[yoopr]

The song remains the same. Stay away from this job. Your life and those of others may depend on it.

Totally Unnecessary statement
You don't like it Fine-Let others decide if it's right for them

[trux]

Originally Posted by ColdFrostyMug

Yes, I accidentally typed in the wrong number 225.

For 96?

LOL, 95 might be an "accident"
86 might be an "accident"
196 might be an "accident"
296 might be an "accident"
596 might be an "accident"

But 225?

No way guy.

You "accidentally" proved that you're a BS'r and nothing but.

Originally Posted by trux

For 96?

LOL, 95 might be an "accident"
86 might be an "accident"
196 might be an "accident"
296 might be an "accident"
596 might be an "accident"

Huh?

[dtryanxpress]

Who should go into trucking?

dropouts,the poor,this or the army,etc

[Aligator]

In the years since deregulation in 1980, median earnings have dropped 30% .....Far as I know this is true........and most OTR drivers earn less than half of pre-regulation wages. Work weeks average more than 70 hours per week with no overtime. Today's American long-haul truckers are working harder and earning less...........Nah. The current hours of service prevent that.....I made 56K my first year.... than at any time during the last four decades. Conditions are so poor and the medieval piece-rate pay system so unfair......Nah. Most companies pay practical miles and they used to all pay HHG miles. I get paid actual miles.... that OTR companies compete with the fast-food industry for workers. Your average run-of-the mill carrier averages a whopping 120% annual driver turnover.

The real problem is open, unrestricted entry to the trucking business.....That's not a problem. Used to be you had to buy your routes and they cost many thousands. Nwo, you just go....... It has resulted in under-financed companies operating 80,000-pound equipment at highway speeds where aggressive competition drives the economy. When the freight rates drop below the cost of doing business, deferred maintenance becomes widespread. The 22% national out of service rating for Class 8....Don't know about the average; our company runs about zero..... vehicles is proof in the pudding enough for me. In the last decade more Americans died in truck accidents than in the Vietnam War...225 per week and rising.... Death of large truck occupants remains at 1.7% of total deaths, or around 750 per year....the equivalent of an airline crash every seven days.

That's the facts, Jack. Run, don't walk away from irregular-route over-the-road trucking!!Now, that true. Find someone other than a freight carrier to work for - and there aree plenty of them!

Reference:
http://www.bts.gov/publications/nati...ble_02_04.html

[golfhobo]

CFM said:

In the years since deregulation in 1980, median earnings have dropped 30% and most OTR drivers earn less than half of pre-regulation wages. Work weeks average more than 70 hours per week with no overtime. Today's American long-haul truckers are working harder and earning less than at any time during the last four decades. Conditions are so poor and the medieval piece-rate pay system so unfair that OTR companies compete with the fast-food industry for workers.

Most of this is total hogwash!!! The median annual earnings is just shy of $36,000. Are you saying that the median wage before 1980 was $54,000??? Prove it!

And pre-1980 OTR wages averaged MORE than $72,000??? Prove it!

Working harder and making less than ANYTIME since 1967??? Prove it!

Competing with the Fast Food industry??? NOT!!! The trucking workforce has basically ALWAYS competed with the CONSTRUCTION industry for its workforce! The current driver shortage occurred in the LAST decade when payrates dropped BELOW that of construction workers.


For some REAL info on these and other statistics and trends.... go here:

http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=50162

The 22% national out of service rating for Class 8 vehicles is proof in the pudding enough for me.

Prove it!

In the last decade more Americans died in truck accidents than in the Vietnam War...225 per week and rising...the equivalent of an airline crash every seven days.

Close, but no cigar! First of all, the Vietnam War (full deployment years) did NOT last 10 years! So, this is a nonstarter comparison to begin with!

Secondly, the figures are about HALF that! I'll see if I can find the link, but THE TRUCKER magazine, Vol 20, No. 16 (last half of August) has an article with THIS headline:

"Large Truck-Involved Fatalities drop 4.7%; Overall Traffic Fatalities LOWEST in Five Years." And I quote:

"the number of people killed in fatal accidents involving lare trucks in 2005 was 5,240, compared with 4,995 in 2006."

That's the facts, Jack.

Not Hardly!!!

[yoopr]

In the years since deregulation in 1980, median earnings have dropped 30%

Hardly-I started driving in '78 at around .10cpm and that was pretty much the going rate(not including the lack of Benefits which now pretty much all drivers have) and inflation or not earnings haven't "Dropped"

[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by Evinrude

I don't mind not getting paid for sleeper berth, but if something happens that I need to go on duty for 15 minutes 9 hours in to my reset, makes me wonder why I should take the loss of anther 10 hour off duty.

Don't DO IT!!! First of all, anything less than 15 minutes doesn't have to be logged. Are you SURE it didn't take only 14.9 minutes???

Second, there is a gray area in the regs that I hope to force clarification on someday.... but it says (or means) that no one can force you to violate the requirement of taking your break. The gray area is that it doesn't specifically mention that a DOT officer can't do so. But, your carrier can't.... and YOU are not supposed to. It might depend on the circumstances. If you are parked illegally on an offramp, and an officer makes you move.... well, you screwed up! But, If I'm parked legally for my break, and an officer wants to inspect my vehicle? He's gonna do it by himself!!


Do you think we should get paid to load and unload, paperwork, boarder crossing, fuel, company meetings, waiting for you truck at the shop while under repair, and waiting for a dispatch?

NO, I DON'T!! Other than the border crossing, everything you mentioned might be considered a normal duty day for a dock worker at a terminal. He is going to be paid an HOURLY wage for the entire shift, not a piece wage for each task.

Your job is NOT just "driving." All these things are part of your job. As I said on another thread (to some laughter,) being paid by the mile for the miles involved in your trip, is meant to encompass ALL "related" tasks. It is the best way to approximate the number of actual hours you will need to work during those miles. If you are paid 40cpm, and can drive 60 miles in one hour, do you think you are actually WORTH $24 for that hour?? It might be nice, but I don't THINK so!!

A driver getting 2500 miles/wk, making 40 cpm, is grossing $1000 for that TRIP! (Or that week.) Despite all the whining and truth stretching on this board, I doubt anyone really has to work more than 55-60 hours a week to accomplish that task. That is AT LEAST $16.66 an hour!! EVEN at the max allowable of 70 hours/wk, that is nearly $15 per hour. This is MUCH more than Fast Food wages.... and closely approximate to Construction wages.

MOST companies that DO pay alot for bumping a dock or farting, for a NEWBIE, will pay a much lower cpm rate to balance it out. After you've gotten a few years experience, you should be able to find a company with BOTH!

[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by yoopr

In the years since deregulation in 1980, median earnings have dropped 30%

Hardly-I started driving in '78 at around .10cpm and that was pretty much the going rate(not including the lack of Benefits which now pretty much all drivers have) and inflation or not earnings haven't "Dropped"

Wow!! Yoopr!! You mean 10 cpm SOLO??? And you bring up a GOOD point that I wanted to mention concerning CFM's trashtalking!

Trucking is not the ONLY industry where wage increases have NOT kept up with inflation!! Anybody been tracking the Minimum Wage increases over the last decade or two?? Not even CLOSE to inflation rates!

[yoopr]

yep-Solo-I started at either .10cmp or 11-This was the Norm and not the abnormal average I would say.