How far for local job

[bigdaddyjollyrob]

I got the Job! Its 35-45 min away and I'm beyond excited Thanks for all of your input.
For those who would rather work for cpm or less your welcome to it. I am pay for a days work that I earn. It cost money to get your cdl,endorsements and maintain the cdl. I prefer to know what I'm getting paid not hope i get enough miles to make a decent check that week. I have no problem with OTR was going to do it and may one day but for now I'm an hourly, I mean Daily paid truck driver. Thanks

[Mackman]

I got the Job! Its 35-45 min away and I'm beyond excited Thanks for all of your input.
For those who would rather work for cpm or less your welcome to it. I am pay for a days work that I earn. It cost money to get your cdl,endorsements and maintain the cdl. I prefer to know what I'm getting paid not hope i get enough miles to make a decent check that week. I have no problem with OTR was going to do it and may one day but for now I'm an hourly, I mean Daily paid truck driver. Thanks

Thats the only way to truck. These BBR OTR guys will never understand it. Good Luck to you.

[TomB985]

It's not that OTR drivers won't understand it, it's a pretty easy concept:

Get paid for the hours you work.

All I was saying was that OTR carriers can't afford to do that, that's just not what the business is. Anyone that tries will be driven out of business...and to mandate that for every OTR driver would drive the economy under.

Dont' get me wrong...a well paying hourly job sounds GREAT....but there will NEVER be many of them...us OTR guys will always be necessary, and paid by the mile.

whatever you do, do NOT INSULT THE REST OF US by claiming we are too ignorant or stupid to understand why people like hourly jobs... :evil:

[bigdaddyjollyrob]

TomB985, SAID do NOT INSULT THE REST OF US by claiming we are too ignorant or stupid to understand why people like hourly jobs... :evil:[/quote]

TomB985
I WOULD NEVER INSULT ANY OTR DRIVER,I WAS GOING TO BE ONE AND I HAVE FAMILY THAT DOES/LOVE OTR. ONE DAY I STILL MIGHT DO OTR. BEST OF LUCK TO ALL DRIVERS OTR AND LOCAL. THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP.

[Mackman]

It's not that OTR drivers won't understand it, it's a pretty easy concept:

Get paid for the hours you work.

All I was saying was that OTR carriers can't afford to do that, that's just not what the business is. Anyone that tries will be driven out of business...and to mandate that for every OTR driver would drive the economy under.

Dont' get me wrong...a well paying hourly job sounds GREAT....but there will NEVER be many of them...us OTR guys will always be necessary, and paid by the mile.

whatever you do, do NOT INSULT THE REST OF US by claiming we are too ignorant or stupid to understand why people like hourly jobs... :evil:

I was not tryin to insult you sorry if you took it that way.

I just dont understand why anyone will run for 35-40cents a mile and wait at docks for free and sit at truck stops for a day or two waiting on loads and not get paid nothing(maybe a cheap azz layover pay).

I always wanted to go OTR myself. But once i added it all up it is not worth it in my eyes. Too much free time you are giving out.

[Mackman]

i agree with lebron james, go on the clock. ot after 8 and 40. he is an f'ing genius. i think he should be head of the DOT he is so smart. he could really change things in this industry, right on brother. lets all get on the clock so all the lazy basturds can milk the clock and get overtime they do not actually earn, and then that way the companies will be justified when the can all of us and give our jobs to mexicans. hell it worked for the autoworkers. they kept getting more and more for less and less work and now they are living the gravy train sitting on the porch while some guy in mexico does their job for...as you put it...slave wages. lebron james...you are a god damn genius. keep up the good work!!!

This is the stuff that gets me worked up. Saying we dont earn are OT. I earn everybit of it. Cuz you dont get OT dont be mad at the ones who do. When we are sitting in traffic together guess who will have the smile on there face LOL. Keep on truckin.

[TomB985]

I was not tryin to insult you sorry if you took it that way.

