Truck Driving Jobs

feederfred · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 281 Location: Nevada

You are getting totally HOSED. Calculate miles driven, time spent loading/unloading, divide by $700 (BTW gross or net ?). Using rough figures I doubt you are close to .25 cpm. Quit now or face getting used even more. What happened to the FIVE trucks this clown owned ?? BOL

Chasing Daylight · Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 131 Location: SE Arizona

Did you get full percentage rate on this trip, or training rate? Maybe half rate as you had a second driver? By my math you rolled 5700 miles for 7 bills, that works out to .12 a mile, which is garbage even as a team rate. On top of which your California to Dallas route was two picks, two drops... sounds a lot like a double booked trailer which should pay primo on percentage.

If your rate was so low because it was a training rate, then thats one thing, but if this is how it is get out quick. The hard fast truth is, your gonna be out there pushing the limts every day, putting yourself at risk. You'll be constantly monkeying the comic books, dodging chicken coops and crossing your fingers every time you see a DOT man. You'll be living on Red Bull and Goodys headache powder. It's a grind to sat the least. Many would say you shouldn't do it at all, because you are dragging down the industry. At the very least, if your gonna play this game you better get paid and paid well. It's not worth the risk and the impact on your health if your making no more than you could working for a mega fleet running 400 miles a day.

sbatson · Joined: 25 Jan 2008 Posts: 237 Location: Texas

Well I was with someone but just to see if I could drive, in which I suppose to come back to the house and get my stuff and be turned loose but you see how that went and basicly in the first week I lived off that stuff already and they told me basicly all they do is screw there logs everyday, well almost, and 34 reset what is that? To them nothing!! $700 was gross ( no taxes 1099). And five trucks who knows. And I see it this way I have been lied to 3 times in a week, Home Monday LIE!!!! Home for half day Sunday and Monday LIE!!!!!!! Told they dont lie on logs before I started LIE!!!!! This guy told me he buys a year supply of loose leaf logs and goes through them in 4 months! One idea how it went, we stopped before Anniston,Al woke up at 6 am, dropped, loaded, waited for money to hit fuel card and I pulled out at 7 pm and drove to Gulfport,Ms I was burned and when we came back from Ca woke up at 8 am drove half the way slept 4 hours drove from Anthony,Tx to Dallas, tx arived at like1 pm and it startes all over again at 4 am 2 morrow.

sbatson · Joined: 25 Jan 2008 Posts: 237 Location: Texas

Well I dont think I have got paid for the Riverside to dallas yet.

Chasing Daylight · Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 131 Location: SE Arizona

If you're going to keep doing this then you need to keep a detailed load log. Know what the load is paying up front, then figure your percentage. Keep close track of it and make sure you get paid for it. Keep close track of when you turn your paperwork in so you know what week the payment will come through. And be forewarned, you could very well have paycheck problems. If you had no money on your fuelcard, that tells me the owner is loading the fuel card with load advances from brokers. Basically he is on a shoestring, living load to load. In that situation, if one broker stiffs him on a load it could leave you stranded with no fuel money, or cause a big delay in your paycheck. Also, if he allows a certain amount for cash advances without penalty, always, always, always take 100% of your allowed advance. That way, if the paycheck don't arrive on time, at least you'll have something of whats owed to you.

BTW, of course he lied when he said he ran legal. No one ever admits to being an outlaw, not until they feel you out and know they can trust you with that knowledge.

LeBron James · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:48 pm Post subject:

Seen cutrate outfits like these come and go. I dunno, but you've gotta have a few screws loose to run hot like that for $700/week. What are you hauling? Sounds like produce and/or Cheap and Heavy Robinson double-brokered loads. Those'll burn you out in short order my friend. And yes, I'm speaking from experience in that regard.

I don't let anybody force me into doing anything illegal anymore. My outfit knows where I draw the line and they don't give me any flak. I've been DOT'ed lots of times and my logs always pass muster. Never been red-tagged by DOT either as I won't accept bad equipment. And yes, I do a thorough pre-trip every morning. I know a guy who never did and fried the engine pulling 32k up a steep grade. He got fired the next day as it cost $20k for a re-conditioned motor.

You've gotta draw the line at some point and let dispatch know exactly how far you'll go or you can get into some real hot water. I remember the driver involved in the Bourbonaisse AMTRAK wreck some years back who boasted to the shipper and over the children's band radio that he hadn't slept in 38 hours. He went directly to jail, did not pas Go, and sure as hell didn't collect his $200.

