Truck Driving Jobs

feederfred · #11 11-18-2006, 08:49 PM

4 hours of FREE time ?? BOGUS ! And then below minimum wage after that ? And I thought the former Overnite was bad...Drivers right out of school pulling sets ? No wonder I see so many of them in the wrong lane, complete with fog lights on. I thought OD was better than that.

Redeemed · #12 11-19-2006, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by feederfred

4 hours of FREE time ?? BOGUS ! And then below minimum wage after that ? And I thought the former Overnite was bad...Drivers right out of school pulling sets ? No wonder I see so many of them in the wrong lane, complete with fog lights on. I thought OD was better than that.

Gosh Fred, don't hold back, tell us what you really think.

DRIVERMAN77077 · #13 11-19-2006, 03:16 AM

WITH FOG LIGHTS ON??????????????

#14 11-19-2006, 04:00 PM

The trucking industry believes they can get away with a complete and total disregard of a worker's time. And as long as drivers continue to suck it up and play the fool, things will never change.

It's the absolute pits in OTR. You give em' two free hours at every dock you bump. You don't get paid all the miles you drive. You scale their load for free, fuel their truck for free, and babysit their equipment for nothing during traffic jams, PM's, and breakdowns. Dropping\hooking trailers, inspections, load securement...the list goes on and on in that end of the biz. Why? For whatever reason do drivers put up with being the garbageman? So they can tool around in a fancy rooster crusier? Because "that's truckin?". Sorry, I'll pass. I ain't out there for stetson hats, big radios, or chrome.

Looks like LTL is starting down that road now, too. Oh well. I'm lucky enough where I make a good buck in this biz for every hour I clock in on the job. And as long as I can continue to do so, I'll keep on truckin', I suppose. But if the day ever comes where some bean-counter in management wants me to sit around for free, then that's when I'll hang up my spurs for good. All good things must come to an end, right?

Driveline · #15 11-19-2006, 06:46 PM

I do know that you don't get paid until 4hrs is up in delay time, not sure what the pay is thou, never happened to me yet.

We do get paid for hooks thou, so if you get 4 hooks and 4 drops in a trip a day and do that 5 days a week thats an extra 60 bucks.

Old Dominion not that bad of a company, they have treated me pretty well, and have paid me better than the OTR companies have. I am basically a wild driver, don't really mind it to much, really can't stand dedicated runs, to boring, same road, same scenery, it just bores me to death after awhile. I usually go out Sunday an return home on Friday or Saturday morning.

feederfred · #16 11-20-2006, 12:44 AM

So that's a buck and half to drop and hook ? Correct me if I'm wrong..As for the other reply, NO I don't hold back. I firmly believe that NO-ONE especially the people who keep this nation in food, fuel and the very clothing on their backs should work for FREE. I get paid by the hour for everything and so should all driver's. Optimistic ? sure. Do I think it will happen ? Maybe not. But if drivers as a whole would refuse to give away their time, maybe it would start. Companies only exploit those that they know will take it. We would all be better off if the "freebies" stopped. We also need the trucking industry's exemption from the Fair Labor and Standards Act repealed. The legal slavery has got to stop somewhere.

Useless · #17 11-20-2006, 01:15 AM

I'd always heard that O/D was a very good outfit to drive for!! NO????

Ian Williams · #18 11-20-2006, 02:38 AM

Con-Way also starts new guys in line haul. After a week of training you go to the bottom of the extra board.

Here in Reno that means you could be going over Donner solo in winter on your 6th day of work. Last February a guy who was 2 or 3 weeks out of the in-house training jack knifed his set coming down the grade between Boreal and Truckee on 80.

DRIVERMAN77077 · #19 11-20-2006, 02:40 AM

was he fired

FlyByWire · #20 11-20-2006, 05:02 AM

Thats weird, when I'm delayed Im paid my hourly rate... I must work for a different OD then...?

I have never seen a new hire run linehaul right out of the gate. Not saying it doesnt happen, but in most cases it would be:

A wild run that no current linehual driver wants, and no P&D driver wants to switch to

The wild drivers make some serious money however... But we have runs that are home nightly that pay 640 miles.. and top pay is .48 right now (low for the industly however....)... But at the end of the week... you are pretty much baked, and need both of your days off to recover.

You can do a LOT worse than OD, overall Im very happy where im at... Although by no means do I plan on retireing as a truck driver... it'll do for now.

Its just my personal opinion, but I think that there will be only 3 ltl companies on the road in the not too distant future.

FBW