5 paycheck minus $175. I went balistic. I found out I was still responsible for the load delivery and lumper fees. It came right out of my pocket! It sucked! CR Englands policy is turn the lumper reciepts. My co driver never did that. Anyway, I can right it off on my taxes as a non reimbusred business expense. I was counting on that money to pay a bill. Because of this screw up, things turned into a nightmare. Now, I don't trust anyone for anything.
First all, if you were a company driver that's illegal! As an employee, financially, you're responsible for nothing! You should file a claim with your states labor commission!
I sued USA truck for 20 grand in 2010 for not paying Fed min wage for all on duty and driving time,. I won 50 grand. don't forget 1/4 of your time on the road is free labor for your company, fueling, dropping and hooking, pre and post trips, logging, fixing small crap, ECT ECT....me and my 2 million safe miles don't drive anything for mileage pay,. only hourly pay.
Not a trucker, but once several years ago while out on a rural service call (IT), the guy riding with me pointed out something about the trucking industry that has always stuck with me. He asked if I had ever noticed in the city the multitude of help wanted advertising signs by security, fast food, and discount retail firms. I said that I had, and that those firms need to always advertise for help because they treat their employees like crap. He then asked if I had ever noticed out on the road the multitude of help wanted advertising signs by trucking firms.
Hey there, I’m an old school driver myself with 30+ years experience. You used a term “shrinking the mileage “. Reminds me of the old Rand McNally house hold movers guide mileage calculator all the big carriers used. The biggest scam ever pulled on the truck driver routinely shorting the trips anywhere from 10-12 percent. I’m an advocate for abolishing the “pay by the mile” pay scale. Nothing compromises safety more then “pay by the mile”
I've been trucking since 1993. I found myself applying recently and got a call from PTI (Paper Transport Inc). I ask them to give me an actual mileage from a real run. While on the phone with the recruiter I check it with Google maps. Turns out on that specific run PTI is shorting their drivers 30 miles. That's when the recruiter started tripping over her words. She got another company rep on the phone and she fed me a line of shit about how that's the way they negotiate their contracts with their customers. She actually thought she covered that pile of shit up. Nope. I went on with the recruiter just to dig a little deeper. I asked if I could get a Freightliner with an automatic that hasn't been smoked in. You could almost hear the record screech to a halt. She said she couldn't make any guarantees. I asked "Can you at least get me into a truck that hasn't been smoked in?" Again she said "No guarantees." That's when I blew up and pretty much started yelling at the recruiter about how they don't give a shit about the drivers. I could hear her crumpling my application when she said "Maybe we shouldn't pursue this any further." I said "That's probably a good idea." Click!!!!!! Currently working with FedEx where they pay actual hub miles. I'm home every day sleeping in my own bed. I drive only at night when the crazies on the highway are at a minimum. The DOT doesn't mess with FedEx drivers. I make just as much as if I was OTR. If you factor in no OTR out of pocket expenses I actually make more.
Get with a good Trucking lawyer before you sign on with a company. Have your lawyer look over the contract. Have your lawyer advise you on how to keep records so that you can sue them later. A lawyer in an advisory capacity is not expensive. Money only becomes an issue when they have to actively get involved in a lawsuit. If you have had one advising you all along, it'll be cheaper and easier when the lawsuit is filed, because they've been helping you set up what they need to win. There are victims and there are volunteers.
You know, if I had a SHRED of evidence regarding the way the industry was, and is headed 19 months ago when I obtained my CDL, I honestly NEVER would of followed through. I did my research and I knew to stay away from the OTR megas, but what I failed to realize, is that the local outfits can be just as bad, or worse. I'm speaking specifically in regards to my area (Central Tx) and I've found one of the major scams around here, is local outfits paying percentage of the load. Whether it be flatbed, hopper bottoms, end dumps, you name it. Smaller fleets of 10 trucks or less and they all pay percentage. When you factor in the waiting time, etc you have to run multiple log books just to make a decent check, and the icing on the cake is when they say "we'll be paying you via 1099." Well of course you are, why wouldn't you put additional burden on me as a driver when it's so easy to do so. I know that there are good companies out there whether it be local,regional or OTR, but unfortunately finding one of those "good" companies that wont run you into the ground and make you stick your neck out on the line daily, seems to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. I'm more geared towards local driving so I'll stick to that portion of the industry, and around here and withing 40 miles each direction, all you find is companies boasting in their ads about how great they are, and don't forget about the over abundance of exclamation points to really put a dramatic late night infomercial spin on it!!! When in reality, it's all the same song and dace. Makes me sick. I've got a clean MVR, all of my endorsements, no criminal record, clean CSA etc, and I can't get a decent company to take a look at me because I don't quite have 2 years of experience on paper, (thanks insurance companies.) So I'm stuck weeding through the sketchy companies, trying to find the less of the evils so I can run and get my experience and pray to god I don't get popped for this or that, and ruin my chances at getting on with a reputable company once I have 24 months of experience. Speaking of said trucking companies, every interview I've been to in the last 2 weeks seems to have an interesting trend. They either want you to look past the shitty equipment, of course because that's on you once you leave the yard, or they'll put you in decent equipment and expect you to run like a scalded dog and cook the books so much that at best you get a couple hours of sleep here, or there. Meanwhile they're paying you the bare minimum so that you HAVE to run with said issues in order to just break even, while they pull in money hand over fist, and somehow they think they're doing YOU a favor? Makes total sense. The real sad part, is there's guys like myself who have been forced to run like that becasue we HAVE to pay our bills and feed our families. But guess what? Mr. State Trooper, or DOT officer couldn't care less, you're just an irresponsible, law breaking trucker in their eyes. So what in the hell are you supposed to do? About all you can do, is say a prayer and hope for the best when you leave the yard everyday, especially in an area like mine where GOOD jobs are hard to come by, where they actually treat you with respect as a driver, as opposed to a laborer in a sweat shop. That's just the way it is around here, and regardless of experience, the companies that have a good rep, have a line of qualified guys that forms a line around the block. You're damned if you do, and damned if you don't it seems. I've thought long and hard lately about getting out all together. I hate the way the industry is headed with the rules and regs, the shitty modern equipment, the list goes on. It just seems as if the industry as a whole is slanted AGAINST the driver, not to mention that at least 90% of the companies out there seem to not give a damn about you as the driver, but more so about what they can do to make the absolute maximum profit, while paying you peanuts. You threaten to quit, who cares? There's 15 applications sitting on the desk of guys that will take your place today, only to repeat the process. It's a revolving door at most companies, and there's a reason for that. I'll end my rant there but I had to vent somewhere, as my wife's tired of hearing it.
I understand your frustration, I drove 14yrs befor i quit in 2000, for a job with my city's transit athourity working in public transit {Montreal}.Great pay, Benefits, pension fund...everything you can wish for, BUT man i miss trucking so i went back into trucking part time from 2010 to 2016 working on one of my weekend days off usually Friday running night switches for a 9 hour round trip and even as a part time driver they found a way to piss me off so i quit again. Now im just doing the city transit gig. I miss trucking every day!!! I would like to return OTR when i retire in 8 years, by then i'll be 62yrs old and would like to do a semi retired gig for a few years .Trucking really gets in your blood but the industry as made it so that you can't make a life long carreer of it. I quit cause i was frustrated with everything that everyone else as called it quits for. It really pisses me off that i had to quit the job i really loved because i was fed up of the working conditions. I always wanted to be an O/O but when i saw how many guys were losing their shirts i was to afraid to invest myself. Could not stand for getting screwed and losing my business...I know how you feel, i feel the same...Take care.
