The owner tolerates unions because he can go to any job site. I would like to see proof that drivers are better off 99% of the time with a union. Just because you could not make it as an otr driver doesn't mean that you should put those of us who do like otr down. You have no idea whether people are paid peanuts or not. Most people who drive otr enjoy the work and most earn an above average income. Many earn more otr than they would at most other types of jobs. Those who work for unions push up prices up on what I and others pay for products. They drive up my taxes due to some government jobs paying much higher union wages. I get tired of lazy union workers constantly belly aching about low pay or those who would rather earn what they make than extorting money from their companies and ultimately from the consumers. Right to work states will out perform closed shop states and for less cost to the company. If you look at the auto industry you will find fewer recalls from non union companies than the union automakers. If someone wants to be paid double or triple the acceptable wage then you should be willing to perform at double or triple level of the non union worker.

I would not want a union dictating to me how much that I can work or whether I can help someone who may need a bit of help with their job. Unions are socialistic. Everyone should not be paid the same money unless they perform at the same level. People should be paid for their contribution to the company rather than what they may want. Working for a union is no different that the mob shaking down the neighborhood businesses for protection. The mob vandalizes businesses and then go to the same businesses to charge them for protection from themselves. I have seen the result of what unions do. They are a jobs killer.

 

Sure they do.
It's called detention.
Maybe you've heard of it?
By charging detention, carriers force shippers/receivers to become more efficient in their loading/unloading practices.
Which generates more profits for the carriers since carriers are able to run their trucks more miles and sit less at docks.
And how is detention charged?
By the HOUR!!!!
In which case, OTR drivers are paid to sleep, take a dump, watch TV, etc.

But your mentality is different....which is why O/O are bad for the industry at large.
It was the ATA carriers that banded together and started charging detention after 3 hours and then several years later moved it up to 2 hours.
And why the big truckload carriers need to take more market share away from O/O's.
Thankfully, this is happening as we speak and will continue to do so as EOBR's and speed limiters become standard in the future.
The less O/O (Owner/Outlaws), the better...

 

You should understand that without owner operators most of these big carriers would go broke. It is the smaller carriers and owner operators who haul most of the freight in this country. About 90% of the freight is hauled by carriers with 50 or fewer trucks. The big carriers love owner operators because they don't cost them anything. They don't have to pay benefits and don't need to pay for their equipment. It is a sweet deal for the carriers. Often times it is the union workers (pun) who tie up the trucks at docks. Unions are dying from their own weight. There is no place for unions in a free economy. Unions destroy a free market. Unions work best under socialism.

 

Right.
They love morons who haul their freight for .90 cpm + FSC.
Or lease trucks from them with no money down.
I'm glad we can agree on something. :clap::lol2::rofl::rofl:

 

Joey, I have come to the conclusion that you are jealous that some of us are making a good living without paying extortion money to a union. To tell you the truth, I feel sorry for you. It seems to me that you feel so bad about yourself and the fact that you need to use a union as a crutch that you lash out at those of us who actually work for a living.

 

Yeah right, "Hello, I'm from the government and I'm here to help"
That always works out.



I agree, no one should have the thought of starting their own business. Let's all work for big box companies and the government. No small business allowed.

 

I feel sorry for YOU!
40 years in the biz and still driving?
Hauling for the same rates you did 20+ years ago?
Wife probably ditched you long ago...no friends, family, grandkids.

And you want to bust on folks who take a stand for better wages, working conditions, and so they don't have to truck into their 60's like you do?!?!?!
And be home with their families and raise their kids right instead of living out of a fiberglass box for weeks (and weekends) at a time?

Whatever, man.
Keep that off-ramp clean tonight.

 

ok, interesting, I was out all week and this thread is still going on strong. Might be time to lock this one down, lol. If this thread has brought out one thing it's that the feelings are very strong and divided concerning unions in our industry. Also, it's apparent we aren't going to convenience the other side of the pros of being or not being in a union.

 

I think that it is important to raise your children if you make the decision to have them. It is not uncommon for a number of vocations to have the primary breadwinner to be away from home. Executives, military and some salesmen must be away from their family in order to earn a decent living. It isn't just trucking.

You want to condemn people for doing what they need to do in order to provide a decent living for their family. Not everyone has the benefit of a good education. And not everyone has the skills to do other vocations that would provide the level of income as they can enjoy in trucking. You seem to want to paint a picture of truckers working for poverty wages. I don't know of another profession where you can enter with limited skills and education and start out making $30-35,000 your first year with only a few weeks training. $30,000 is NOT poverty wages. There are people working 2 or 3 jobs and still not making as much as a trucker. Even though they are home most nights, they are too tired to spend much time with their families. There are some households where both parents are working and still not earning enough as a 1st year trucker. There are couples who work different shifts so that one of them can be home with the children. Others rely on grandparents to raise their children because they must work so many hours to make ends meet. You really should be ashamed of yourself for putting people down who are only trying to provide for their families. You should also be ashamed to attempt to make people believe that the only way that they can earn a good paycheck is by belonging to a union. There are millions of truckers earning a very good income in this country without belonging to a union.

Frankly, I think many people are just lucky to have a job these days. By the way, my sleepers are aluminum, not fiberglass.

 

To me its just simple.... If you have to go OTR just join a damn company that fits you... I can give a damn less if a company is union or not... I went back to OTR and my company clearly doesn't need a Union of any sorts because of low turnover, pay/accessory pay and equipment.... Home close to everyweekend and so on... The Swifts, Schneiders, J.B. Hunts, Western Expresses, and Werner's of the World well one day weep what they sow...

It's so many decent OTR jobs at here that drivers really don't take the time to look for one or just ditch one Mega Carrier to another and then when a good job opens up you see he's been Job hopping so whats the use of hiring him compared to a guy whose been sweating out for a Mega for the past year or so...

I agree with Mackman & Joey to the extent that if Drivers were smart enough they would stay away from these carriers but these are the same drivers that we share the road wit whose sits on the road and says "i dont got no panties on or where's the commerical entertainment" and clearly common sense is that common.. But union or no union, just choose a company that has a solid background and reputation, not much turnover, a good pay package, good trucks, and decent hometime... I still dont see how a company think you can stay out for 7 days and only get a day off while only averaging 2000 to 2500 miles a week while making sub .34 cents a mile!!!

And i'm pretty sure there would be OTR companies that Mackman, Joey, and Belpre would drive for if they pay was right and so on.. But i think they just hate these bottom barrel companies that just isn't worth a damn...

It's simple, choose a good company, if its a mega, try to get onto a nice dedicated account, if you can't just know that it's going to probably suck and just try to stay in there...