I just dont understand why anyone will run for 35-40cents a mile and wait at docks for free and sit at truck stops for a day or two waiting on loads and not get paid nothing(maybe a cheap azz layover pay).

I always wanted to go OTR myself. But once i added it all up it is not worth it in my eyes. Too much free time you are giving out.

I understand what you're saying...but I don't agree with the idea that all of the OTR carriers are screwing their drivers...if that were the case...nobody would drive their trucks!

I like to look at the other side of things...I bring everything with me that I want on the road, and my truck is my home out there...so when waiting at a dock, waiting on a load, or otherwise...I can do whatever I want...such as read, get on the internet, listen to music, talk with my wife...definitely NOT work stuff! I don't mind not being paid for that, as long as I get paid well for what work I do...i.e. driving!

That was always my beef with CFM...he had the attitude that anybody driving OTR was a sucker who was being taken advantage of by his company...but what he didn't seem to understand is that most of us are out here because we WANT to be here...I'm very happy with my job, mainly for the reasons you wouldn't like it...but that doesn't mean it sucks!

BTW...I do NOT get paid by the mile, either...... 8)

I understand what you're saying...but I don't agree with the idea that all of the OTR carriers are screwing their drivers...if that were the case...nobody would drive their trucks!

How do you figure driving 1000 miles but getting paid for only 900 not getting screwed? Or sitting in traffic for zilch? Or waiting hours for a load to come across the qualcomm? Etc, etc, etc...

One flaw in your argument is turnover rates...average OTR fleet churn is around 120%. Which means that on average, an entire outfit's fleet is replaced 1.2 times per year. So yes, people are quitting in droves at these companies...but they are quickly replaced by a new crop of tax-funded greenhorns churned out at 2-week schools. And earning entry-level wages.

I like to look at the other side of things...I bring everything with me that I want on the road, and my truck is my home out there...so when waiting at a dock, waiting on a load, or otherwise...I can do whatever I want...such as read, get on the internet, listen to music, talk with my wife...definitely NOT work stuff! I don't mind not being paid for that, as long as I get paid well for what work I do...i.e. driving!

A truck is not a home - it's a work vehicle used to generate profits for the company. When you are shackled to said work vehicle 24/7 in OTR, you give up a lot of freedoms...such as getting laid, going to the ballgame, time spent with friends/family, etc. That may be OK if you're a loner, kook, highplains drifter, etc...but not acceptable if you are like most people who yearn for a normal social life outside of and away from the truck. And let's not forget that you the driver are 100% responsible for the truck, trailer, and load at all times...even when you're "off-duty".

Bottom line is that the driver should be fairly compensated for all time spent in the truck away from home (absent meal breaks, etc).

[TomB985]

Heh...I knew I'd hear something about this...

So...since when did any OTR carriers try and claim to new recruits that they wouldn't be living out of their truck, responsible for their equipment, and paid by book miles? Who's trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes?

not acceptable if you are like most people who yearn for a normal social life outside of and away from the truck."

Um...who the hell thinks they can have a "normal social life" outside and away from the truck when you are living out of it? Kinda hard, in my opinion. Even worse...who in their RIGHT MIND thinks they can pull this off? IMHO, very few new OTR drivers have such grand ideas. Most getting into it know EXACTLY what it's about, and find that acceptable. Still a hose job?

Those book miles the driver gets paid by are the same book miles the customer gets charged by. If the company pays hub miles, obviously they are going to charge more miles to the customer, at a cheaper rate to compensate...meaning the driver will make less per mile, but more miles = same paycheck.

Hell...if the OTR freight rates would support paying drivers better than they already are...don't you think they would to keep a stable set of drivers?

I tell you what... my company has almost 2,000 trucks, and resembles these big, evil corporate machines you like to bitch about. I see the president of the company around the yard a lot...and he does not drive an exotic car, or live in a multi-million dollar mansion. Where does the money go?

I'm 22 years old, making nearly $60k this year...which I find to be pretty good. I KNEW what I was getting into, and I ENJOY my job...

People like you are one of the reasons I got out of the army...bitching about anything and everything for the sake of bitching...always complaining about how bad you got screwed....give me a break! :evil:

what makes people think that everyone that is not home everyday works for peanuts or for free. mack man...rockhauler, they do not make much in my opinion but it may be plenty for you. that is not for me to judge, so why do you guys judge everyone else based on what you THINK they make. more to life than money. where do you work again CFM? thats right, big secret. and by the way traffic jams and such is part of the job...i am happy that you make hourly rate for doing it, but i am always smiling and always happy. and i can guarantee i have more fun sitting still then you guys do...i got a bigger radio, lol.

[Justruckin]

I stroll out into my driveway, and I am at work. And in my book, that is to far to walk!

But I ain't found nothing better.

Where else can a guy pull in $3-10 grand a week "CLEAR" for holding a steering wheel?

Mike...

the flatbedder, the least miles for the most dollars. And you do what you say you will do. This ain't rocket science. And there is still mucho dollars to be made out here if you know where to look. Fuel or no fuel$$

[sbatson]

I am just getting into this business and you have to deal with crap ANYWHERE you work, driving a truck or working at Autozone and thats part of life and hell no you dont get paid for setting in traffic jams thats part of it. And like was said also when you are waiting for a load a shipper of course you are not getting paid, just read talk to the wife etc... and what I have learned going into this have a postive attuide and if its for you you will like it and might move on looking for the Greener side but soon find out its like that everywhere, you either like the open road or rather be home everyday just depends.Plus driving a truck (even for a company) you are kinda of working for self in a way and even if you did work for self say doing remolding you are still working for you self but not really because you still work for the customer to make them happy, if that makes since.

[Mackman]

mack man...rockhauler, they do not make much in my opinion but it may be plenty for you.

I am not saying we are the highest paid drivers out there. But i just got paid. worked 43.5hrs and grossed $814.50 bucks and thats only for 43.5 hours. I get 18/hr OT after 40. I know the hourly rate is not the highest but i am just happy i get an hourly rate. Plus 100% Free BC/BS.

The busy time is coming up when i work 50-55hrs a week. On a 50hr week i will gross 990.00 bucks. Thats almost as much as some of you OTR guys that have to put in 70-80 hrs. Im doing that in 50. Thats where i think i make out better. Plus im home everyday by 4-5pm. Saturday and Sunday i am off. If i do work a saturday it is all OT at 27/hr so thats a big plus when i can get it.

[sbatson]

I agree thats not bad.

[BigAtrukn]

I drive 30 minutes to work every morning, but istart at 2am so theres no traffic.

[Kranky]

The closer, the better.

My previous residence was 7 miles from work.

I moved to a new place about a month ago and now I'm 3 miles away.

If I don't drive my old mini van anywhere else but to and from work, a tank of gas lasts about a month. 8)

[TomB985]

Mackman,

You do have a great job there, I can't argue that...maybe at some point I can work into that kind of job...but who knows...I'm plenty happy doing what i'm doing...but my wife's not!

I just don't like how people like to look down on us OTR guys...I happen to like OTR and I'm very pleased with how much I'm making, for what i'm doing...

Oh well...you drive your truck, I'll drive mine....all is well

[Mackman]

Mackman,

You do have a great job there, I can't argue that...maybe at some point I can work into that kind of job...but who knows...I'm plenty happy doing what i'm doing...but my wife's not!

I just don't like how people like to look down on us OTR guys...I happen to like OTR and I'm very pleased with how much I'm making, for what i'm doing...

Oh well...you drive your truck, I'll drive mine....all is well

Thats really all that matters as long as your happy. I live about 25mins south of Philly so good local jobs are everywhere. Alot of them are also Union but cant get into a union job to save the life of me. But i will keep on tryin.

[bigdaddyjollyrob]

Thanks everyone for all of your help.