Excellent rant! It's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" deal by the sounds of it down there. It's stuff like this that force good guys out of the industry. Percentage is such a scam. Dave
Common Sense I hear you loud and clear. Very truthful, concise analysis of the industry. I have almost 10 years in but it has been spotted with leaving for other work outside of the truck here and there but the truck always call you back bc of the simple mathematics of needing that consistency in pay 💰 no matter how bad you’re fighting with the company over pay they owe you. Those Mfs man! I flew out to Houston and obtained my NCCCO Rigging Certs. Shopping that resume now. Riggers in Tx start around $30 hour. Regardless, average Rigger is making what we make in the truck and with overtime more, plus their on schedule and sleep at night/workout at the gym in the evenings, etc. Check into rigging. Your CDL is a plus with the Rigging certs. Peace ✌🏾
Dude knows what he's talking about. Got CDL in 2002, seen a lot of what he said first hand. FYI to drivers, if you're on side of road for more than a couple minutes put out your triangles. I was broke down on side of interstate and another tractor-trailer hit me. I got sued even though 5 troopers and 1 DOT officer said I did nothing wrong. He destroyed his tractor, my trailer and load, damaged his load and my tractor and almost killed his passenger. He ran over my triangles and my lawyer said if I didn't have them out I could have been fault. If you drive a big truck no one is watching out for your best interests. Not cops, not your company, not your dispatch (who will lie about everything), not your customers, you are on your own. Be safe, be legal, trust no one...
There is no such thing as a back-haul, another scam to give owner ops low freight rates. A broker once told me "Oh, you want a back-haul back to Alabama". I told her no-I want a good paying load going back that way. Just another scam in trucking to cheat drivers/owners. '
It's a shell game The other thing that trucking companies do is always keep a certain percentage of drivers in the (Top Performrers ) or ( The Elite Fleet ) These drivers are unknowingly get ting preferred treatment They get the good paying runs and loads ,they usually get their breakdown pay,layover ,detention time pay and home time This select group of drivers purpose it to promote the company propaganda and shield the company from potential lawsuits and already positioned to rany efute claims by drivers saying they were mislead by recruiters or advertising The companies can afford to give the select group of drivers top pay because they cheat the majority of drivers out of their pay its a preemptive maneuver
I did P&D for a freight company for a few years and every time a shipper wanted me to sign by the pieces where I wasn’t able to count the actual pieces I would sign it and right next to my signature SLC=shipper load and count Or a lot of times they have me shrank wrapped skids and wanted me sign for actual pieces I would say no I’m not doing that. I would sign X numbers of skids STC x numbers of pieces (Said to contain )
They steal because they can...….you work non-union and you work without a contract. the average driver at UPS makes 36.00 dollars an hour and they are teamsters...…...imagine that. You give way too much of your labor away for free. You have to be "on-duty" when fueling the truck and doing pre-trip inspections. Who pays you to fuel the truck? Break-down, road side inspections and detention. This is how they steal. Driving a truck for cents per mile is a suckers game...…..Drive the northeast and you might be lucky to average 45 miles an hour, if you are lucky.
I wentbto the US to drive trucks for a good honest company who recruited me and gave me the opportunity to know how different is driving there instead here in my country... I had a work Visa,I had to pass all the CDL tests, social security and all that stuff and I really enjoyed the time there... thanks to all truckers that helped me on the way... 10-4 73
Been in trucking for 13 yrs now and from day one to this very day I have never signed a BOL with my real name. If I was not allowed on the count I always asked who the guy was that loaded the trl and then signed his name or the shipping clerks name. Hell I've even used the name of who ever owned the company I was working for at the time I've even used past and the current president's name. CYA cuz your company damn sure ain't
Good on you. Great upload.. after 30yrs of driving heavy vehicles in Australia and new Zealand, I've learnt to not believe a single word my employers tell me lol..
You got that right. My last job I was offered a $2,500.00 "sign on" bonus. Pay out was $500.00 every 3 months. They paid me "short miles". About 100 miles a week SHORT @ .53cpm.= $50.00 a week. So,where did the $500.00 quarterly bonus come from? From the mileage they stole. I have since quit. In the future I will sign the freight bills Don Corleone.
Thanks for the valuable information on carrier scams. Here I was thinking that the bigger carriers were the more professional with the best paid drivers. Boy was I wrong ! I'll stick with the small guys and help them grow instead. Your videos are blessing. Thanks a bunch !
Werner shorts miles pay by 5 to 10 percent per trip. When I complained about it, I was told that it's ok for them to do it because all the other big companies do it too.
When I had to pick up drop and hook trailers at a shippers facility I would write on the BOL diagonally in big block letters above the signature line- SHIPPERS COUNT/SHIPPER SECURED. Most of the time I had no problems with the clerks. One time I got into a knock down dragged out argument with so called know it all who told me I could not do that. The argument ended when he told me his job was about covering his ass! I said SAME HERE!
Dave that shirt is TOTALLY your style haha! I believe all of what you say in your videos and you know what? I'm still probably going to become a trucker. What you're describing can be applied to most American industries and occupations today ANYWAYS. Us oldtimers know it wasn't always that way but it is what it is in 2018. As a healthy 57-year old with my bad habits behind me, as someone who drove taxis in NYC and surrounding areas for years and experienced all the different employer scams, a man who has no family no roots and just a cat to call family I am ready to call the road my home. My 'cowboy' days are over and my attitude is one of gratitude for the simple things in life. I still want to take pride in my work. Your channel and a couple others are a GODSEND, you sir are doing a great service passing on your knowledge so please keep 'em coming and some day I hope to see YOU on the back haul!
TRUTH: Two guys go too 8week/2months Trucking school, got $70k 1st year after job hunting, 3 weeks school then job..$50-60k first year and a bonus...overtime....THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO SIR!!! You are a Hero!
I saw one carrier that advertised a 10k sign on bonus and 100% no touch freight. As it turned out, the sign on bonus turned into a safety bonus and 100% no touch freight turned into you the driver unloads and loads your truck for free.
Preach!!! Very well said!! Me and my mentor have gotten close over my first year (which I drove over 100K miles) and we were talking about the same, exact things! I love talking about how shady this industry is.. because as long as they have documentation, it's all a mind game! You're speaking the truth!
Too Funny, and too real. On my anniversary with a big carrier they slowed my miles down so I didn't get my pay increase. They told me freight was slow. It sped right back up after my anniversary which meant I never got my pay increase. Sad
Never ever do any more work than what was discussed during your interview! If they promised you certain lanes or runs, then a week after you’re hired they ask you to help them out by doing an “extra run” or doing a “different run” than your normal route, don’t do it. They will gradually start taking advantage of you to help more and more then next hung you know you’re not doing anything that resembles what you thought you were hired to do. Stand your ground. Don’t do It. You took that job based on what that recruiter/manager told you your duties would be. Nothing more. Nothing less.
I had to quit a company for all of the reasons mentioned here. One example was dispatch told me to wait a day for a load they were giving to me. 2 days later one of the dispatch finally gives me the paperwork to proceed with the load. The head dispatcher finds me just before I leave and takes the paperwork away from me explaining he had promised his friend this load. I complained to the owner. His reply was dispatch was God and not to question God. The load he took away was a 4500 mile round trip with hazmat pay. I ended up pulling a 350 mile load that day. I commented about this on another TH-cam page and someone said I was an ass for complaining and that I was trying to change how a company operates for my own purpose. It shows the poor attitude out there for drivers. My driving record started in 1987 and have logged over 2 million miles accident free going on three. I've also never been late by own fault for any delivery. I have scored a few times in the company top fuel economy as well. The example above was only one of an endless array of excuses for short tripping drivers there while their friends got the long miles. It didn't matter how good you were, it mattered who you knew there.
I was not expecting you to tell the truth but you are right on. Any new drivers better listen to this guy! Shortage of drivers, no, shortage of drivers not working for nothing. priceless
I signed on with Central trucking co. CTI out of kingman az. as a casual driver " the big thing any more ",,,, they run drivers on regional runs out 3 day runs , and back ..out of all terminals , it works for me being a semi retired ( and on disability to pad my income ) but what they dont tell you is they limit the mileage east of kingman to glenrio tx. to .32 CPM ....but pay runs to cail . 43...yeah another scam ...yeah there all the same ...after 35 yrs out there im used to them all ...but this works for me ...on one week off one week ....! keep up the good work dave ... !
