Canadian good and bad trucking companies

[TheHealthyDriver]

A whole 6 yrs that is impressive. But it would explain why you fail to comprehend how badly you're being raped by the pimps who love to abuse drivers like you.

Ignorance is not your friend Monsieur Healthy Driver.

You do realize you're being raped right?
You are working for the same wages drivers made 20 years ago.

Do you honestly think that you'll be making much more 20 years from now if nothing is done to prevent companies from continuing to prostitute your services for 20 yr old wage rates?

And becoming an O/O does not make the pay any better whatsoever. Anyone with any knowledge of this industry can tell you that.
I suggest you open your eyes and mind. Your anti-union bias is seriously holding you back from seeing the light of just how badly you've been abused and helping to improve working conditions for ALL drivers.
You're clearly a victim, you have my sympathy.

You see an industry that is killing it's workers. I see workers that gripe and whine too much. And to say that I am ignorant because I've only been driving for 6 years is easily the defense of someone who cannot come up with a valid argument.

I don't deny that drivers make the same now as they did 20 years ago. However, I don't see how drivers are "under compensated" for the work they do. And I know of MANY O/O that are doing GREAT. Just because you can't/won't doesn't mean others can't/won't. On these forums alone, there are many O/Os who are doing fantastic.

My anti-union bias is because I was part of 2 unions before, and know first hand how crooked and useless they really are. Perhaps it's your unwillingness to work hard that has you skewed towards unions.

[Flying Finn]

Why is it we seem to be the only industry that pays on a scale 20 years old (?) and yet are just supposed to live with it? I cannot think of another line of workers that would stay at the same pay rate for over 20 years and NOT raise a fuss and try to improve things.

Maybe I'm just thinking all backwards or something?

[TheHealthyDriver]

Maybe drivers were overpaid before, and a correction had to take place. It's what happened in the auto industry. Only with this economic meltdown, has there been any push back against the union labour within the auto industry. Only now, will there start being wage corrections within that industry. Possibly, just possibly, drivers' wages are now hitting where they really should be. But, that's just my opinion.

[angry_trucker]

I don't deny that drivers make the same now as they did 20 years ago.

Actually that is incorrect...drivers make less than 20 years ago, because the cost of living has gone up about 100% since then while their wages haven't....
I belive that anyone who works 60-70 hour weeks deserves to make a decent living, instead of living paycheque to paycheque after all their bills are paid like most professional drivers out there

[Black Ice]

Maybe drivers were overpaid before, and a correction had to take place. It's what happened in the auto industry. Only with this economic meltdown, has there been any push back against the union labour within the auto industry. Only now, will there start being wage corrections within that industry. Possibly, just possibly, drivers' wages are now hitting where they really should be. But, that's just my opinion.

You really think drivers were overpaid 20 years ago?

Give your head a shake.

This is the only industry where wages (drivers, not management) have not gone up.

Tell me something, will you be willing to work for the same money you're paid now and not a penny more in 20 years?
Because I guarantee that there's literally hundreds of company owners salivating at the notion of having a sucker like that on their payroll.

[Black Ice]

Actually that is incorrect...drivers make less than 20 years ago, because the cost of living has gone up about 100% since then while their wages haven't....
I belive that anyone who works 60-70 hour weeks deserves to make a decent living, instead of living paycheque to paycheque after all their bills are paid like most professional drivers out there

Precisely my point.

Which is the case for almost all the drivers in this industry.

I think the part HealthyDriver can't seem to grasp is, if it were such a good paying career, there wouldn't be a shortage of drivers or companies literally operating "puppy mill" (Swift Memphis TN) licencing offices to fill the seats.

[end of the road]

Drivers wages have gone up. I remember not so long ago the going rate was .30 cpm. It is now around .42 cpm. Am I wrong here? That is about 40% increase in 10 years.

Don't get me wrong, they have not kept up with inflation which as somebody pointed out, does mean they have in essence gone down. But the wage itself has gone up in many cases.

I know some of the larger fleets have annual increases.

[TheHealthyDriver]

Actually that is incorrect...drivers make less than 20 years ago, because the cost of living has gone up about 100% since then while their wages haven't....
I belive that anyone who works 60-70 hour weeks deserves to make a decent living, instead of living paycheque to paycheque after all their bills are paid like most professional drivers out there

If you can't pay your bills, that's a lack of proper personal finance. Not a wage issue. I don't live paycheck to paycheck because I choose(see that word, people?...CHOOSE) to live below my means. I can easily live on less than $65ish grand a year. It's not a hard thing to do. People need to quit buying what they can't afford. And how do you know if you can afford something? Simple, if you have the extra cash on hand, and will still have a 6 month emergency fund after the purchase, then you can afford it. If not, you can't. If you need to make payments, THEN YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT!! The only exception to that would be a mortgage. And even there, too many are stupid and believe what a bank tells them about what they can afford to borrow for a house. People need to wake the hell up and stop blaming everyone else for their own $hitty lives.


Also, the wages are near the same, but inflation has increased the cost of living. They are 2 different things. You make the same money, but have less buying power. It's simple economics. But, again, if you can't afford to make it on a trucker's wage, then stop being a trucker, and get your ##### to law school or something.

[TheHealthyDriver]

You really think drivers were overpaid 20 years ago?

Give your head a shake.

This is the only industry where wages (drivers, not management) have not gone up.

Tell me something, will you be willing to work for the same money you're paid now and not a penny more in 20 years?
Because I guarantee that there's literally hundreds of company owners salivating at the notion of having a sucker like that on their payroll.

I have no plans to be driving AT ALL within a few years. I DID plan to buy my own truck, but after hearing rumblings about a change to 8 hour driving days, I knew there wouldn't be any more decent money to be made. The problem with trucking is government sticking its' nose in waaay too much. If the gov't would stop trying to police the trucking industry as it has been, drivers could make more money. The wages are just fine. How can one not live on $65k/yr? The average wage for a family of 4 in the US is around $48k/yr, from what I last heard. Also, your wage doesn't need to be increased each and every year for you to become wealthy. Any trucker can become wealthy within 15 to 25 years if they decide to not go buying everything like a spoiled brat.

[Get-r-Done]

I don't beleive in unions protecting lazy people but without unions us workers would have no protection from big corperations. They don't care about Canadian labour laws, Canadian goverment, etc. And if you ever hand to deal with a big corperation you would know what I'm talking about! Also, these companies like Mckinnen pushing apprenticeships and making trucking a skilled trade.....I say go for it. Skilled trades are making about $30 to $50 per hour currently! Driver's don't forget minimum wage is almost $11/hour now, houses are 1/4 million and a coffee is 2 bucks. Don't knock the unions...we need them!