myths about trucking you need to know if you are getting into trucking

[russellrig]

Lets face it, no matter what kind of work you get into, you dont really know what is going on until you have been doing the work for a few months. Im going to get my a licence in Ontario this summer, and it looks great. The pay is good, you get to drive a cool vehicle ect.... But.I keep reading online about companies that make drivers run illegal, companies that make drivers forge logs or make them drive more hours than they should under law and the driver gets into trouble. I keep hearing about companies that force drivers to drive trucks that are not safe, and, again, the driver is the one charged. I hear about drivers who dont get paid for the time they spend crossing the border or while they have to wait. I could go on and one about the things I have read.

I have pretty much decided to change careers and become a professional driver of an 18 wheeler. But, I am worried about what the reality of this business is like. Im sure there lots like me, who see a stable industry, a shortage of drivers, claims to make lots of money, and are ready to jump in. Is driving a truck in Canada really as good as it looks, or, as some say, is it a nightmare where you get treated like crap. I cant figure it out and I am hoping some of you guys and girls who are in the business of driving a truck can tell us the truth. I am probably going to start driving loca (home every night or as much as possible rather than gone for a week or two - i have young kids) in eastern ontario. Im worried that the shortage of drivers I see doesnt really exist, that, as some of you have written, there are just so many bad companies out there that treat drivers so badly that no one will drive for them.

Should I become a truck driver or not?

Please, tell us what its really like.

thaks

russelrig

[Runawayscreaming]

Hmm, lets see...

- Trucking is more deregulated than ever.
- Wages are lower than ever.
- Benefits are poor to nonexistent.
- Truck drivers are exempt from overtime pay and minimum-wage legislation.
- The Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the Provincial Nominee Program are being used to drive down wages for truck drivers.
- Truck drivers are used as a source of revenue by Provincial and State governments (in the form of arbitrary fines levied on drivers).
- Trucking has been largely de-unionized.
- Trucking companies are generally very poorly managed.
- Trucking industry standard practice is to rip off drivers pay and deliberately obfuscate the pay structure so drivers cannot be sure if they are being paid what they were promised.

While we are at it we might as well discuss the state of the equipment, which is not good. You don't make money when your company truck is broken down. You don't make money when you are paying fines for mechanical deficiencies on your truck. You don't make money when you are in the hospital because of injuries caused by your truck (or someone else's truck).

There are apparently 600,000 unused truck drivers licenses in Canada. Trucking has employee turnover higher than fast food. The biggest accomplishment of the trucking industry these days is reducing public safety on the highways and imposing social costs on society by impoverishing truck drivers.

[russellrig]

that sounds pretty grim

[BoomTruckin]

There is no shortage of drivers, their is a shortage of fair wage jobs. Thats why most drivers are leaving Ontario, myself included.

What you listed are not Myths, thats what majority of companies do. There are some great companies out there, problem being they are a needle in a haystack.

[russellrig]

so, how does someone avoid the misery when getting into trucking, and, im also hearing both sides, theres people on here who say trucking is great, its confusing

[cariboo_kid]

A lot of us head to the oilpatch these days to get some experience and good wages and hope with experience we will be able to get a better job when we leave the patch in the future.

[BoomTruckin]

Its great if you catch on with a good firm. Finding one isn't easy, and as a rookie will be tough in Ontario.

Don't get me wrong, there are great places to work as a driver. I just so happen to believe Ontario is not one of those places anymore.

My lifestyle and your lifestyle may be completely different, so you may not mind making $15 and hour, while I refuse to. That's where the difference lies.

[Runawayscreaming]

theres people on here who say trucking is great

Who said that? Please supply a list of those people, with their occupations.

[cariboo_kid]

Who said that? Please supply a list of those people, with their occupations.

That's what the Challenger recruiter told me before he asked me to sign the training agreement which included 6 months of driving team for peanuts... lol

[russellrig]

so the idea of getting paid 16 dollars an hour coming out of training are ########?