We have a carrier in my area that I worked for fresh out of school. The agreement was 775 a week, regardless of what you run. If you set, you get paid. What you quickly find out is that the 775 base pay is subject to a "safety" goal. There are 7 area's of safe driving that determines what your pay is. Hard braking, late to shipper, 70 mph top speed, computer work (logging your arrive time, wait time leave time etc) idle time, camera incident (swerving etc to cause the camera to come on) and one other one that I can't remember. So, in order to get the 775 you had to hit 5 out of 7. If you hard brake on Monday, you better watch out the rest of the week. Winter always got me. I idled my way out of hundreds of dollars that winter trying to stay warm.
I don't know if anyone else is noticed this but in my truck my temperature sensor will be at 21°, but the real temperature outside will be like 15°I remember specifically one time it was 12° outside and guess what my truck was reading 21°. I found ways around this but I still feel like this is a pretty dirty trick they pull.
He's correct, *never sign* those bills without "SLC" or "Shipper Load and Count" somewhere on the BOL If you have to call claims, that's the first thing they'll ask. It's bullshit in this day and age that there's no board a driver can go to about being cheated out of money. Especially with all the mileage they steal. I think it's a damn shame that I have to get it back by burning their diesel 24/7 so that I can get at least some of it back through fueling points.
Back in 2008 i went to work for a company that promised me a 5000 dollar sign on bonus paid out over 1 year, and to the credit of US Foods, they did exactly that. My sign on bonus had nothing to do with performance. Now i believe Sygma and Mcclane are both offering 10,000 dollars over 3 yrs.
I spent 35 years of my life as a long haul trucker, and a few more years before that as am army trucker. The biggest scam of them all is the "lease purchase" scam. They tease a driver with the idea that he might become an owner operator (never happen) or he might make more money than a company driver (not true). I bought my own truck in 1990. I can tell you a few scams that companys who only hire owner ops are guilty of,starting with landstar ranger. The best job I ever had as an owner op was being leased to forward air for 12 years. I dont miss trucking (im retired now) but I miss forward air. I loved working for them. I hope I dont sound like a commercial.
I always used to say, "trucking companies make more money scamming drivers than their freight charge." I used to run into small companies with really nice trucks, cut to 200hp and impossible schedules. 6am monday in Lodi, Nj then 7am in Hartford, Ct, and no tolls are authorized, with $10 late penalty for ever hour late. The scams are endless. Glad you brought it up. Pablo Escobar is jealous of what companies get away with.
I ran a dedicated customer for a mega carrier ...mostly drop hooks and the customer paid the deadhead back...so our bosses figured they would send us out of route to get loaded with any freight they could find on our return trips and bill the customer as if we were empty...basically getting free freight because we (drivers) were paid by the day not the mile or load.
Chris Helgerson a well known Haulage company here in the UK took over the transport needs of one of the large super markets(we will do it cheaper than having your own staff) they told the drivers that they they still had jobs if they wanted ,but would work for them and as they wete shutting down one depo they would have to travel an hour to another for Less money and longer hours, needless to say they all left. They also thought that they could get a free.back load but were in for a suprize as they had back loads from the super market. All the recycling. .LOL..
Yep. Know what to look for and ask. There's been a few times I caught the mileage being short before, luckily before payday. They tried passing it off as every other thing other then them short changing the miles, but, they did work in the the missing miles.
They have always used map miles. They are 10% light. I told one dispatcher that from Mpls to Chicago is not 396 miles and if he thought it was he could ride with me and get out at 396 miles and walk the rest of the way. Then he would know it is over 400
Dave!! it's so damn aggravating..... My biggest point of frustration is why so many of us put up with it!!!! I've spoken with hundreds of people from all areas of employment and no one else has to put up with this bullshit! Why do we?!?!?!?
That's a darn good question. I know I don't. I think some guys though, are afraid of losing their jobs, and if they've got a family to support I can understand that to a certain extent . I found however that some carriers would just try to see how much abuse you were willing to put up with and if you planted your feet and told them " hey, that's not right" they were more inclined to pay you and then leave you alone. It was like being bullied when you were a kid. If you stood up and punched them in the nose they didn't bully you anymore. But no work place should be like that! Dave
When I first got into trucking a few years back, an old veteran of this game told me this..."trouble with this industry is that we don't utilize the power we all collectively have. If you were to put two truckers in a room with two prostitutes at no charge, the truckers would still screw each other". Whether it's an idiot o/o with no business sense under cutting the next guy or a driver unwilling to stand up for decent employment practices, we all are taking in on the chin and in the pocket book because too many of us won't stand united! How long have we been spouting off about how vital a role we play in our nation's economy but we collectively do squat!!!!!
That's why I am glad I work for a decent company. Still some hick ups but not that bad. I am also paid hourly but I am a p&d driver. LTL is the way to go.
I've seen most of these over the years. I found myself needing a new job for two years before i retired. I ended up driving for Schneider National on a dedicated account. 5000 sign on bonus which took a year to collect, paid quarterly if i remember correctly, but i did get it all. I had good people to work with on that account. Now i had roughly 40 years experience before i started and wasn't exactly new to the trucking world. I'm not sure the guys that do the wander around the country thing are treated very well though. I heard lots of stories about not getting miles. Pay was average but accurate. I was there 28 months and made them money every week. We parted on good terms which was a nice way to retire at 65.
Yea, was told I will be making that when I got with Dollar Tree... I should've asked is that net or gross? Half of the deliveries I wish I could've demanded more money like one unloading an entire trailer for one store.... The store wasn't new. I changed accounts and they got rid of the sign on bonus now for that account. Although, never go to Midwest Regional. It's ALL swap loads, with little baby miles.
Worked for Werner for 2.5 years. They promised sign on bonus, fuel bonuses, safety bonuses. Never saw any of it. I was brand new to trucking, thought it was me. Tried hard to cut fuel use, used multiple sleeping bags and blankets. No jackrabbit starts. Never had a ticket or accident. No fuel, no safety or sign on bonuses. I did get Employee of the month twice on the account I was on. Came with a piece of paper and $25. If you were on the road during christmas and thanksgiving and you submitted the receipt, they'd give you $10 towards dinner. I was on a dedicated account delivering to retail stores. We got paid for unloading, $15 per stop. I had to keep very detailed records of everything I did, because every paycheck I'd have to submit "corrections" for my pay. They would leave out a stop or two almost every week. It was routine. So every week you'd spend an hour going over your pay stub and comparing it to your records. New drivers learned fast to keep track or they'll gyp you. Though in those two years I noticed that those "errors" were always in their favor. They never accidentally paid you for one too many stops. Had to watch them like a hawk.
Guys I drove 23 years as an owner operator and company driver. This guy is telling you the truth. This is what I learned and how to work this in my favor. Always sign above your name " without prejudice " always. The bill of lading is a negotiable instrument. Your signature validates the instrument and the product listed is the substance that backs the instrument. By putting that phrase above your name your indicating that you reserve all your rights due you by your sovereignty. Never sign for something you've never seen. Your responsible for the contents inside that trailer. Note that on the bills of lading and your logbook. Work smart. Sitting at the dock all day ? Know your company's policies on waiting times and document your times by check calls and logbook and sweet talk the shipper if you can by noting your dock times in and out. Forget the bonus their never worth the hassle. Pick up a load and then call the shipper and see if you can unload earlier. Communication between you and you dispatcher can go miles especially if they know your unloading early and you have hours to run. Work according to your available hours. You might stretch a load with time off at the house in order to reset your hours. Work smart, think things out so you win as much as possible. Good luck !
Good tips thanks. My brother got scammed by some 'drive to own' company where they take most of the driver's pay as 'payments' toward owning the truck, then after some period of time, or if the drivers starts to catch on, they claim you're not paying the truck off fast enough, you have a large balance due, etc, so we have to 'terminate your agreement'.
I NEVER knew so much about the trucking industry that I'm in until you've educated me!! Please continue your Awesome videos!!! P.S. Please go into further detail about the Pilot Flying J scam. Thanks!
Absolutely correct my current company does every single one of these dirty tricks im giving my self a shot and start flatbedding hopefully goes better lord knows im sick of BS companies
This is the first time I have seen this site. I drove for CR England years' ago. I had never before experienced a company that talked out of several sides of it's mouth, and CR England was considered to be one the the better ones. Thanks for the memories you bring. LOL.
