Sleep and get paid

Wishful thinking bud, wishful thinking.

 

Miller Transporters in Jackson, MS is a union/teamster outfit with company driver terminals in Memphis, El Dorado AR, E. St. Louis and Mobile. They have sleeper pay of $20 per night or Motel of your choice. Driver has a choice sleep in the truck for $20 or motel. They give you a motel credit card card corporate lodging. You get meal money which is $6.50 per meal and your given three meals per day. So 3 x $6.50 = $19.50 per day for food. You turn in your expense report and the terminal manager cuts you a hand written check at the end of the week tax free (per diem). The union contract rates increase every February and next year meals will go to $7.00. The drivers get paid .45 per mile on B loads which is everything except gas and oil which pays .42 per mile. Paid by the hour to load and unload at $15.35 hr and pays starts the minute you hit the guard shack at customer. Paid waiting on dispatch to send your next load assignment at $13.65 hr and paid for all time at tank wash. Paid $13.65 hr for break down and paid $13.65 hr if delayed by traffic accident, weather so forth so on. Paid 15.35hr switching trailers drop and hook. Layover is $13.65 hr after the 14th hour then it pays 8hr and give them 10hr and pays 8hr them 10 you get the idea. I have the contract and they pay for so many things its hard to list them all. If you have any more questions pm me and i will be glad to answer them.

 

But unions are bad, right?

 

Unions are bad as far as seniority. Miller and other union outfits dispatch based on seniority. Example you have 20 drivers at a terminal and the most Senior driver will get 20 load choices for the next day. Then the number 2 driver on the board will get 19 load choices so forth so on. The union sucks for the brand new company driver with no seniority. That is why a union job is a young mans job. You start young when you can handle all the bs and by the time your a old man you have enough seniority to cherry pick the loads. Yes and No on unions are bad. The one positive thing about a union you get paid for everything you do. So the next time you are sitting at a customer or waiting for a load and the hours tick by and not getting paid ask that question to yourself are unions good or bad.

 

That can be problematic for any company trucking or manufacturing when it isn't union or non-union across the board. Generally speaking, most non-union companies in segments like tanker, car hauling, or LTL that have an organized presence tend to pay better and follow some work rules, like seniority, that are thought of as union rules. LTL is the only organized area I know anything about, but most union and non-union companies function pretty much the same way for the drivers. Our pay here is better than most union carriers but their benefits are better and they have recourse if something is screwed up whereas we don't. Whether it's union or non-union, once you hit top rate you're there - it varies from 3-5 years depending on the company but I make as much here after 7 years as a driver with 20 years. We bid runs and are dispatched by seniority which I like - I don't want someone taking my hooks because they raced down to the hub without even doing their paperwork - seniority in/out is the best way to run LTL line-haul in my opinion.

I think at times some drivers with good non-union jobs need to keep in mind why it is their non-union job is so good. I know my employer does not pay what they do or pay me for everything because they think I'm one heck of a good driver/dockworker..

 

Exactly - if UPS Freight and ABF are paying X as union carriers, Con-way and FedEx Freight have to pay X and maybe a little more in some areas as non-union carriers to be competitive and keep the operational flexibility. This is why I believe drivers need to understand the importance of organized companies/drivers over the years. OTR has never had any real organized presence and look at the quality, or lack thereof, of the jobs in that segment of trucking.

 

From what I hear about Wal*Mart being a scourge to the planet, and they pay for breaks and sleeper time...say it isn't true...are you pulling our legs? Is this for real? Do you have a bridge for sale too?

My point is, I am not surprised that Wal*Mart is doing the right thing, even though everyone seems to be running them down, they are doing the right thing. Some people are really pissed at Wal*Mart, but yet they seem to do the right thing for their truckers, customers, employees, etc...why are so many people pissed off at Wal*Mart?

Just wondering...

 

I think it is just "in fashion" to be pissed at Wallyworld. Honestly, some of the stuff I see posted on here is just plain funny. They are a business, just like any other business. They have just learned how to do some things much better than other businesses have.

But to hear the way folks talk and post about them, they are the devil incarnate!