Good Starting Package For New Driver?
#31
12-30-2008, 11:54 PM
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 1,658
Could be the fact that they are not a MEGA-training/carrier. Small and medium size OTR companies for the most part seem to pay well.:thumbsup:
#32
12-31-2008, 09:39 AM
Do you agree that TIME=MONEY?
Let's say (after a couple of years) that you can make $50-$60k or whatever the magic number is you top-out these days at OTR. Or you can make $40k at a 9-5 job. Well, the 9-5 job you will only work 40 hours per week and go home everynight for 8 hours of free-time and 8 hours to sleep in your own bed. In OTR trucking you can legally work 70 hours per week...but with all the working/waiting/driving done off the books, it's more like 80-100. So you're working more than double the hours of the 9-5 job for $10k-$20k more, plus you're confined to a sleeper in truckstops, pickle-parks, get-off ramps, etc. Plus road expenses. The lifestyle of a trucker is not a healthy one, either. Too much sitting around on your a$$ all day. Too much bad food high in salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate. Working all those hours plus irregular shifts is very unhealthy for you.
We can work long hours, but so do a lot of other industries.
Frankly I am surprised that you even to bother to come to this forum since you have such a disdain for the profession and those of us who choose to do this for our livelihood.
Drivers should be paid for all their time on the job. Drivers should be paid for all the miles they drive. Drivers should earn overtime after 8/40 hours. Last edited by Mike Hunt; 12-31-2008 at 09:44 AM.
#33
12-31-2008, 06:04 PM
IF they pay at all. With a small company there is a higher risk of the company going broke and failing to pay their drivers while closing up shop. It doesn't always happen,but it does happen.
__________________
Faster than the speed of Peterbilt.
#34
12-31-2008, 08:23 PM
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Speedway Indiana
Posts: 1,751
Point taken. I'd much rather take the chance with the smaller company and consistently receive the higher pay. If the smaller company does go out of business, at least you will probably only get burned for your final check. Whereas the larger company will be burning you from start to finish. Reminds me of a recent post by a driver 'churning' from one bad irregular-route OTR company to another. Lo and behold, not only did this company expect him to finance their company operations by paying tolls, scales and all other inherent incidentals out of his own pocket. These folks have the audacity to require drivers to sign a release that allows the company to arbitrarily withdraw money from the driver's own personal bank account at will, if there is an overpayment/discrepancy to the driver's pay as far as the company is concerned. Hello? Is it just me? What other type of job conducts a new employee orientation and requires signing over to the company, access to withdraw money from the employees personal bank account? Isn't that bass ackwards? Unbelievable!!! What about taking it out of your next check if an overpayment happens? Not in the world of irregular-route coolie carrier OTR trucking. I guess that they have to operate on the belief that you won't be there for the next pay period....................and statistically, you probably won't be. Wonder why?
__________________
Fuel for free. Pre/Post trip for free. Sit at shipper/receiver for free. "Work 80-100, log 70, get paid for 40." Welcome to OTR coolie carrier truck driving!
#35
01-01-2009, 05:53 AM
Merry Christmas, everyone.
One option that I am considering to unretire would have me attend a truck driving school in my vicinity on a WIA grant during the late January - February time frame. One company that I am considering hiring on with following graduation offers the following as a starting package: * 29 CPM with 2 CPM raises every six months to a maximum of 37 CPM. * 10,000 - 12,000 miles per month. * Average $200 monthly bonus for safety, log book accuracy, fuel conservation, etc. * Medical, dental, vision, prescription, life insurance after 90 days of employment. * 401(k) plan with company match after six months of employment. * One week vacation after one year, two weeks after three years, three weeks after five years. * Assigned a year 2005 - 2007 Volvo VN 670 or Freightliner Cascadia truck. All have stand-up sleepers and are equipped with Qualcom, AM/FM radio, CD player, CB radio, PrePass, standard 10-speed transmission, Cummins and Detroit 370 - 430 horsepower engine governed at 65 MPH. * 60% - 90% drop-and-hook freight; pay for live unloads. * Layover pay after 24 hours. * Out three weeks, home for three or four days. * This company does not allow drivers to take their trucks home for home time. Their nearest terminal to me is 70 miles away. Is this standard for the industry, or a bum deal? All in all, should I consider this a good starting package for a new OTR driver? The driving school that I would attend helps place their graduates with these companies, among others: Werner (I know to avoid Werner); Eagle Tuscon, Covenant, May Trucking, FFE. Anybody have any comments, positive or negative, about these companies? Try to find a manufacturer of some sort with their own transportation arm. Might be a little tough nowadays. But I started trucking 3 years ago after retiring from my sales job, and I made 57K the first year for driving about 150,000 miles. Not enough home time in your current job offer for me. I'm home every weekend and at least once during the week because all our loads are out-and-return. Our terminal is 5 minutes from the house.........I REALLY like that. Companies like to sell you on this drop & hook stuff, but we have to actually handle freight - it's OK, we make more than most drivers, too. Schools place drivers with company A, B or C because those companies PAY the school a referral fee. Do your own calling and reading! I did, and I could not be happier. I remember calling several places who could not hire me, and the guy answering the call ALWAYS left me with words of encouragement. You're on the right track, though. Get your own CDL with no strings attached. Don't know what a WIA grant is, but it sounds like Uncle Sam is footing the bill for your training and that's a good deal for both you and Sam (He'll get his money back through your taxes) The WORST thing you're looking at is being out 3 -4 weeks. That's terrible. TERRIBLE! Sounds OK until you try it. BOL Happy New Year!
#36
01-01-2009, 01:02 PM
I guess Mike Hunt misunderstood my question...
I wasn't suggesting that .29cpm was a great wage. I was asking why that was a bad 'starting' offer for a new driver, like myself, with no experience. The key word there was 'starting.' I'm happy that your uncle was able to find that gig in 1985. Unfortunately for me, I'm looking for a job in 2009. IronRydr
#37
01-02-2009, 04:18 AM
Hey Iron..
29 CPM is pretty short, but you have to look at the whole package in order to really understand. 3000 miles is a pretty busy week, most places. That's because the delays in getting loaded and unloaded can add up to many hours. But if you're doing a simple drop and hook, maybe 29 ain't really all that bad especially if you're doing long freeway runs between drops. 29 is REALLY gonna suck if your company doesn't have all that much freight and you get stuck in some truck stop with nothing to do for two days. Another thing: We get paid about 33 1/2 CPM. But that's before drop pay, pickup pay, downtime, layover pay, safety bonus, and fuel bonus. Bottom line is, we make about 40CPM and we get paid for actual miles, so most of our drivers make about 55-65K/year. On top of all that you have to consider WHERE you are going to be during slack periods. Right now, there is nothing to do so I'm at home. And that counts! |