This is why the trucking companies pay big money to keep the federal government out of trucking when it comes to pay and or restructuring pay from mileage to hourly 😡
And this is why people join unions. Because as an individual you get screwed but as a Union member like a teamster for example you get better pay and better benefits.
This was rare 25 - 30 years ago it happened but not as a large scale as it is happening today. As profit margins narrowed, as compitation became vast, companies cut back on many things, Now the idea is to go after the trucker for profit as opposed to the vendor . Less resistance and a larger accessible replaceable pool, its harder for them to get a new vendor, / client, than to get a new trucker.
I'm neither a truck driver nor an attorney, but I'm not too sure that "signing" a document with a frivolous name will get you off the hook. You did sign it, after all. It isn't well known, but when presented with a document to sign, you can cross off anything you don't agree with, and add in your own statements before signing. You could put a single line through the "piece count", and write in somewhere "I was not given the opportunity to do a piece count." Make sure you get a copy with the changes you made.
In that situation I always used to print "shippers load and count" which absolved me of any responsibility for shortages. Before long they caught on and refused to let me do that. For a while I just added the letters, S.L.C. and if they didn't notice it I was in the clear. Eventually when dispatch told me I could not do that I told him to send me somewhere else in that case. It's for sure a downside of trucking.
J Piol Well, that still may not work, and here's why... You are correct, you can draw a line through what you don't like, and write in what you do, and it is legal. The problem is, they don't have to accept it, and typically will not, especially if it's a big Corp... The employees can't do anything with the document (lack power to approve it), and will not release the freight. So, can you try it, sure... But as it's said, good luck with all that...
Contract Law.......use this method. "Box" the name in. Use the [ and ] be sure to print name in all caps. Example= [ JOHN TRUCKER ] In contact law a boxed name is basically void. Print your name exactly like your CDL. If you are bored waiting around on time or something,look that up. Really interesting reading and good time killer. Safe trucking drivers.
Definitely check the paystubs. May short ya 5/10 miles a deadhead or run, but that adds up at the end of the month. Ask for email milage statement, then compare.
Thanks for all the tips on your vids. The bigger the company in any industry it seems the worse off you'll be. I'll stick with my construction job like you say and try to find another side hustle between projects. Too many fee's and regulations in this industry.
The mileage scam sounds like what heartland express dose but here is another one from heartland express when you get hear a terminal in the zip code work for nothing
You can't, and never will Win at Trucking. Your playing Somebody else game, a stacked deck. All the rules are against the Drivers. Nothing in the industry favours the Drivers. I have been Victim of every single Company Scam You mentioned in this video. Often there is No recourse to lodge a complaint, and if You do, nothing is ever done about the money You were ripped off for.
Frank Reviews Yelp then the companies say up past three hours to get u unloaded but the lumpers will wait until right at 3 hours then take a pallet off at a time then you won't be getting detention pay. Why because they have up to 3 hours to start unloading you L.O.L.
as someone who loads/unloads trailers I like having the driver there to watch my work. that way it gets loaded the way the driver likes and I know a rollaway shouldn't happen.
Before de-regulation trucking was a great biz to be in, not so much anymore, Uncle Sam had to get in the independent truckers pockets so deep they had to give in or quit. That’s BS. Thanks for the info
To any new drivers starting in trucking-if they ever tell you in an interview/orientation " we put you on 30 days probation", tell them (the company), "thank you, because I am only giving you 2 weeks probation". Let them know from day one that they need you and you don't need them. Never love/like a company because they will never love you back. Always keep the back door open. Advice from 36 years OTR.
Excellent advice! A must read guys! Dave
@@SmartTrucking no, the you need me/i dont need you thing...wont and dont work....drivers are a dime a dozen, there is no driver shortage, its a PAY shortage, nothing more...so if you say you need me/i dont need you? lol..they will say ok bye..and grab the next one on the list
Sounds good but that can lead to someone losing the opportunity tho.
When confronted with the "you are an at will employee and can be terminated at any time, without notice for any or no reason" I respond "You are an at will employer. I can quit at any time without notice for any or no reason.". Usually the intetview was over. I have learned if that is used the first day you go to work, keep looking.
Wise words!
This is exactly why i ended up getting fired from work, they offer me a $5,000 bonus,500 at 30 days and the balance at 6 months,so 2 weeks before the 6 months dead line i was late to work(1st time ever)and the boss was waiting for me at the front door just to tell me:WE PARTING WAYS!
(I was ready for this)
I ended up approved for unemployment benefits(28 weeks at 667) and i also took them to court for the rest of MY "sign on bonus" that i had ON WRITTING(be smart,get this shit on paper) and guess what? They have a long record on firing drivers weeks before the dead line so I also ended up getting my $4,500 !!!
Just wanted to share the experience with u guys !
Good job driver! Dave
When I started driving in 92, the rule was that the bigger the sign on bonus, the worst the company was.
Got burned out being a RN so went and became a OTR driver for almost a year. Never thought I would be so excited to go back to nursing after being screwed by the company I started with
He 100% telling the truth..this why there a driver shortage
Gregory Bailey I continue to wonder why is there a shortage because usually economics of supply and demand will address that. However after listening to dozens of videos I think you are right the shortage is because of constant turnover due to conditions with no economic payoff as advertised.
This guy is exposing the real trucking industry, 💯💯💯💯💯💯
All the thumbs down were from the guilty carriers😂😂😂😂😂
I always told my company if they spent as much time looking for ways to build their customer base as they do figuring out ways to take money out of the driver's pocket, things would be better.
I got my revenge on Aarhus United in NJ. They made me sit there 4 days idling fast idle because their employees were incompetent. They refused to pay detention time for my own truck, that had to stay running the entire time there cause it was veggie oil in a tanker. I saw that they had a tank overflow and spilled palm oil into the storm sewer at the Port we was at. Turned them in, turned out they never had any permits for hazmat, and the oil was another violation. Cost them a couple million dollars in fines. Fuuu Aarhus.. screw me, I screw you.
Glad I'm paid by the hour and my work is construction hauling and its local.
Glad you mentioned about the companies cheating you: When you outsmart them, and beat them at their own game, suddenly your service is no longer needed.
This industry is cut throat.
Auto Chris no it's not really there are good company's and great company's find one that pays by the hour 18.00- 23.00 bucks and O.T paid and home everyday they are out there I'm driving for one as we speak and couldn't be happier making GREAT money and working with great equipment no bonus's no fuel issues just show up deliver the product and go home taking home between 1000.00 and 1150.00 a week every week made 72.000.00 for 2017
Auto Chris so we need to be cut throat too
Agreed!
americans are spoiled,,,,and in need of cheap labor people,,,,,otherwise the US Economy cant grow,even mr,trump hire easteuropeans that work hard for the$,,
@Thomas Pyles - 1150x52 is only 59,800 gross. 23/hr x 52 wks@40 hrs is only 47,840. You must have worked a lot of OT for 72K.
I 100% agree, I just quit Covenant, since they never paid what they offered me, on top, they had me pay for tolls, pad-locks, car rentals and other stuff, and never reimburse me for none of it, not to mention I only collected 2 checks for only 12% of what I was promised, so if anyone is considering Covenant, please run, run fast and far away from Covenant, they will rip you off heartless!!!
I got wacked for a lumper fee: $175. I went home for the week and turned my truck over to my co-driver. He was going to complete the run. I asked him if he new how to do the lumper check. All good.
I few weeks later, in a different truck, my wife called screaming about getting a $5 paycheck minus $175. I went balistic. I found out I was still responsible for the load delivery and lumper fees. It came right out of my pocket! It sucked! CR Englands policy is turn the lumper reciepts. My co driver never did that. Anyway, I can right it off on my taxes as a non reimbusred business expense. I was counting on that money to pay a bill. Because of this screw up, things turned into a nightmare. Now, I don't trust anyone for anything.
First all, if you were a company driver that's illegal! As an employee, financially, you're responsible for nothing! You should file a claim with your states labor commission!
