Nobody is forced to work for substandard wages.

They choose to do so.

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Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.-Albert Einstein

"When things look bad, and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb mad dog mean. Cause if you lose your head and you give up, then you neither live nor win, that's just the way it is." --the Outlaw Josey Wales

You really do not understand trucking.

What are you talking about?

Who is forced to drive a truck?

__________________
Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.-Albert Einstein

"When things look bad, and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb mad dog mean. Cause if you lose your head and you give up, then you neither live nor win, that's just the way it is." --the Outlaw Josey Wales

Like I said, you do not have a clue.

You can be working for a truck company, they set the mile pay when you start.

There is no agreement or contract or whatever. They said the policy on layover and detention pay.

You get into a situation that requires the detention pay or whatever and suddenly the rules changed this morning. You deal with the policies that change.

They then turn around and change the pay policy.

Instead of 40 cents per mile, the pay is now 32 cents per mile. The company is having a tough time, but you will have to take the pay cut.



You really should refrain from any comments concerning the trucking industry and substandard pay.

In all fairness his premise is correct. There is no gun to anyone's head making us drive. The forum is replete with drivers that showed up at an orientation expecting one pay rate only to get quoted a new one. If they didn't like it they left. If you have skills to do something that pays better then you should do that. If this is the upper end of your skill set then you have no one to blame.

As far as policies changing that morning...I guess it happens but maybe the evil folks I have worked for never did it.

As far as who may or may not comment on the industry...If we let people with nutty theories on the deaths of Hoffa post then do we have claim to stiffle anyone else?

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Bad spellers of the world...UNTIE!!!

What He said.

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Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.-Albert Einstein

"When things look bad, and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb mad dog mean. Cause if you lose your head and you give up, then you neither live nor win, that's just the way it is." --the Outlaw Josey Wales

It is always good to have the people that have the knowledge and the experience to help. Many do not and they tend to provide little of value. If they have never experienced the way a trucking company operates, it is hard to believe them.

The poster in reference does provide a wealth of knowledge concerning investments and monetary information.

I will remain with my stand on this issue and do respect your thoughts.

That is the only comment you can make to the entire post? I guess you fit the bill.

You sir, sound like someone who has never been in or driven a truck proffesionally. How do you know what drivers go thru on a daily basis?

Unless? Unless you are the unscrupulous owner of a trucking company. Is that you?

To all others,

Drive safe

Well...Ill go ahead and comment on your entire post. Just to make your day.

The sad thing is that you think you know what its like to be a trucker. Sure, you may be a trucker, but others act like professionals. Big difference.

And if you think you need to work a day in someones shoes to understand their life, you need to get out more often.

And your point is what? They are called 'workers' for a reason. They don't sacrifice anything. Men and women who give up their lives for this country, thats a sacrifice. Knowingly getting into a truck that takes you away from your family is not the same kind of sacrifice. I don't know how one can label it a sacrifice when they knowingly DO that.

I hear sacrifice alot. To me, my family is number one. If they are worth that much to me that I have to 'sacrifice' for them...then I need to do something else that puts them back at number one...because at the end of the day, I shouldnt need to sacrifice anything. In my situation with my job change...Im away from home for a lot longer than I used to be. Im not going to sacrifice and just let it be, and take it; Im looking for other jobs so that I can get back to what is most important.

To a company, you are just a worker, not royalty. You provide your labor, not higher level intellectual thought processes that require years upon years of schooling and training.

Also, what you are griping about with the drivers not getting noticed. Welcome to the real world. I don't 'notice' anyone else that has a job. I don't get paid to go up and give someone an 'atta boy' for flipping a burger to provide for their family. Nor should I.

If you want a union argument, take it to the union thread, because nobody wants to see you give up on that argument before I would, on here.

I agree that this almost sounds like a racist comment.

First off, most, if not ALL of the major companies in existance today, started off small. Bill Gates (whitey), started in his garage. Now he is one of the worlds richest people, and gives a ton of money out via his philanthropic work. I really don't know how many union companies can say the same thing. What they did (and do) is let a company build. That company's goal is to make a profit...etc. Some guy or gal has an idea, builds it...forms a company around it, does all the work, blood sweat and tears. And after this has been all said and done, Mr. Organized Labor comes in trying to get the workers to organize against the company, to milk out more money and benefits out of that company.

Mr. Guido started a pizza shop in Brooklyn in the early 1900's. Created wonderful dishes, linguine, fettucini, spaghetti, true marhgareta pizzas...etc. Then one day...Bambino, Spumoni, and Baby Face Geno come in...saying he has to pay THEM...or else...'bad things will happen.'

They both sound alike.

Second, if you really pay attention to your argument, you are whining that the companies don't do x, y and z for their employees. You think they don't pay enough, don't provide full free benefits...etc. Griping. The fact is that you shouldn't work for a company if you don't think they fill your needs. If you want to get paid 40 bucks an hour for holding a steering wheel...then look for a job that pays that. And that pays you full benefits, and time off,a nd sick days, and and and and and.

I as an employer should be able to let the market dictate what I want to pay my employees. If I see that the market is paying 20k a year for someone in a certain field...I know that paying 15k is not going to cut it. But at the same time, I don't need to pay them 25k either. Your pay should be effective, when YOU become effective...not when a signed paper says you showed up to work most of the time last year so that means you get a raise.

You don't go to a grocery store and take something up to the register saying "I want this Tbone...but I don't want to pay this amount" they arent going to cut the price to make you feel better. You can shop elsewhere. However, as a union backer, you seem to fully support telling companies what YOU think YOU should make, by doing the job THEY created for YOU to work.

And really, don't come on here with this union junk saying you want to help the companies work and get prosperous. Can you say Legacy Costs? You stand there and wave your pro labor sign on the street corner; while at the same time dismissing the fact that your government now owns most of GM. I dont know about you, but when I was a kid and thought about a government making cars...I thought of Russia and China.

What is wrong with a company running the way it wants to run itself? If you dont like the wages, then go elsewhere. Its not that trucking pays poorly because 'they all are in a conspiracy together against the establishment of the working man.' its that...simply, they don't feel the need to pay you 4 bucks a mile to haul toilet paper.
Unfortunately, you seem to fail to realize that trucking companies under bid to stay in business. They will try to provide the lowest possible bid in order to haul the freight and still make a profit. If they know they have to pay you a buck a mile to haul freight, they know they will most likey lose that freight because of the high cost of your pay. Most companies are within a close range of pay. Some are higher, but they are able to play with the numbers to make the higher pay work. However, a company can't stay profitable, pay its drivers a very high wage that is unrealistic, and keep the freight lanes open. If you as a shipper have to choose between two companies, you are going to decide based on a lot of factors such as service, cost...etc. I don't think Ive ever heard of a shipper giving a rats patoot about driver pay. They care about their bottom line. As a shipper, you are more likely to pick a lower cost carrier time after time. As a trucking company, you will NOT get the loads if you have high driver salaries that are NOT comparable to the industry.

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"You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept Communism outright. But we will keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you finally wake up and realize you already have communism. We won’t have to fight you; we’ll so weaken your economy that you will fall like over ripe fruit into our hands."
Former Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev