You deserve every penny too Fred.

I think we all do.

I dont care if its hourly, mileage, percentage, piecework or whatever but I will still weigh the amount vs the effort involved and I think we all do that.

I'm not against anybody's line of work I'm on their side. I ran on percentage for a year in a sleeper with a covered wagon staying out all week and home on weekends. I worked my tail off, long days, over my hours, whatever I had to do to average $1000 gross. I know what drivers go thru, 4 hr waits causing them to drive till the wee hours of the morning, skipping meals or showers to get it done. I'm just saying it aint enough. Nobody should have to do that to make 40-50 grand a year. I know some of people like the work and thats fine but wouldnt they like it better if they made 60-70 grand, which is what it's worth to me. Its a tough job and being away from home makes it tough on a family. Busting my azz in a covered wagon I made 50k a year and working 45 hrs a week M-F i make 60K. No brainer there. I will say I am extremely grateful for my job and I realize if I lose it I probably could not do as well. You wont see me bitching and whining like some of my prima dona co-workers. I learned of LTL thru boards just like this. And I'm still learning today. I pay attention to people like Mike3, OrangeTX, Bandits Cousin, and yourself. I also listen to Mackman, Double R, Jed. If need a plan B I know where to start looking and I know where to not waste my time too. I know others are listening to me and thats what these boards are for. Like Jed said its hard to use the word love but I like my job alot. We all have bills to pay and do what we have to. Its nice if you can be happy too. If I lost my job and all I could get was my covered wagon I'd do it again but unless I got a fat pay raise I'd be looking from day one.

Again, I'm not against anyone's chosen profession but the industry as a whole needs to pay better and clean up all the abuse of driver's time. I like the way CDswan tells it. I think he and I agree. Press on drivers, you all do a great job. (And Jed, If I ever did need another job I'd be interested in a good FXG route, you guys have way nicer trucks!)

 

I don't understand how i can say MOST drivers are not being paid what there time is worth, and people gotta talk crap about how they love doing there job. That has nothing to do with being paid properly. I like my job and i also liked OTR, but sitting in a truckstop parking lot waiting for a load, or waiting at a dock and not being paid is not for me. My time is not free. It's funny how i can be sticking up for OTR drivers yet some still disagree with what i'm trying to say.

 

today is my anniversary and I am home

 

well, a lot of the guys who arent paid as well as you make more money than you, so you arent going to convince them your way is better
and some drivers let companies walk all over them and take advantage, these guys usually have a reason they cant get a better job.

 

I was out of work for 6 months trying to find anyone hiring drivers out of West Virginia (none to be found). I ended up going back to the same company I quit because of it. I guess I could've went to McDonald's - I know they pay you for every hour you work...

 

Well how's this for honesty, i make 50 dollars per load, run 3 a day, average 527 miles and am in my truck from anytime between 12 to 1 in the morning, and i'm not usually home until 4 or 5 in the afternoon. Alright let the bashing begin, tell me i'm an idiot, or what have you, and just to add icing on the cake, I typically sleep for 3 hours or more in a daycab mack vision, oh and at the end of the week i'm lucky to put 650 dollars in the bank. As far as i'm concerned, i'm happy doing what i'm doing, i've got a good system set up inside the truck where i can sleep comfortably, and i'm never over fatigued. I don't want to get off on a rant here, but i sometimes wonder why these threads are even started, so a guy like me can here all this BS about how stupid i must be to work like this? It's a job, i live in florida, which timberwolf can tell you is not the best place to find a job right now, and again at the end of the week I've enjoyed my job. So i'll leave everyone to do the average, by the end of the week i've spent upwards of 75 hours in the truck, and have grossed 800 dollars, i'll leave everyone to do the math on that, i'm sure it's pennies on the dollars. What ever happened to thanking the good lord you have a job at the end of the day, and are able to support your wife and family, to me those are the most important things, not all this bickering over 45 hour weeks at 20 dollars an hour, believe me i wish i had that life, but it's not my reality, and probably not the reality for most.

 

been there, done that if you are happy and paying the bills, who gives a F*** what anyone else thinks.

 

agreed

 

That's your truck on your authority, correct? I don't have any problem with that. You got to decide whether to take the load or to sit on your rear-end for a few days too, right? You get to decide how your income is apportioned just as any business owner should. You could have said .23 to you and .50 to repair and replacement. Congratulations and I wish you more of it.

I think it's very important to make the distinction between "Employee Owners" and "Employee Drivers". As an employee driver, I don't get to choose if and when the wheels turn. Using your example, you get to decide if it's .73/mile or .53 or .83. Mine is .37 (subject to some variables) and the only way my pay can go is down and 99 times out of 100, it goes down due to the inefficiencies and ineptitude of others. My point is simple: If I were being paid fairly for all of my time, that would create a strong financial incentive to eliminate I+I and there would therefor be a lot less I+I.

 

And if you woke up tomorrow morning and learned that the DOT exemption to the overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act had been rescinded and your pay was going to increase 25% as a result, you'd what? Hang up your hat and go look for something else?