I sued USA truck for 20 grand in 2010 for not paying Fed min wage for all on duty and driving time,. I won 50 grand. don't forget 1/4 of your time on the road is free labor for your company, fueling, dropping and hooking, pre and post trips, logging, fixing small crap, ECT ECT....me and my 2 million safe miles don't drive anything for mileage pay,. only hourly pay.
Good job! Dave
Not a trucker, but once several years ago while out on a rural service call (IT), the guy riding with me pointed out something about the trucking industry that has always stuck with me. He asked if I had ever noticed in the city the multitude of help wanted advertising signs by security, fast food, and discount retail firms. I said that I had, and that those firms need to always advertise for help because they treat their employees like crap. He then asked if I had ever noticed out on the road the multitude of help wanted advertising signs by trucking firms.
Hey there, I’m an old school driver myself with 30+ years experience. You used a term “shrinking the mileage “. Reminds me of the old Rand McNally house hold movers guide mileage calculator all the big carriers used. The biggest scam ever pulled on the truck driver routinely shorting the trips anywhere from 10-12 percent. I’m an advocate for abolishing the “pay by the mile” pay scale. Nothing compromises safety more then “pay by the mile”
Probably the most accurate description of how trucking companies shafts their drivers. Well done sir!
I had no idea that there were so many regulations in the trucking industry trying to choke out small trucking companies.
I've been trucking since 1993. I found myself applying recently and got a call from PTI (Paper Transport Inc).
I ask them to give me an actual mileage from a real run. While on the phone with the recruiter I check it with Google maps.
Turns out on that specific run PTI is shorting their drivers 30 miles. That's when the recruiter started tripping over her words.
She got another company rep on the phone and she fed me a line of shit about how that's the way they negotiate their contracts with their customers. She actually thought she covered that pile of shit up. Nope.
I went on with the recruiter just to dig a little deeper. I asked if I could get a Freightliner with an automatic that hasn't been smoked in. You could almost hear the record screech to a halt. She said she couldn't make any guarantees.
I asked "Can you at least get me into a truck that hasn't been smoked in?" Again she said "No guarantees."
That's when I blew up and pretty much started yelling at the recruiter about how they don't give a shit about the drivers.
I could hear her crumpling my application when she said "Maybe we shouldn't pursue this any further."
I said "That's probably a good idea." Click!!!!!!
Currently working with FedEx where they pay actual hub miles.
I'm home every day sleeping in my own bed.
I drive only at night when the crazies on the highway are at a minimum.
The DOT doesn't mess with FedEx drivers.
I make just as much as if I was OTR. If you factor in no OTR out of pocket expenses I actually make more.
Well played! Stay safe sir! Dave
Get with a good Trucking lawyer before you sign on with a company. Have your lawyer look over the contract. Have your lawyer advise you on how to keep records so that you can sue them later.
A lawyer in an advisory capacity is not expensive. Money only becomes an issue when they have to actively get involved in a lawsuit. If you have had one advising you all along, it'll be cheaper and easier when the lawsuit is filed, because they've been helping you set up what they need to win.
There are victims and there are volunteers.
Excellent submission! A MUST READ for everyone!
Got off the road 3 years ago and now I drive a recycling truck i know it a dz thay treat me like gold and I make more than i was on the road
No wonder they're having a problem attracting and retaining employees.
No kidding! Dave
You know, if I had a SHRED of evidence regarding the way the industry was, and is headed 19 months ago when I obtained my CDL, I honestly NEVER would of followed through. I did my research and I knew to stay away from the OTR megas, but what I failed to realize, is that the local outfits can be just as bad, or worse. I'm speaking specifically in regards to my area (Central Tx) and I've found one of the major scams around here, is local outfits paying percentage of the load. Whether it be flatbed, hopper bottoms, end dumps, you name it. Smaller fleets of 10 trucks or less and they all pay percentage. When you factor in the waiting time, etc you have to run multiple log books just to make a decent check, and the icing on the cake is when they say "we'll be paying you via 1099." Well of course you are, why wouldn't you put additional burden on me as a driver when it's so easy to do so.
I know that there are good companies out there whether it be local,regional or OTR, but unfortunately finding one of those "good" companies that wont run you into the ground and make you stick your neck out on the line daily, seems to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. I'm more geared towards local driving so I'll stick to that portion of the industry, and around here and withing 40 miles each direction, all you find is companies boasting in their ads about how great they are, and don't forget about the over abundance of exclamation points to really put a dramatic late night infomercial spin on it!!! When in reality, it's all the same song and dace. Makes me sick.
I've got a clean MVR, all of my endorsements, no criminal record, clean CSA etc, and I can't get a decent company to take a look at me because I don't quite have 2 years of experience on paper, (thanks insurance companies.) So I'm stuck weeding through the sketchy companies, trying to find the less of the evils so I can run and get my experience and pray to god I don't get popped for this or that, and ruin my chances at getting on with a reputable company once I have 24 months of experience.
Speaking of said trucking companies, every interview I've been to in the last 2 weeks seems to have an interesting trend. They either want you to look past the shitty equipment, of course because that's on you once you leave the yard, or they'll put you in decent equipment and expect you to run like a scalded dog and cook the books so much that at best you get a couple hours of sleep here, or there. Meanwhile they're paying you the bare minimum so that you HAVE to run with said issues in order to just break even, while they pull in money hand over fist, and somehow they think they're doing YOU a favor? Makes total sense. The real sad part, is there's guys like myself who have been forced to run like that becasue we HAVE to pay our bills and feed our families. But guess what? Mr. State Trooper, or DOT officer couldn't care less, you're just an irresponsible, law breaking trucker in their eyes. So what in the hell are you supposed to do? About all you can do, is say a prayer and hope for the best when you leave the yard everyday, especially in an area like mine where GOOD jobs are hard to come by, where they actually treat you with respect as a driver, as opposed to a laborer in a sweat shop.
That's just the way it is around here, and regardless of experience, the companies that have a good rep, have a line of qualified guys that forms a line around the block. You're damned if you do, and damned if you don't it seems. I've thought long and hard lately about getting out all together. I hate the way the industry is headed with the rules and regs, the shitty modern equipment, the list goes on. It just seems as if the industry as a whole is slanted AGAINST the driver, not to mention that at least 90% of the companies out there seem to not give a damn about you as the driver, but more so about what they can do to make the absolute maximum profit, while paying you peanuts. You threaten to quit, who cares? There's 15 applications sitting on the desk of guys that will take your place today, only to repeat the process. It's a revolving door at most companies, and there's a reason for that. I'll end my rant there but I had to vent somewhere, as my wife's tired of hearing it.
I understand your frustration, I drove 14yrs befor i quit in 2000, for a job with my city's transit athourity working in public transit {Montreal}.Great pay, Benefits, pension fund...everything you can wish for, BUT man i miss trucking so i went back into trucking part time from 2010 to 2016 working on one of my weekend days off usually Friday running night switches for a 9 hour round trip and even as a part time driver they found a way to piss me off so i quit again. Now im just doing the city transit gig. I miss trucking every day!!! I would like to return OTR when i retire in 8 years, by then i'll be 62yrs old and would like to do a semi retired gig for a few years .Trucking really gets in your blood but the industry as made it so that you can't make a life long carreer of it. I quit cause i was frustrated with everything that everyone else as called it quits for. It really pisses me off that i had to quit the job i really loved because i was fed up of the working conditions. I always wanted to be an O/O but when i saw how many guys were losing their shirts i was to afraid to invest myself. Could not stand for getting screwed and losing my business...I know how you feel, i feel the same...Take care.
Excellent rant! It's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" deal by the sounds of it down there. It's stuff like this that force good guys out of the industry. Percentage is such a scam. Dave
Common Sense I hear you loud and clear.
Very truthful, concise analysis of the industry.
I have almost 10 years in but it has been spotted with leaving for other work outside of the truck here and there but the truck always call you back bc of the simple mathematics of needing that consistency in pay 💰 no matter how bad you’re fighting with the company over pay they owe you.
Those Mfs man!
I flew out to Houston and obtained my NCCCO Rigging Certs.
Shopping that resume now.
Riggers in Tx start around $30 hour. Regardless, average Rigger is making what we make in the truck and with overtime more, plus their on schedule and sleep at night/workout at the gym in the evenings, etc.
