Why do people still drive for these big companies???

Perhaps you don't understand that other countries have jobs that was once in your area. You can thank Reagan, Bush, and Clinton for that...its called NAFTA

 

If you are speaking to me I understand perfectly and I know who to thank. That is my point entirely the jobs are not there.

 

OK I'm game, outside of o/o where do you go with your CDL? Outside of the major companies if you want to haul all 48 and want a nice truck you wont find it at the mom and pop shop.

 

Yes I know I said we are done and we will be. First my original reply was a bit sarcastic and I know that does not work well while typing so sorry for that.

I am always looking for something else as I am always looking to improve my situation. You are right i won't be working where I work for cheap right now as I have never done so and won't start now. My company may haul the cheap freight you speak of, but I do not work for cheap. As I said I live in central Indiana and I am home everyday, so I really don't haul much from Long Island, my company might, but not me.

As for the point yes you have still missed it or at least not fully understood it. Your original quote says.

I guess I should not have answered anyway as I do not make less than $700 a week, but the part about the non trucking jobs is why I replied in the first place. That statement is simply not true where I live, you did not specify an area where these jobs are, you just made a broad statement saying there are plenty of these jobs like they are everywhere, well they are not. You did not say you had to pack up and move to find one of these jobs, you actually said you can stay home everyday, hence my reference to internet scams.


To give you some credit, yes I could probably go find a temp job doing some of what you stated for a little less than you said as the rates you state are not for my area. However it is still a temp job and that does not do me any good and further answers why I work for the big company. If you do not want to here the answers to your question do not ask it.

I sincerely hope that you do well in your endeavors and if you choose to run empty to make a stand more power to you, I understand your choice, but am unsure I would make the same one if I were in your position. As I said before I will continue on with the big company for now, but I am always looking and always will be until I retire.

 

Plenty of places. There a lots of smaller outfits (100-300 trucks) that have newer equipment including APU's for the driver comfort, decent operating areas including 48 states (though most are somewhat regional in their operation), usually some pretty good accounts/customers, etc. I have been with two of these sized outfits in the last 13 years. (would still be with the first one, but they got bought out) Of course, they do not have ads plastered all over the truck stop rags, partly due to the cost of advertising. A lot of these companies rely on word of mouth to get drivers. You just have to "beat the weeds" to find them. Once you do, most times the effort was worth it. I only had dealings one time with one of the mega carriers, and it will never happen again.

 

Don't know that that was necessary, was it?

And mega-carriers are a big part of what's wrong with the industry today.

 

"Mega" carriers make up about 10% of the industry.

No idea how they could be the root of all that's wrong with the industry.



If rates are a problem, I challenge you to price out the same route, same weight and same type of freight with a few "megas" and then run it through some brokers. Then post your honest numbers here.

Most of these "megas" didn't just sprout out of the desert with over a thousand trucks and explode onto the scene. They started out as little 1 and 2 truck operations.

Everybody is so concerned about why people want to work for a large, stable company that has decent benefits and steady work. They blame the big guys for their own plight in the industry...while we have one memeber who posted he (basically independent) regularly pulls over 9K/week in revenue. I have no reason to doubt him. He doesn't seem too upset about the condition of the industry.

 

I do not have any dealings with smaller outfits, only 2 larger ones. Maybe it's time to look on the other side of the fence. Some times the smaller the outfit, the less they want to fix their junk, not always but the bigger outfits seem to have nicer trucks.
I do not want to own so I look at the shape of the rig going down the road. Any suggestion's? So. Cal.

 

Injun, thank you for your explanation. I understand that some people like to work for a stable company. I have no problem with that. I worked for two Mega carriers during my "carrier" so far. Both are very stable, debt free companies. I had no trouble with my dispatch, DM, or STL team, but they only worked from 6:00 am to 4:00 pm, or 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. I noticed that for the rest of the time I was just a number. The companies have over 10,000 drivers. An individual driver has really no say. If his equipment is shabby, he goes to the shop and is told that only safety issues and PM issues will be addressed. If he breaks down on the road, they send another driver to get his load; good the load gets to the customer on time, but the driver has no work until the equipment is fixed. It takes the maintenance department a full week to approve the repairs. After the economy slowed down, my income took a hit, from about $600/w down to $300/w. I can't be on the road AND maintain my household for $300/w. If I stay home I have at least my nice warm bed, and I don't have to worry about regulations, idle time, etc. I can make $300/w from home, somehow, by selling stuff on e-bay, etc. No LEO comes to my door at night. It's not worth spending 3-5 weeks on the road in freezing conditions, taking care of the customers freight, and the company's truck. All I asked was that I could make a decent living. The last 3 months were not a decent living. On top of that the company kept hiring "experienced" drivers, even after the crash, the instructors were sent back on the road. Gues who go the good accounts? Not the "new" drivers. I don't like to complain, but I can't understand why not more drivers just get the heck out of that situation. Maybe they do, that's why the turnover is 110%, but it is still going on.
Now I can't sign up with a decent company, because they all require at least 1 year "recent" experience. Blah Blah. They'd rather hire a guy with a crimianl record that has sat on a truck for a year, than an honest, clean and hard working guy that had the guts to say no to this situation. Some companies want me to back to driving school. Ha Ha, and go out with a trainer for $300/w. Sorry, it's not going to happen. I will not be abused again. Anyway, I'm ranting, sorry!