20 years ago this week

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by 6 Speed, May 17, 2014.

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  1. rocknroll81

    rocknroll81 Road Train Member

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    Back in the late 70's I ran only one log book and made over a grand a week on some weeks and a little under on other weeks, I got lucky as my first OTR job right outa the Diesel Academy was a union outfit, even with non union wages they were doing ok, what you need to understand is the dollar had more value back then compared to today, A driver making 40 grand a year back in the day should be making 70-80 grand today in terms of the value of the dollar and what you get buy.........
     
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  3. 6 Speed

    6 Speed Heavy Load Member

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    The unpaid waiting time put me out of the O/O business. It is true Unions do protect the jobs of sorry people but thats their job. But you have many more sorry people who are non Union who have turned America into a sue happy nation. Union membership is well below 7% but somehow still gets the blame for all sorriness. As far as running jobs overseas, nobody has done a better job of that than our own governments regulators namely OSHA and the EPA combined with astronomical fuel cost.
     
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  4. 6 Speed

    6 Speed Heavy Load Member

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    Yeah, in 1986 we bought a new mustang and I got a brand new Ranger in the same month and the payments were under $300/month for both.
     
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  5. rocknroll81

    rocknroll81 Road Train Member

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    JB was not the cause for the end of unions, as a matter fact I do believe that JB was not even around like they are now back in the 70's, it was Deregulation in the early 80's that killed off a lot of union companies with in the first few years, I'm not that against or for unions, I'm in the middle, yes I agree that unions nowa days protect the lazy nonproductive workers, been in 3 different unions and they didn't do a thing for me, but look at how the large mega carriers are treating the younger drivers, I never heard about that back in the day, need to remember that history can repeat itself.......
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2014
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  6. 12 ga

    12 ga THE VIEW FROM MY OFFICE

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    In the 80-90's I made as much as $6-700 a day as a union car hauler on the local board. Now too many driver are working all week to make that much. As a whole we are to blame for our own situation.
     
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  7. Mountain Hummingbird

    Mountain Hummingbird Medium Load Member

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    Companies use every excuse to keep wages low, to line their own pockets, then you have the bottom feeders who run junk and undercut rates, then you have the government who think they can legislate so that they get rid of the bottom feeders, and load up the drivers with more unpaid work. The cycle of trucking does not change just the names of the people and companies playing their games.
     
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  8. 12 ga

    12 ga THE VIEW FROM MY OFFICE

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    I notice that while referring to your GM UAW friends getting layed off that you negelect to mention the fact that they drew 90% of their wages when unemployment and sub pay were added up. Guess where that benefit came from.
     
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  9. 6 Speed

    6 Speed Heavy Load Member

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    Everyone conveniently fail to mention that much like social security, the benefits you reap from the Union far outweigh the almost minuscule contribution.
    In today's world a lifetime of social security contributions made by both you and your employer won't even cover a busch league type heart attack...LOL
     
  10. gpsman

    gpsman Road Train Member

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    Huh... I wonder who thunk up "right to work"... and why.

    Are you still in "Dad doesn't know jack" mode? Your conclusions are gross non sequiturs. Without the union he may have received no raises, and/or been fired for an opinion he expressed, or a political contribution he declined to make, or missing work due to illness, ad infinitum, and he knew that, but didn't tell you. Have you not noticed that since unions have largely been dissolved in the US wages haven't begun to keep up with inflation?

    THE principle of capitalism is to maximize profit. That includes providing employees as little compensation as possible, as well as getting your freight moved for as little as possible. Kid dying of cancer? Tough luck, bring your pass to work, those medical bills are going to pile up. Come in late one day and your job is toast. There's a long line of the unemployed waiting to take your place, because we shipped their jobs overseas. (BTW, thanks for subsidizing my golden heath insurance package the company covers every cent of; no threshold, no co-pays, including braces for the kids, while you pay through the nose for what amounts to only catastrophic coverage.)

    I once worked 29 days for a union company, 2nd shift. I was accomplishing twice what the 2 employees on 1st shift did. At the end of my 29th shift I was fired, for my "work habits", because a supervisor caught me sitting as I waited for the line to bring me some work to do.

    The union steward met me in the locker room, shook my hand, thanked me, told me I was completely outworking the 1st shift, and if the company had waited until I had 30 days they wouldn't let them fire me, but with only 29 days their hands were tied.
     
  11. rank

    rank Road Train Member

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    Your father had two jobs in 40 years...not a bad run I'd say. Not a single non union shop closed during that time? And I wonder why he chose those union jobs....could it be because of better pay? Safer working conditions? More vacation? Benefits? Job security?

    It is almost silly for you to use you father's example against unions. Two jobs in 40 years? Seriously? How many jobs would have had if he didn't work in a union? Let me guess...that first plant in OH would be still up and running right? Yeah right.
     
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