Check into rigging. Your CDL is a plus with the Rigging certs.
Peace ✌🏾
Smart-Trucking.com Percentage is not a scam, however the scam part happens when they lie to you about how much the load really pays.
That was good and true , feel the same way brother. Thanks God bless.
Dude knows what he's talking about. Got CDL in 2002, seen a lot of what he said first hand. FYI to drivers, if you're on side of road for more than a couple minutes put out your triangles. I was broke down on side of interstate and another tractor-trailer hit me. I got sued even though 5 troopers and 1 DOT officer said I did nothing wrong. He destroyed his tractor, my trailer and load, damaged his load and my tractor and almost killed his passenger. He ran over my triangles and my lawyer said if I didn't have them out I could have been fault. If you drive a big truck no one is watching out for your best interests. Not cops, not your company, not your dispatch (who will lie about everything), not your customers, you are on your own. Be safe, be legal, trust no one...
WOW! If I knew half of this stuff, I may have never got into Trucking.
GuILty718 How many guys and gals would be Homeless if they got put off the company truck?
And I'm IN that situation Now. I'm quitting while ahead.
You should have met Me and I would have set You straight.
I’ve turned A lot of People away from trucking .
Don’t do it !
D. Richmond what other work can folks get in to, hard to get any job nowadays
James Nevitt I actually no some drivers that are
Prime been robbing truckers for years and everyday there is a new sucker
There is no such thing as a back-haul, another scam to give owner ops low freight rates. A broker once told me "Oh, you want a back-haul back to Alabama". I told her no-I want a good paying load going back that way. Just another scam in trucking to cheat drivers/owners.
'
It's a shell game
The other thing that trucking companies do is always keep a certain percentage of drivers in the (Top Performrers ) or ( The Elite Fleet )
These drivers are unknowingly get ting preferred treatment
They get the good paying runs and loads ,they usually get their breakdown pay,layover ,detention time pay and home time
This select group of drivers purpose it to promote the company propaganda and shield the company from potential lawsuits
and already positioned to rany efute claims by drivers saying they were mislead by recruiters or advertising
The companies can afford to give the select group of drivers top pay because they cheat the majority of drivers out of their pay
its a preemptive maneuver
I did P&D for a freight company for a few years and every time a shipper wanted me to sign by the pieces where I wasn’t able to count the actual pieces
I would sign it and right next to my signature SLC=shipper load and count
Or a lot of times they have me shrank wrapped skids and wanted me sign for actual pieces I would say no I’m not doing that.
I would sign X numbers of skids STC x numbers of pieces (Said to contain )
They steal because they can...….you work non-union and you work without a contract. the average driver at UPS makes 36.00 dollars an hour and they are teamsters...…...imagine that. You give way too much of your labor away for free. You have to be "on-duty" when fueling the truck and doing pre-trip inspections. Who pays you to fuel the truck? Break-down, road side inspections and detention. This is how they steal.
Driving a truck for cents per mile is a suckers game...…..Drive the northeast and you might be lucky to average 45 miles an hour, if you are lucky.
WOW!! Sounds like CR England, CRST, Werner, Prime, Swift and the other Mega carriers!!
William Carey the only thing that changes is the color of the trucks !
William Carey It is US Express
There are many shysters out there, that's for sure.
that's funny as you listed those names of company's... i know things about most of them... LOL.. and it's not good!
What about Schneider
Thanks very much for this informative video. No truck driving school for me..... Thanks again...
Im 19 and im just now starting to get my CLP... glad I saw this 🙏 never knew a company would treat its own people like that
I wentbto the US to drive trucks for a good honest company who recruited me and gave me the opportunity to know how different is driving there instead here in my country...
I had a work Visa,I had to pass all the CDL tests, social security and all that stuff and I really enjoyed the time there... thanks to all truckers that helped me on the way... 10-4 73
Been in trucking for 13 yrs now and from day one to this very day I have never signed a BOL with my real name. If I was not allowed on the count I always asked who the guy was that loaded the trl and then signed his name or the shipping clerks name. Hell I've even used the name of who ever owned the company I was working for at the time I've even used past and the current president's name. CYA cuz your company damn sure ain't
All they gotta do is look at the trl. Number, see who pulled that load and bingo, they got u
Could u please explain more..
And what's a BOL?
Good on you. Great upload.. after 30yrs of driving heavy vehicles in Australia and new Zealand, I've learnt to not believe a single word my employers tell me lol..
So much BS in the industry now. Working my way out of it.
We been going through drivers here in Perth.
You got that right. My last job I was offered a $2,500.00 "sign on" bonus. Pay out was $500.00 every 3 months. They paid me "short miles". About 100 miles a week SHORT @ .53cpm.= $50.00 a week. So,where did the $500.00 quarterly bonus come from? From the mileage they stole. I have since quit. In the future I will sign the freight bills Don Corleone.
Thanks for the valuable information on carrier scams.
Here I was thinking that the bigger carriers were the more professional with the best paid drivers. Boy was I wrong ! I'll stick with the small guys and help them grow instead.
Your videos are blessing.
Thanks a bunch !
Thank you Antonio! Dave
Werner shorts miles pay by 5 to 10 percent per trip. When I complained about it, I was told that it's ok for them to do it because all the other big companies do it too.
What a great answer! It does prove however just what I've been saying! The mega carriers are screwing their drivers out of $$$! Dave
When I had to pick up drop and hook trailers at a shippers facility I would write on the BOL diagonally in big block letters above the signature line- SHIPPERS COUNT/SHIPPER SECURED. Most of the time I had no problems with the clerks. One time I got into a knock down dragged out argument with so called know it all who told me I could not do that. The argument ended when he told me his job was about covering his ass! I said SAME HERE!
I drove for 39 years for UPS. There was big money in Trucking in the 70s . Everything went to shit with deregulation
Paul Grimm got right!..non union companies screwed it up by undercutting union pay
Dave that shirt is TOTALLY your style haha!
I believe all of what you say in your videos and you know what?
I'm still probably going to become a trucker.
What you're describing can be applied to most American industries and occupations today ANYWAYS. Us oldtimers know it wasn't always that way but it is what it is in 2018.
As a healthy 57-year old with my bad habits behind me, as someone who drove taxis in NYC and surrounding areas for years and experienced all the different employer scams, a man who has no family no roots and just a cat to call family I am ready to call the road my home. My 'cowboy' days are over and my attitude is one of gratitude for the simple things in life. I still want to take pride in my work.
Your channel and a couple others are a GODSEND, you sir are doing a great service passing on your knowledge so please keep 'em coming and some day I hope to see YOU on the back haul!
Rico, if you drove cab in NYC for a living, getting out on the big road will be like going to heaven for you! Enjoy! Dave
TRUTH: Two guys go too 8week/2months Trucking school, got $70k 1st year after job hunting, 3 weeks school then job..$50-60k first year and a bonus...overtime....THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO SIR!!! You are a Hero!
I saw one carrier that advertised a 10k sign on bonus and 100% no touch freight. As it turned out, the sign on bonus turned into a safety bonus and 100% no touch freight turned into you the driver unloads and loads your truck for free.
Preach!!! Very well said!! Me and my mentor have gotten close over my first year (which I drove over 100K miles) and we were talking about the same, exact things! I love talking about how shady this industry is.. because as long as they have documentation, it's all a mind game! You're speaking the truth!
Too Funny, and too real. On my anniversary with a big carrier they slowed my miles down so I didn't get my pay increase. They told me freight was slow. It sped right back up after my anniversary which meant I never got my pay increase. Sad
Never ever do any more work than what was discussed during your interview! If they promised you certain lanes or runs, then a week after you’re hired they ask you to help them out by doing an “extra run” or doing a “different run” than your normal route, don’t do it. They will gradually start taking advantage of you to help more and more then next hung you know you’re not doing anything that resembles what you thought you were hired to do. Stand your ground. Don’t do It. You took that job based on what that recruiter/manager told you your duties would be. Nothing more. Nothing less.
How about when they promise regular raises and all of a sudden, after your raise, you're only getting 1200 miles a week.
