Her's my dilema... I have 12 years experience pulling reefer, vans, flats, and even a little bit of tanker. I'm currently driving for a company on a dedicated nightly "linehaul". I make 18.50 an hour with time and half after 40. I average about 50 hrs a week. I like my job and the company I drive for is small (six trucks and eight drivers). The problem follows. My wife and I have just had our first child. Because we are a small company our health care costs are killing me( At least the company offers it). The company pays for half of my monthly premium and I have to pay 100% of the premium for my wife and newborn. Monthly cost of about 900.00. Good friend of mine keeps telling me I should consider going to one of the union ltl companies and run linehaul. My big hang up is for personal reasons I would rather not go to a union company, second of all I'm being a pansy but, I don't want to pull doubles. I have considered going back to running regional if the insurance costs were less.

Are there any ltl companies that cover all our a large portion of insurance without getting into pulling doubles? I,ve heard from different people that doubles aren't bad, but. looking for a little input or guidance.

You need to do what is best for your family. Why would you not want to go to a union shop? If you need to pull doubles to do what is best for your family, then stop being a wimp and just do it. What's so bad about doubles anyway? I hear they're easier to turn than a 53 and you don't have to do any backing. All drop and hook.

Have you done any shopping around to see what you could get in private health insurance? You or your wife should phone every insurance agent you can find and get some quotes, you never know.

try this site

https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/ehi...51&sid=ALL+H-M

+1, I've never paid more than $300 per month for my "family plan" and have always self insured, it seems I can get a better rate on my own than most company sponsored plans, if you're relatively healthy why should you subsidise the poor health of your fellow employees?
You have internet access, use it.

I put in my numbers me and one Dependant and it came to $974 :shock: :shock: :shock:

You might want to look deeper at companies.... I only pay $37 a week for my wife and I.

Well, now that the baby has arrived I can at least shop for my wife and the baby. I tallked to an agent before and they suggested waiting until the baby arrived. If we would have done it before it was possible that most companies would have cancelled the policy because of the pregnancy. Because my employer is in a group plan they would have to cover them. My wifes employer doesn't offer insurance so I have to get it thru my employer, or start a seperate policy for her and the baby.

hey!! Congratulations on the baby. First child as you mentioned, always fun. That's all I wanted to say, sorry for changing the subject for a brief moment. =P.

heh, congates on your baby, boy or girl? don't matter congrats any ways. Man $900.00 /mth. for health care ,wow can't even comprehend that. That's double my mortgage pmt. . Our health care is paid for mostly thru our tax dallars ,I guess that's why our tax freedom day is mid july as oppossed to mid march or April. I also pay into a group benifit package of $40.00/wk. which pays 1/2 of dental ,eye glasses , chropractic, ect. plus gives me full U.S. emergency health care for me and my wife and 1 son(since they come with me every once in a while) plus $80,000 life insurance . The only reason I participate in the program is for the last two coverages, would really hate to get sick in the U.S. and have to loose my $410.00/mth. castle whitch by the way will be paid off in 3 months.
I agree with uturn & skywalker , keep shopping around if you don't want to change jobs ,there must be cheaper rates.