Truck Driving Jobs

bluebeetle · Joined: 17 Jul 2002 Posts: 2045 Location: Lincoln, NE

The question is always posed to me and my fellow recruiters now I would like to take the time of the driver who is "95% Satisfied" with their current company.

What would you need to make you 100% satisfied with a company?

Night Rider · Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2002 11:32 am Post subject:

Actually it would be all the above!

The pay would be the place to start it seems that truckers pay has been stuck in 1982. 32 cents a mile is not any money for this day and age. It's a no wonder that companies can't find QUALITY drivers.
If all the major players in the industry raised the pay to a livable wage and treated the drivers as an important part of the company instead of a piece of flesh occupying a seat, the turn over rate would not be as bad and the drivers would actually have something good to say about their employer

rockefeller · Joined: 01 Feb 2002 Posts: 595 Location: Western,Ky.

I'd have to add waiting on the loading and unloading.If you took the time that you use doing this and looked at how many more miles you could run during that time,it would be easy to understand.
It would be like having a recruiter come in at 8am and sit there in a chair until 10am,with no pay(time you sit at consignee before they want you in a door).Then at 10am we want you to sit in a different chair(move the truck into a dock) and remember,with no pay.Then 4 hours later,now 2pm,(time to unloaded truck,sign bills,check count,etc.)you get to ,not get paid again .but sit and wait to see if we can come up with something for you to do that you can actually get paid for,(wait for a dispatch).If nothing comes up(no freight in your area,call in morning)you get to go home and sleep having made no money.(a driver has to find a place to park,pay for something to eat,etc).
Doesn't sound so good does it?? :;):

Doctor Who · Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2002 3:13 am Post subject:

Well, I have to agree with the Rider, it would be all the above, plus what rockefeller said.

Don't know Beetle, I doubt very much any driver will be 100% satisfied with the company they work for. It is the nature of the beast to whine and complain about some aspect of the company no matter how trivial!
:aktion088:

Big Momma CAD · Joined: 23 Apr 2002 Posts: 726 Location: Madisonville, KY

I agree with the good Doctor on that one. That isn't just the trucking industry either. That is every where. I know when I worked for other people, they never paid me what I was worth :aktion057:
Heck CAD complains all the time....he is too cold so I have to buy him a portable heater. He even called me Ebenezer....his printer isn't any good, so I have to buy him a new printer....I wonder what it is going to be next. :sauer007:
Yeah I give in too much. What can I say :madnoel:

aman · Joined: 13 Sep 2002 Posts: 175 Location: florida

Yep got to agree it would take all of the above to change and even then we would only be 99%. :aktion064: It is in our nature to bitch and complain,#### otherwise half of us wouldn't have anything to talk about! He He :withstupid:

Doctor Who · Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2002 2:40 am Post subject:

aman wrote: half of us wouldn't have anything to talk about! He He :withstupid:
No truer words have ever been written :madnoel:

bluebeetle · Joined: 17 Jul 2002 Posts: 2045 Location: Lincoln, NE

This is what I love about this pole. Everybody is "dittoing" a couple of facts. 1. Drivers like to complain and 2. ALL of the options are important. But if the carrier or the company isn't doing ANY of the options then you have to be less then 95% satisfied with the company. If this is the case, then you as a person should reevaluate why you have put yourself into this career.

Now everybody is gonna ask me if I am satisfied with my position that I have with the career that I have chosen. The answer is 'YES!' and here is why. First of all I get to educate people. I have always wanted to make a difference in a person's life other then my own. Guess this is what I get for growing up in the 70's! By providing advice and information I am able to do that. I like to talk to people. Either in person, phone, or bulletin boards. My hours are great because they are flexible enough that I can enjoy my family and still be productive here. I work for a company that allows for me to communicate with every position in the company. There are no walls that I have to knock down to be successful. The pay is great! My coworkers are easy to get along with and there is not a lot of politicing. If there is, I guess I have the experience to handle it in a professional manner. So as far as I am concerned I will continue to do this job as long as the good lord allows for it and you probably won't hear me complain about the job. NOW I might complain about some of the applicants I have to review, but that is actually my comic/stress relief that allows me to keep a smile on my face.

The best advice when people ask me how I can answer the phone "having more fun then I should be allowed" is simple. I LIKE WHAT I AM DOING!! My "cup" is full and since the only thing that will make it overflow will be when I retire and get to spend every minute watching my family grow old with me, I will continue to educate people to the best of my ability!

Now excuse me, the men in the white coats are coming to take me away to the funny farm!!! Oh goodie more :zx11shocked: and where did I leave that :aktion045:

Doctor Who · Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 4:50 am Post subject:

Well, Mr. Beetle sir...

I'm not sure if you need to be commended or commited!

It is great you like your job, there are quite a few who don't and feel trapped by the choices they have made.
I used to like trucking a lot, there is no other profession where a person can be by themselves and not have to look over their shoulder worrying about a co-worker stabbing them in the back. Now I don't care for the job as much. The changes that have come about have made the job more stressful and a lot less fun and I have heard the rhetoric before, "If you don't like it, get out of it!" It's not that easy after a person has been driving for quite a few years!

