unemployment?!!!!

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"Knock the ####### bottom out!"
"Life after DAC."

i better go look fr a job, be safe when u get back at it, and good luck with your teeth

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"Knock the ####### bottom out!"
"Life after DAC."

I agree with Timtruck on this. Pharmphil, you will not "average $1000 per week take home at specialized or anywhere , especially right now. Sure, a new driver at specialized took home 900 last week. What about the week before? The week after? $650.00 $700.00, $500.00, $900.00, these numbers were a good mix for what I was taking in, and that was well before the economy dipped. Look at ollies "maverick in the rear view". He list what his take home pay was. Even with the raise and the very slow times, a person would be lucky to average $750.00 a week for the next year. And what is the $55,000 avg based on? Bullsh#t. And becoming an owner op anytime soon, YEAH RIGHT! frieght rates are fluctuating. And with all due respect no tarps, you just did a lease with prime. Why? If mav is so great why would you try a lease with prime???? Thats like a person saying Im leaving Crete to go work for covenant And all these people that are running to trucking now thinking its going to save their financial ##### are in for an awakening.

And with all due respect no tarps, you just did a lease with prime. Why? If mav is so great why would you try a lease with prime????


The reason was I wanted to try something other than company. I had been on the waiting list at maverick for the lease and desided to go elsewhere. With in 30 days I knew I messed up and went back to maverick. You see I had that option I was not fired from them.

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My childhood dream of becoming a truck driver turned into a nightmare!

These are good point, especially with the failing economy. And any statements that I make- are only in refrence to the rgular flatbe. I KNOW NOTHING about specalized.
-If you figure low on my year gross- that was 40000/52wks. in my rookie year (making less pay, then getting raises, etc.) = about $770 gross a week. Now figure in that I spent the first year putting in more hours then I had, causing myself to always end up with short loads....and figure I figured my total a little low....one ought to be able to GROSS 'CLOSE' to 1k if they did it right. Notice I corrected myself in my earlier post and said 'I better say close to 1k.'
-But....figure in all the factors that Cresslor just did....and he's right, thats a whole nother' matter.
-On the other hand, what do I know? I'm wrong about everything....

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"Knock the ####### bottom out!"
"Life after DAC."

Faber, I think that you were averaging what most maverick drivers truly earn. I do not believe that the US division drivers are or were averaging $52000 a year. No way. None of the guys I trained with at ASU in Newport, AR, were averaging a $1000 a week. More like 750-800. GROSS. All maverick did was take the highest grossing proportion of drivers in their fleet and generalized it with the word "average". Between the lines, it means "these guys only". Your average wages at any carrier are going to be contingent on the carriers freight base. And in an irregular route carrier, you can only do so much. Fleet managers wont let you sit if there is plenty of freight to go around. PERIOD. The way the planners schedule the loads will determine how much you run or not. Its not like your setting the appointments and making yourself "more available for more". A driver can only do so much with what he is given. But in hindsight there can be the illusion that "I could have done more". This comes from inhaling the urine fumes in truck stop parking lots. Drivers run illegal often times to make up for all the time they were sitting and then also "hoping" they "might" be able to squeeze another load in before the pay period is up. Horse Hockey!!

This also could very well be true. It is possible that I still managed to get the same miles as the other guys while I was running shorter loads. I swear what a dumb rookie I was my first year. I always wanted to be 'available' if thy needed me to get any load they needed me to get....and the 'old timers' would say, 'i always put in 10 hours.' What they wouldnt say is they didnt drop first thing as soon as the cons. opened. I must have moved a #### ton of short mile freight for them. Load/unload everyday, drive every night, do it again....wasn't untill they came out in the beginning of the second year going into slow season (yep rookied out going into winter),,,that they said...we need to get our hours avail. right to spread out the miles. So I thought...#### no way I'm stealing mile from my brothers. Start putting in less hours, next thing you know....rolling on 2 day trips, taking naps, sleeping and still getting miles.
-So you see where I would theorize being in the lower pay if I have come to the conclusion all I did was move short ####. But your theory could be entirely true....maybe I moved enuff short loads to keep up with the miles others got.
-If one rookie reads this and saves himself from doing the dumb #### I did...its worth the time to type it.
I've always had jobs other guys couldnt hack, so I just figured...well no wonder people dont hack it......No #######, put in more hours...get a shorter load...because you have the hours to get it there by tommorrow...then drop first thing when they open, put in more hours....get to do it all week.
I'm college educated, vocationally certified, operated more equip. then I care to list....and it took a year to get my head out of my ###......what a idiot....oh well, lessons learned.
-Anyway, you make good points, that are entirely possible. And I'm glad your making them, because believe me, I DO NOT want to mislead anyone when it comes to what they are thinnking of doing to care for their family.
-And being i got canned at 1 month b4 my next raise and vacation, I can't fully speak for what happens the 2nd year....and the debate/convesation only vested around the first year anyway, so, oh well.
-and again....i've shur been wrong b4.

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"Knock the ####### bottom out!"
"Life after DAC."

Those numbers are indeed distressing. If I can assume that this is the result of the overall drop in freight, I still would prefer to weather this nationwide problem at $0.41/mile than $.30ish. Flat is hard work and glass seems to especially suck, but I gotta do what I gotta do unless someone can provide a definite better solution rather than complaining about the same problem at every company out there right now. I truly am open to good advice, but it has to be supported by the numbers... if it's not there in theory, it's definitely not there in practice.

I wish I could help ya.....Hopefully someone will have a better response. I can tell you that 'if it were me' scenario. --So, if I were you, I would take a job doing regular flatbed if given the chance and the waiting period weren't to rediculious with Mav.....to take one doing the glass....I'm not so sure....it would be something I'd have to think thru more.
-It would proably be as good if not better then any other flat comp....
-Keeping the knowledge of what you have learned here in mind at all times.
-If you aren't perfect, that point system can only accomplish two things
1 - making it harder for a good driver to go to another company because he has stuff on his DAC
2 - giving the comp. a reason to can at will.
But who knows any company may be that way.....jmo.

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"Knock the ####### bottom out!"
"Life after DAC."

Maverick specialized shorts you about 15% on your miles. So in other words, to get paid for 2500 miles, you will have to drive nearly 2900 miles. And right now this is just not going to happen. This was not a running average there before anyway. At best you can expect to drive about 2400 miles and get paid for about 2100, AT BEST!!. Thats a gross of about $860. Minus taxes and insurance on the perdiem plan, which nets you more, and you will have about $730. This is actually high for the way things are now. $600 take home is probably the best you can expect right now. Or less. And thats for staying out for two weeks and only getting home for maybe a 34hr restart. And the economy has not even hit bottom yet and is still sinking. You would be better off working 2 jobs at home. Or even one. Make sure you deduct your incidental expenses from that $600.00 too. So maybe $500.00 a week net.