Actually, while what you say is possible, it isn't necessarily so. I get paid for everything I do, either by a flatrate for an item or by the hour, to include sleeping in the truck. And yet I get 40cpm loaded and 34 cpm mt paid on practical miles. But then its Chemical/Bulk/Hazmat tanker work.

You're right though....they are only going to pay X% of their revenue until everyone says: Up yours, I quit!! .....and they walk away, and no-one replaces them. Will it ever happen.... probably not, because there will always be someone who will think $400 a week is alot of money....
:shock: :shock:

I'm in production and I get paid by the hour not by the product I put out,why can't OTR drivers?If our equipment breaks down we still get paid why don't drivers?
So don't come up with production and salary crap,bottem line is we all need a steady paycheck,and expect fair treatment.I started this topic and again I still think these drivers don't get paid what they're really worth.

Using your example, what if there were production workers with your skill and experience that were willing to work for less. Do you think your company wouldn't get rid of you on one pretext or another and hire the cheaper labor? Of course they would, or the work overseas somewhere. The American consumer is not willing to pay the increased price of products when the American worker is payed and increased wage.

Well, again, when comparing prroduction and driving, you need to look at more than the TASKS involved . . . you need to look at the CONDITIONS.

In a production job, I can supervise you every minute you're on the floor by using mid-level management, cameras, quotas, and various other techniques.

It's literally impossible to supervise a driver.

Did it take you 60 minutes to move between Point A and B because

a) You chose to drive slower than average . . . or
b) Traffic was heavy . . . or
c) You chose to goof off for 20 minutes at a rest stop?

Did you waste fuel idling unnecessarily or was there a detour that forced you to drive extra miles? Did it take you eight hours at the shippers because the dock workers were slow . . . or because you were showing the secretary your gear shift?

Again . . . the conditions of driving are unique. There are few jobs that I can think of where individuals are given as much latitude in the performance of their duty. Even in those job were the task profiles are similar . . . like, mailman or fighter pilot . . . there are huge differences in the conditions, levels of supervision. accountability techniques and management.

So, it's very difficult to say what is fair compensation when the person you are compensating has as much personal freedom and is as unsupervised.

The other major factor is that driving is a highly competitive industry that is easy to enter. If I, as a new driver, hold out for 50 cents an hour, you'll undercut me by accepting 45 . . . and the next guy will undercut you and take 40. The companies that get the drivers for 40 cents can charge the customer less.

The only way to raise mileage across the board is by market forces . . . the supply of drivers willing to drive for low CPM dries up. But with companies lobying for Mexicans and Central Americans to be allowed to drive . . . do you really see that happening in our lifetime?

Frogman said:

Proves my point. Driving a truck is NOT a "production" job! [Thank God!]

Skywalker: How many miles per week do you REALLY "average?"

If there's more than a 100% turnover in an industry there's defenitely something wrong,for one thing think of all the money that could be saved by not needing recruiters anymore.

[quote="scania"]I'm in production and I get paid by the hour not by the product I put out,why can't OTR drivers?If our equipment breaks down we still get paid why don't drivers?
So don't come up with production and salary crap,bottem line is we all need a steady paycheck,and expect fair treatment.I started this topic and again I still think these drivers don't get paid what they're really worth.[/quote