Yup, there's another one of those dirty tricks! Dave
I had to quit a company for all of the reasons mentioned here. One example was dispatch told me to wait a day for a load they were giving to me. 2 days later one of the dispatch finally gives me the paperwork to proceed with the load. The head dispatcher finds me just before I leave and takes the paperwork away from me explaining he had promised his friend this load. I complained to the owner. His reply was dispatch was God and not to question God. The load he took away was a 4500 mile round trip with hazmat pay. I ended up pulling a 350 mile load that day. I commented about this on another TH-cam page and someone said I was an ass for complaining and that I was trying to change how a company operates for my own purpose. It shows the poor attitude out there for drivers.
My driving record started in 1987 and have logged over 2 million miles accident free going on three. I've also never been late by own fault for any delivery. I have scored a few times in the company top fuel economy as well.
The example above was only one of an endless array of excuses for short tripping drivers there while their friends got the long miles. It didn't matter how good you were, it mattered who you knew there.
I was not expecting you to tell the truth but you are right on. Any new drivers better listen to this guy! Shortage of drivers, no, shortage of drivers not working for nothing. priceless
I signed on with Central trucking co. CTI out of kingman az. as a casual driver " the big thing any more ",,,, they run drivers on regional runs out 3 day runs , and back ..out of all terminals , it works for me being a semi retired ( and on disability to pad my income ) but what they dont tell you is they limit the mileage east of kingman to glenrio tx. to .32 CPM ....but pay runs to cail . 43...yeah another scam ...yeah there all the same ...after 35 yrs out there im used to them all ...but this works for me ...on one week off one week ....!
keep up the good work dave ... !
We have a carrier in my area that I worked for fresh out of school. The agreement was 775 a week, regardless of what you run. If you set, you get paid. What you quickly find out is that the 775 base pay is subject to a "safety" goal. There are 7 area's of safe driving that determines what your pay is. Hard braking, late to shipper, 70 mph top speed, computer work (logging your arrive time, wait time leave time etc) idle time, camera incident (swerving etc to cause the camera to come on) and one other one that I can't remember.
So, in order to get the 775 you had to hit 5 out of 7. If you hard brake on Monday, you better watch out the rest of the week. Winter always got me. I idled my way out of hundreds of dollars that winter trying to stay warm.
Pimping ain’t easy!
Cyberat Rodent That's why most trucking companies pray on the desperate and penniless.
I don't know if anyone else is noticed this but in my truck my temperature sensor will be at 21°, but the real temperature outside will be like 15°I remember specifically one time it was 12° outside and guess what my truck was reading 21°. I found ways around this but I still feel like this is a pretty dirty trick they pull.
He's correct, *never sign* those bills without "SLC" or "Shipper Load and Count" somewhere on the BOL
If you have to call claims, that's the first thing they'll ask.
It's bullshit in this day and age that there's no board a driver can go to about being cheated out of money.
Especially with all the mileage they steal.
I think it's a damn shame that I have to get it back by burning their diesel 24/7 so that I can get at least some of it back through fueling points.
"no board?" there are plenty of labour lawyers in my yellow pages.
I been in it for 20 years and I just found out that they get extra on weekends
24yrs what's a weekend?
Back in 2008 i went to work for a company that promised me a 5000 dollar sign on bonus paid out over 1 year, and to the credit of US Foods, they did exactly that. My sign on bonus had nothing to do with performance. Now i believe Sygma and Mcclane are both offering 10,000 dollars over 3 yrs.
I spent 35 years of my life as a long haul trucker, and a few more years before that as am army trucker. The biggest scam of them all is the "lease purchase" scam. They tease a driver with the idea that he might become an owner operator (never happen) or he might make more money than a company driver (not true). I bought my own truck in 1990. I can tell you a few scams that companys who only hire owner ops are guilty of,starting with landstar ranger. The best job I ever had as an owner op was being leased to forward air for 12 years. I dont miss trucking (im retired now) but I miss forward air. I loved working for them. I hope I dont sound like a commercial.
I always used to say, "trucking companies make more money scamming drivers than their freight charge." I used to run into small companies with really nice trucks, cut to 200hp and impossible schedules. 6am monday in Lodi, Nj then 7am in Hartford, Ct, and no tolls are authorized, with $10 late penalty for ever hour late. The scams are endless. Glad you brought it up. Pablo Escobar is jealous of what companies get away with.
It was Lodi, Nj to Bridgeport, Ct.
I was so lucky to have worked for a small company with 15 rigs, I drove great equiptment and earned excellent pay. my boss was a born again christian.
I ran a dedicated customer for a mega carrier ...mostly drop hooks and the customer paid the deadhead back...so our bosses figured they would send us out of route to get loaded with any freight they could find on our return trips and bill the customer as if we were empty...basically getting free freight because we (drivers) were paid by the day not the mile or load.
Chris Helgerson a well known Haulage company here in the UK took over the transport needs of one of the large super markets(we will do it cheaper than having your own staff) they told the drivers that they they still had jobs if they wanted ,but would work for them and as they wete shutting down one depo they would have to travel an hour to another for Less money and longer hours, needless to say they all left. They also thought that they could get a free.back load but were in for a suprize as they had back loads from the super market. All the recycling. .LOL..
Its nice to see someone making videos that actually knows what hes talking about
Yep. Know what to look for and ask. There's been a few times I caught the mileage being short before, luckily before payday. They tried passing it off as every other thing other then them short changing the miles, but, they did work in the the missing miles.
They have always used map miles. They are 10% light. I told one dispatcher that from Mpls to Chicago is not 396 miles and if he thought it was he could ride with me and get out at 396 miles and walk the rest of the way. Then he would know it is over 400
You had me laughing........Walmart is infamous for that practice of piece count. I am glad you put this out here for these steering wheel holders.
Trucking is sweatshop on wheels. Got hosed by Werner, never got the student loan reimbursement.
I got out of trucking and joined the Canadian Army 3 years ago. Best move I've ever made.
Armyguy864 , out of the pan and into oncoming fire ? Yikes !
Sign on bonuses come with a contract, binding you with the company for a certain amount of time. Or until you pay back the "sign on bonus".
Dave!! it's so damn aggravating..... My biggest point of frustration is why so many of us put up with it!!!! I've spoken with hundreds of people from all areas of employment and no one else has to put up with this bullshit! Why do we?!?!?!?
Steven Andrews Because there’s always somebody who is willing to put up with it
That's a darn good question. I know I don't. I think some guys though, are afraid of losing their jobs, and if they've got a family to support I can understand that to a certain extent . I found however that some carriers would just try to see how much abuse you were willing to put up with and if you planted your feet and told them " hey, that's not right" they were more inclined to pay you and then leave you alone. It was like being bullied when you were a kid. If you stood up and punched them in the nose they didn't bully you anymore. But no work place should be like that! Dave
When I first got into trucking a few years back, an old veteran of this game told me this..."trouble with this industry is that we don't utilize the power we all collectively have. If you were to put two truckers in a room with two prostitutes at no charge, the truckers would still screw each other". Whether it's an idiot o/o with no business sense under cutting the next guy or a driver unwilling to stand up for decent employment practices, we all are taking in on the chin and in the pocket book because too many of us won't stand united! How long have we been spouting off about how vital a role we play in our nation's economy but we collectively do squat!!!!!
Steven Andrews to many pussies in the industry nobbody wants to stand up for anything thats,why dot gets away with the Bullshit they do
Cyberat Rodent And probley black balled.
That's why I am glad I work for a decent company. Still some hick ups but not that bad. I am also paid hourly but I am a p&d driver. LTL is the way to go.
Man thanks for all this clear concise information 100% truth ... Xsigned
Seems like a truthful channel finally.
I hope many folks see this video. Glad someone is telling the truth.
I've seen most of these over the years. I found myself needing a new job for two years before i retired. I ended up driving for Schneider National on a dedicated account. 5000 sign on bonus which took a year to collect, paid quarterly if i remember correctly, but i did get it all. I had good people to work with on that account. Now i had roughly 40 years experience before i started and wasn't exactly new to the trucking world. I'm not sure the guys that do the wander around the country thing are treated very well though. I heard lots of stories about not getting miles. Pay was average but accurate. I was there 28 months and made them money every week. We parted on good terms which was a nice way to retire at 65.
