So.. What's the point of being a company driver if...

Friday, I think it's generally true that companies start drivers at an entry level rate/compensation, which they increase if you hang around and don't do anything that raises their insurance rates. So you could stay for more money.

If you don't care about money, why are you looking at a move?

 

Im interested in learning why you think grass might be greener on the other company's fence?

Money should be your every concern. I would not turn a wheel for less than a thousand net each week. Knowing there will be times I will see zero due to hang ups in papers and billing sometimes. That is what savings are for.

In the old days you moved from company to a better company, for example I quit one to get a truck with power steering, then I quit that one to get a truck with power steering and air conditioning plus a 5 cent increase in mileage pay. Finally I quit that one to get a better and bigger truck with actual air ride and everything else and a two cent increase and so on. I have been with by my count close to 40 companies in my life time. Half of which do not exist anymore and a handful are enemies of me with a blacklist to prove it.

You want to behave and stay with a company for a good long time. It proves you much better as a person to be relied on in times of trouble and possibly to be rewareded with oppertunities down the road. I was made trainer with FFE after a year and change for both a purpose to break in my new spouse (Next time someone else train her then again....)and a potential future as a trainer once our team broke up. But we stopped running for FFE because despite 4 to 7000 ground miles each week, the mileage pay persisted in being 0.00 weekly due to the slowness of the Bills of Lading in getting paid, some took 90 days to pay.

It's a shame. Next time thinking back on that, I would have cut my spouse loose to go back home and stayed on as a salaried trainer. Our total income would have exceeded what we made together as a team there that year. But you make decisions and live with them. For better or worse.

In my later years I did not move from one company to another very easily. Someone would have had to offer me things that I never had (Such as satellite pay with deductions, .48 a mile and so on the moment your 5th wheel hooked onto the trailer. That gave me a chance to run my company job like a business direct depositing a amount to my spouse and house and taking just what I needed plus 10% for food.) Or a salaried position.

The mileage work is for the birds. It's a shame we are allowed to be abused and endure short miles one week and lots of miles the next. You see airline pilots flying empty planes to be deadhead to position for tomorrow's work on salary exceeding 150K a year day in and day out. Working a limited amount of hours. They do however put up with so much.

In fact I propose that mileage pay is a form of abuse these days. What with the rates as they are and contracts signed for long term hauling for year or more to a company and clients, there is no longer any reason to dribble out a dollar in miles when you can simply salary someone a certain amount provided the loads are on time. If not? Simply don't pay for the week. If they fail to make savings and complain, fire em. There are 50 more ready to take his or her job.

 

Do yourself a favor.... Make your rookie mistakes on the companies dime.

What's one year.....

 

Are you wanting to go on the Choice board and have to wait a year to be qualified?

 

Too many 6 month drivers failed.