I think the main reason otr drivers are not paid by the hour is that there is little the company can do to monitor their performance. You can check their position using GPS, such as qualcomm, but there are too many drivers who would fail to perform. As far as a steady paycheck is concerned, if you perform every week, you should have a steady paycheck. Whether some wish to admit it or not, this is a performance based job. You are compensated based upon the number of miles you run. The more miles you drive, the bigger the paycheck. If you want a steady paycheck, you need to set a goal of how many miles you need to run per day or week to make that minimum paycheck you want. Salesmen are paid based upon performance, much like truckers. If they don't perform (sell) they don't have a good paycheck. If a driver doesn't drive many miles he will not have a good paycheck. Those who are paid percentage typically earn more than those who are only paid mileage. You are still paid based upon your productivity. The difference is that your goal will be to haul a minimum dollar amount of freight each week. I don't think drivers should be compensated to put fuel in their trucks. Nor do I think drivers should be paid to do a pre-trip. Those are part of the job description. You know that going in. If you can't make enough money doing the paid part of the job, then you are either in the wrong profession or working for the wrong company. I pay my drivers percentage. If I were working for a company I would prefer one that pays percentage, because I know that I will make more money. There is one area in which I think drivers should be paid additional compensation. If you must sit for more than 2 hours, I believe the shipper should be willing to pay the carrier and the carrier should compensate the driver for detention. If carriers started charging for their trucks sitting, you would see much less down time. You should know, going in to this profession, that you will be doing certain tasks which you will not be paid. Doing a pre-trip or fueling should not be included in those tasks in which you are paid. It usually doesn't take that much time anyway.

If you want to make more money, then pay your dues for a couple of years and you will be in more demand and can command more money. This industry does have a high turnover rate, but fast food has a turnover rate of around 300%. I think some people enter this business and think that they will just be able to drive around the country and someone will send them a paycheck for not doing any work. This is a job. It is work. Unless you want to work and perform, you should not even consider entering this business. You will be greatly disappointed. You can see the country, but will have little time to stop and do the touristy things. If you do your job you won't have the time. Besides, it is next to impossible to get into most of those places with a big truck.

Yes, I agree completely. Accepting pay for only per-part, per-widget, per-mile performance is outdated and silly. Because if the machine, line, truck, etc stops for any reason, than so-too does your paycheck.

Yes I agree. That's why it's a production-based job.

What I found was that I did make money under the per-mile pay system. It was just that I was putting in very long hours to get that money. Because under either mileage or percentage, your pay stops when the wheels quit turning.

All of this "part-of-the job" stuff that truckers aren't paid for takes TIME. And TIME = MONEY. Why should the driver give ANY of his time away for free? I thought it was downright retarded that I should give the shipper/receiver 2 hours of MY TIME for free while I waited on THEIR property with THEIR freight in my trailer. Same with fueling the truck. Even if it only takes 15 minutes to top-off the tanks, it's still MY TIME. And what about the postage-stamp Pilots where there's 2 pumps out and trucks lined up around the block? The worst was probably HHG mileage pay. If you drive 8% of your miles for free, it adds up to a whole MONTH out of the year that you drove for absolutely ZILCH? Amazing!!!

I found an hourly trucking job that gets me a good paycheck at the end of the week WITHOUT having to work +80 hour workweeks and live out of a plastic box and do all of those "part-of-the-job" freebies like in OTR. I only put in 45-50 hours per week, paid for EVERYTHING I do, home every night and weekend, and my bennies are twice as good.

I don't care what anyone says. OTR is cheap money for the time invested in the job.

Why would you compare fast-food to OTR truckdriving? One is an unskilled, minimum wage job. The other requires a professional license (CDL), a +$3,000 accredited school, and many weeks of on-the-job training. It's sad and pathetic that a skilled profession such as OTR truck driving has been reduced to fast-food turnover rates.

Agreed.

OK, I can see as a newbie, that there are many opinions from one end to the other.
GMAN is thoughtful in his approach with experience to back him up.
You like what you like because of the type of person you are.
Some are LTL
Some are OTR
Some are O/O
Some are Expediters.
From what all are saying I am thinking that O/O with a used KW or Volvo,
4 years old, no frills, 400-500 thousand miles, maybe a straight truck(expediter) might be my cup of tea.
I have owned my own business before. Am able to keep myself on track.
QUESTION: Can a rookie with his own $50,000 rig, either signing on or using the Load boards, or broker, or can you do all at the same time, make it.
I am open to any combination, knowing that it won't take long to find out what type of person I am, but with the right start up rig I can adjust a little hear and there molding as I go and hopefully after a couple of months will be better focused without betting the whole farm.

GMAN, or any other, wise old salt, is this the wise approach to the industry.