I make a comfortable living for my family and me though I realize I'm not going to get rich driving truck. Only the higher-ups get the brass ring in this biz. But if $700/wk is the most you can earn running hot and heavy than perhaps you should consider another line of work...before the road turns and you don't.

jedfxg · Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 553 Location: se buckeye

dsmn cfm...you just gave an insightful, and helpful post withour degrading anyone...kudos.

CrazyTulip · Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 184 Location: Central Florida

LeBron James wrote: Chasing Daylight wrote: Could be a good paying gig, if you're willing to play the game. I could be wrong, but my hunch is his guys run completely legal... on paper. I've never seen a 5 truck reefer fleet that wasn't stright up outlaw. Get used to those loose leaf log books. :)

Also get used to multiple picks, multiple drops and plenty of grocery warehouses. Not to many small reefer fleets that don't haul garbage (produce.) It takes a special breed to play the produce game, you'll either love it or hate it?

That's a big 10-4 driver! Chickenhaulers run like hell, sit for days, make picks in Shakytown a few pallets at a time...then 11-10 do it again! In between are visits to the truck wash, chrome shop, wheel polisher and indian casino.

"Cluck Cluck Chicken Truck!" flying through the truckstop at no less than 30-35 mph with the jakes singin'. Then set the brakes on party row with the engine in high-rev, marker lights lit, and kicker on high..."Where's all the Baby Dolls, c'mon back?"

Whoop, whoop! Outta my way, I'm rollin' to LA. I need a back door, so let's GO! :lol: :lol: Too funny!

sbatson · Joined: 25 Jan 2008 Posts: 237 Location: Texas

Well the fuel card deal is exactly right waiting on a comcheck from the broker to fuel the truck and they SAID $1000 a week but who knows about that, but anyways I dropped the loads in Dallas and Arlington today drove my truck close to the house and got out, but they owe me for a lumper and figured when I get that Ill tell them where there truck is.

Orangetxguy · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 1784

sbatson wrote: No this is with a Owner Op that has Three trucks.

Ok...so now you have learned a valueable lesson. Now...give the man his truck back...before DPS comes and throws yer butt in the Dallas county jail.

Take your lesson, and find a decent job...like the one you didn't chase, from the O/O at Dart. That O/O runs compliant..you can bet yer a$$ on that, because Dart runs compliant, and would dump him and all his trucks if he didn't.

You will find the same is true with most fleet owner's, whether they are leased to Dart, Landstar, Schneider national, or dozens of other "compliant" companies. OR you can find another guy like that one...who is more than happy to hang you out to dry....driver.

Chasing Daylight · Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 131 Location: SE Arizona

Smart move on your part. I refrained from telling you to get out because I figure it's up to you to make up your own mind. You tried it and learned quick. And take it as that, a learning experience. Now, don't think you have to run off and join a mega carrier. There are lots of smaller and mid sized firms that run clean and legal. Takes some work to find them, and lots of questions need to be asked. But it is not a matter of drive outlaw or drive for Swift. Lots of options out there, I'm sure you'll find the right one sooner or later. If nothing else, you got a glimpse of the seedy underbelly of the trucking industry. A side of the business that most won't talk about and many would like to believe doesn't exist. Bit of an eye opener isn't it?

sbatson · Joined: 25 Jan 2008 Posts: 237 Location: Texas

Yes I learned my lesson! I did talk to him and told him where his truck was and hopefully get my 80 dollars back for the lumper, if not is there anything I can do to turn then in? Because I will get my 80 dollars back one way or another. As I sat at a receiver for 6 hours today I did make some phone calls and found a owner op with 25 trucks leased on with a company, 5 to 10 days out 32 to 36 cpm and told him what was going on with me and assured me that is not how they work, but Im going to talk to him 2 morrow and get the low down on it. Do you think this would be a better bet? Im trying to stay away from these big carriers but if all else fails I guess I will have too.

Chasing Daylight · Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 131 Location: SE Arizona

good luck getting the $80. Maybe this guy will be stright up enough to pay up, but don't count on it. Take it from someone who's been stiffed before, getting that money is like pulling teeth.

As to your new offer. Who is this O/O leased to? If he's leased to a compliant carrier, then you're all set. First question I'd ask is who he is leased to, then do some background checking on that company. Under lease, he is bound to live by their rules. If it's a major carrier, then there should be no issues whatsoever.

sbatson · Joined: 25 Jan 2008 Posts: 237 Location: Texas

Ya I will update on that 2 morrow and do some digging and I will post on here about it.

wimpy · Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 188 Location: las vegas,nv

Hey sbatson, sorry to hear about your fiasco over there with that company, but keep your head up and keep movin forward things will get better for you. Let me know how things are with you I just got home this morning for my couple days off, been out for almost 3weeks but got a little sick so I wanted to come home and get rid of the bug than try to fight it out on the highway. BOL.

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