Glad to hear you got your full bonus! Enjoy retirement!!
Awesome video, 100% truth. My company charges $225/hr delay time and only pays the driver $16 of it and we have to give up the first hour and a half.
Werner Enterprises promised me $1200 per week and a $200 sign on bonus. I never got it.
Never hear much good about Werner anymore. Dave
Yea, was told I will be making that when I got with Dollar Tree... I should've asked is that net or gross? Half of the deliveries I wish I could've demanded more money like one unloading an entire trailer for one store.... The store wasn't new. I changed accounts and they got rid of the sign on bonus now for that account. Although, never go to Midwest Regional. It's ALL swap loads, with little baby miles.
Trainfan1055 what did you get?
Worked for Werner for 2.5 years. They promised sign on bonus, fuel bonuses, safety bonuses. Never saw any of it. I was brand new to trucking, thought it was me. Tried hard to cut fuel use, used multiple sleeping bags and blankets. No jackrabbit starts. Never had a ticket or accident. No fuel, no safety or sign on bonuses. I did get Employee of the month twice on the account I was on. Came with a piece of paper and $25. If you were on the road during christmas and thanksgiving and you submitted the receipt, they'd give you $10 towards dinner.
I was on a dedicated account delivering to retail stores. We got paid for unloading, $15 per stop. I had to keep very detailed records of everything I did, because every paycheck I'd have to submit "corrections" for my pay. They would leave out a stop or two almost every week. It was routine. So every week you'd spend an hour going over your pay stub and comparing it to your records. New drivers learned fast to keep track or they'll gyp you. Though in those two years I noticed that those "errors" were always in their favor. They never accidentally paid you for one too many stops. Had to watch them like a hawk.
Werner was awful. Made more money working part time in a warehouse.
I've never had a problem signing bills then being held responsible for the count. "Seal intact" usually takes care of it.
deceit , deception , lying and denighing. thats the majority of trucking.
Guys I drove 23 years as an owner operator and company driver. This guy is telling you the truth. This is what I learned and how to work this in my favor. Always sign above your name " without prejudice " always. The bill of lading is a negotiable instrument. Your signature validates the instrument and the product listed is the substance that backs the instrument. By putting that phrase above your name your indicating that you reserve all your rights due you by your sovereignty. Never sign for something you've never seen. Your responsible for the contents inside that trailer. Note that on the bills of lading and your logbook. Work smart. Sitting at the dock all day ? Know your company's policies on waiting times and document your times by check calls and logbook and sweet talk the shipper if you can by noting your dock times in and out. Forget the bonus their never worth the hassle. Pick up a load and then call the shipper and see if you can unload earlier. Communication between you and you dispatcher can go miles especially if they know your unloading early and you have hours to run. Work according to your available hours. You might stretch a load with time off at the house in order to reset your hours. Work smart, think things out so you win as much as possible. Good luck !
Good advice popsxbox! Thanks for writing in! Dave
You didn't say anything about rubber pay check
I've gotten many of those! lol You have to file with your state's labor commission when this happens.
Most drivers that do well have a spouse that have a good job to supplement their income
I never worked on pay based on miles. Screw those companies.
Good tips thanks. My brother got scammed by some 'drive to own' company where they take most of the driver's pay as 'payments' toward owning the truck, then after some period of time, or if the drivers starts to catch on, they claim you're not paying the truck off fast enough, you have a large balance due, etc, so we have to 'terminate your agreement'.
I NEVER knew so much about the trucking industry that I'm in until you've educated me!! Please continue your Awesome videos!!! P.S. Please go into further detail about the Pilot Flying J scam. Thanks!
Thank you sir! Dave
This man is telling the absolute truth!!!
This dude is Awesome 💪🏾 and I really appreciate your willingness to help us new truck drivers. Thank you very much Bro👌🏾
Check out our new membership channel with more tips for the new guys! Dave
Absolutely correct my current company does every single one of these dirty tricks im giving my self a shot and start flatbedding hopefully goes better lord knows im sick of BS companies
This is the first time I have seen this site. I drove for CR England years' ago. I had never before experienced a company that talked out of several sides of it's mouth, and CR England was considered to be one the the better ones. Thanks for the memories you bring. LOL.
My pleasure! You know, at one time CR England was one of the best to work for. Apparently, that is no longer true today. Take care Darrell. Dave
Currently working with cr england what's my option??
This is why the trucking companies pay big money to keep the federal government out of trucking when it comes to pay and or restructuring pay from mileage to hourly 😡
And this is why people join unions. Because as an individual you get screwed but as a Union member like a teamster for example you get better pay and better benefits.
This was rare 25 - 30 years ago it happened but not as a large scale as it is happening today.
As profit margins narrowed, as compitation became vast, companies cut back on many things,
Now the idea is to go after the trucker for profit as opposed to the vendor .
Less resistance and a larger accessible replaceable pool,
its harder for them to get a new vendor, / client, than to get a new trucker.
It's true!
I'm neither a truck driver nor an attorney, but I'm not too sure that "signing" a document with a frivolous name will get you off the hook. You did sign it, after all. It isn't well known, but when presented with a document to sign, you can cross off anything you don't agree with, and add in your own statements before signing. You could put a single line through the "piece count", and write in somewhere "I was not given the opportunity to do a piece count." Make sure you get a copy with the changes you made.
I always write a small note if it's impossible to check the piece count or I'm unable to see the load!
Just don't sign it
In that situation I always used to print "shippers load and count" which absolved me of any responsibility for shortages. Before long they caught on and refused to let me do that. For a while I just added the letters, S.L.C. and if they didn't notice it I was in the clear. Eventually when dispatch told me I could not do that I told him to send me somewhere else in that case. It's for sure a downside of trucking.
J Piol Well, that still may not work, and here's why... You are correct, you can draw a line through what you don't like, and write in what you do, and it is legal. The problem is, they don't have to accept it, and typically will not, especially if it's a big Corp... The employees can't do anything with the document (lack power to approve it), and will not release the freight. So, can you try it, sure... But as it's said, good luck with all that...
Contract Law.......use this method. "Box" the name in.
Use the [ and ] be sure to print name in all caps. Example= [ JOHN TRUCKER ]
In contact law a boxed name is basically void. Print your name exactly like your CDL.
If you are bored waiting around on time or something,look that up. Really interesting reading and good time killer. Safe trucking drivers.
Definitely check the paystubs. May short ya 5/10 miles a deadhead or run, but that adds up at the end of the month. Ask for email milage statement, then compare.
It Does all add up!
Thanks for all the tips on your vids. The bigger the company in any industry it seems the worse off you'll be. I'll stick with my construction job like you say and try to find another side hustle between projects. Too many fee's and regulations in this industry.
The mileage scam sounds like what heartland express dose but here is another one from heartland express when you get hear a terminal in the zip code work for nothing
You can't, and never will Win at Trucking. Your playing Somebody else game, a stacked deck. All the rules are against the Drivers. Nothing in the industry favours the Drivers. I have been Victim of every single Company Scam You mentioned in this video. Often there is No recourse to lodge a complaint, and if You do, nothing is ever done about the money You were ripped off for.
Drew Baird Yelp
Unfortunately, that applies to most jobs.
Drew Baird and the warehouses usually treat you like crap too. Slow and lazy lumpers and when you start off you can get a really bad dispatcher too
Frank Reviews Yelp then the companies say up past three hours to get u unloaded but the lumpers will wait until right at 3 hours then take a pallet off at a time then you won't be getting detention pay. Why because they have up to 3 hours to start unloading you L.O.L.
as someone who loads/unloads trailers I like having the driver there to watch my work. that way it gets loaded the way the driver likes and I know a rollaway shouldn't happen.
I work for yrc freight I love it paid every mile every delay paid by the hour I won’t work anywhere else
Steal from drivers turn around and give it to lobbyists and political contributions.
Before de-regulation trucking was a great biz to be in, not so much anymore, Uncle Sam had to get in the independent truckers pockets so deep they had to give in or quit. That’s BS. Thanks for the info