With the exception of your place of employment and maybe a few others, trucking companies have set a dangerous standard of just hiring warm bodies to fill the seats of idle trucks,which in turn causes a lot of ill feelings among the experienced drivers. The rate of pay is substandard and should be brought up to 21st century economics. Hours of service is way too long for the amount of pay the driver is not getting, ie, waiting time, deadhead pay. There is also way too much free labour, shippers and receivers eye the driver as such "FREE LABOUR" My contention has always been "It's your freight, you unload it" or "load it" depending on the situation. God help the driver who gets hurt on a receivers/shippers dock!

As for the "dittoing" you mentioned, no matter how many drivers are asked the same reply will be given.
Quote: You get to educate people
Do you get teachers pay for the educating? I try to, in my own specila style, educate people also! I was a driver trainer, but gave it up cause my nerves couldn't take it. Plus, I have some definite opinions about certain establishments for trucker education!

Sorry Bill, don't want it to sound as if I'm railing on you, but this has become a sore subject.
I guess any ideas I've had about being a recruiter will be for naught, cause I can't colour coat a serious problem!
I'm not trying to run prospective drivers off, but some education before the dotted line is signed will be very valuable.

Edited By Doctor Who on 1040029211

bluebeetle · Joined: 17 Jul 2002 Posts: 2045 Location: Lincoln, NE

Not a problem Doc! I was the one that probably sounded like I was "railing" on people. And you know maybe you answered the poll with the best possible reason why some drivers leave their companies. It is the philosophy that their current company has taken that attitude of "warm body" gets you a truck!

No I don't get 'teacher's pay' but I do get the satisfaction of knowing that hopefully I have been able to help somebody out.

Have a happy holiday and thanks for the input on the poll!

aman · Joined: 13 Sep 2002 Posts: 175 Location: florida

Well if I was that happy I would already be making a good wage and home time. I say good equipment that was allowed to run and screw the insurance co. oh and kill all laywers too!!!!! :rock: :rock: :moose: :withstupid:

sanchez498 · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 2777 Location: Arkansas

And I will add this. It goes back to all the waiting OTR drivers have to do at a shipper or reciever. How would you like to sit at your desk all day bluebeetle for atleast 2 days out of your work week and not be paid at all. But you still have to shuffle paper work and answer the ph. And no I am not harping on you. But why on gods green earth dont companys prevent this type of BS. Either by paying the drivers a decent hourly wage while sitting or inforceing that drivers are not free help to load or unload the truck. And please dont say well we pay drivers to unload. I have been there done that. Companys dont pay a driver ditcuss to unload.

sanchez498 · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 2777 Location: Arkansas

Hey blueboy. Would really love a reply from the other side of this story. :D

bluebeetle · Joined: 17 Jul 2002 Posts: 2045 Location: Lincoln, NE

Been away at meetings.

Here is the way I look at compensation for drivers and I might be off base. Drivers are strictly payed based on a commission base system. The harder you work the more your pay. Drivers at Crete Carrier are compensated for loading and unloading. No it isn't what it could be or should be and it is no where near what they are willing to pay a lumper to do the same thing as a driver. So my question is, if we are willing to pay for a lumper, why would you WANT to load or unload?

Now, we changed our billing procedure to our customers concerning detention time in that the billing process starts after the first hour. Yes, the driver is paid when the company is paid. It doesn't show up on the paystub as "detention pay" so there is not a really good way for the driver to see when he/she gets it but it does happen. We increased our Marketing department to handle the extra billing and collection process so we all hope that it is happening. But it is still up to the driver to turn in the necessary paperwork to get the customer billed correctly.

Now would I like to sit at my desk for a couple of days, do my job, and not get paid, no that wouldn't be fun. But it happens. The only way that I am recognized for my productivity is how many people are in the system with my name on the application as the recruiter. I am not paid on the number of hires, but my annual raise and my quarterly bonus depends on how many people are there. Now what happens if I spend all day offering advice and recommendations on this board about how good it is to work for Crete Carrier you read this information and go online and fill out an application. You don't know my name so you don't put down that I 'had talked with you" and the app gets another individuals name on it. That person looks great and I keep slugging away at filling Acklie trucks. I know it happens, but I don't lose sleep because I am doing my job and that is filling Acklie trucks. I am a salaried employee who works 40+ hours a week and have a great time doing it. Do I break a sweat doing it---NO!!! But I didn't choose to get into this occupation to 'sweat' but rather to educate people about the benefits of coming to work at an Acklie company.

Now should companies change their pay packages to compensate a driver for loading and unloading, your asking the wrong person. I feel that if the company says that they will pay a driver for this act and it isn't the greatest pay package then why are you going over there if most of their loads are driver touch freight? If the company is offering a great rate of mileage pay and will compensate the driver for a minimum amount of loading and unloading, then see if everything else outweighs this problem and go from there.

Life is a matter of choices. If you choose to load and unload when there is a lumper that will be paid by your company to do the work then use them. If you want to get some exercise and have the time, then take what the company will pay you and have a good workout.

By the way the Acklie Companies are Crete Carrier, Shaffer Trucking and Hunt Transportation. Let's see, that would be dry van, refrigerated or flat bed. Covering the basics of the trucking industry with excellent pay packages and excellent benefits.

bluebeetle · Joined: 17 Jul 2002 Posts: 2045 Location: Lincoln, NE

Well sorry to disagree with you, but if you check, most of the reputable companies largest two expenses is driver wages and fuel costs then insurance.

If there is a different order, then I go back to my statement on reputable companies.

The fact that the carrier will pay you less is for safety reasons. First of all you won't be too tired to drive and number two, less chance of an injury.

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