These are YOUR facts not Industry facts, and pay plans for each company is only as good as the work they have for that day!I'm for the Industry, not just 1 or the other. I have made quite a good living doing both, but not everyone will. When you use the word Plenty, it leads people to believe enough for everyone. 5 % In my opinion is not plenty. What I'm saying about you telling us what drivers make is you really don't know for sure. I would not tell you exactly what I make, and I'm sure no one else would either. This is not meant as a attack at you personally, but what I make and what others make will never be correctly told to you or anyone. There are not enough of these GOOD jobs for everyone in the trucking Industry, so why paint such a big picture for the new drivers, as most will not see these wages! Drivers can make a very good wage, but these will be true drivers, and a lot of the others with no drive or work ethic will fail. Do you see what I am getting at? We are seeing drivers wages falling as more and more drivers enter the job market, so make Hay while the sun shines, and remember your work ethic, I hope it will hold weight with company's when this job market is flooded with new drivers. Just like how cheap freight goes for the O/O there is always someone out there that will do it cheaper, and where will leave that GOOD job then??? Think about it!

 

Hi, I'm days away from my road test with the ministry of transportation up here in Ontario, Canada. I'm enjoying this discussion but I am still 50/50 on whether to try for LTL or OTR ...(lol) ... anyways I might be better off going with a company like Scneider for a year so that I qualify for other companies requirements that actually do pay reasonably. I just don't want to starve or fall behind on bills out there my first year. I still have to maintain a home and actually live on the road. This is a big concern of mine. From what I have read in this and many other discussions is that the larger companies tend to exploit the new driver because they know that there aren't alot of options for them. It seems its a big game. Maybe what I am looking for here is some advice or guidance from you more experienced drivers or even a newer driver that is ahead of me at the moment. It's all appreciated! thanks[/b]

 

I'm not putting down the LTL side of the industry, this is the type of job I have, I just have a problem with the word PLENTY. just because the other guys company has 400+ drivers, what about the thousands at other company's. Not every local, or LTL job pays the same as the better ones.
I wont work some place where i make less than 55k a year, weather its LTL or over the road, but a lot of drivers wont see wages like this. I have been in about every aspect of this Industry for the last 30 yrs and it is going to hell in a hand basket. Don't read parts of my post, read the whole thing, and put everything I say together. If every driver made what these good jobs paid, this would be the best industry to be in, but they don't and that is my point. Don't blow smoke up these guys ass, it isn't pie in the sky for everyone!!

 

I have never worked for a BIG OTR company in my life. I think the new driver today will most certainly have to consider this path. I never went to a truck driving school, so all of that I can not comment on. Keeping a home and being on the road is really hard with the cost of living like it is. Your family will also suffer to some degree, but family's do what they have to do! I raised 2 family's on the road, it was tough sometimes, but all my children turned out just fine. To say you have to do your time on the road before you get a good local job seems to be the norm from what I have seen, but there are exceptions to every rule. You have to do your homework, and you might find your exception! When you first start out its always hard, I know it was for me. Keep a good work ethic about you, and remember this job is what you make it. Have a good attitude and you could go far. A lot of people think the world owes them a living, and with this attitude, you will be sure to fail. As with any career change, think long and hard, and only you will know if it is right for you! For someone to tell you that you can do it could be wrong, maybe you can and maybe you cant. I did it, but you are not me, see what I mean? Think about something, these GOOD jobs also have their drawbacks, like 10 to 12 hrs a day, come home, eat, then get rest so you can do it the next day, it almost like OTR except you sleep in your own bed, and maybe be lucky to have your time off on the weekend, or it maybe during the week, who knows. Everything good has a price tag on it. Well Mark Twain I am not, I hope you understand what I was trying to say.... See Ya BOL

 

I appreciate the time you took to respond. I understand what you are saying. I'm a hard worker anyways, so that won't be an issue.

 

Don't forget about the additional 20 to 25k a year in bennies(retirement, health and welfare) to go along with that pay.

 

http://www.tdu.org/HoffaWatch/club%202006.pdf

 

Boy, that's just wrong, pushing pencils all day,this link you gave us shows us that the officials and their staff do well for themselves...lol

Key to the $100,000 Club
This chart lists Teamster officials and staff who received salaries of over $100,000 in
2005. This information was compiled from hundreds of Department of Labor LM-2 and
LM-3 forms and IRS Form 990 reports. Total compensation includes salaries, allowances
and expenses, but does not reflect other benefits such as pensions and automobiles.
Footnotes:
*The LM form or Form 990 was not available for 2005, number is based on 2004 forms.
1 Retired or left union employment due to retirement, election defeat, discharge or by action of the
Independent Review Board or other legal action.
Abbreviations:
BA=Bakery and Laundry Conference; BLET=Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and
Trainmen; BMWED=Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way; BR=Brewery and Soft Drink Workers
Conference; CC=Cannery Council; Dairy=Dairy Conference; GCA=BLET General Committee of
Adjustment; GCC=Graphics Communications Conference; Intl=International; JC=Joint Council;
KY-WV=Kentucky-West Virginia Conference; L=Local Union; MO-KS=Missouri-Kansas-
Nebraska Conference; SLA=BLET State Legislative Association

 

At least i can say i'm unbiased. I will show both sides of the story.

 

Both sides of what story, it had nothing to do whith what drivers make???
Explain what you mean..