Good companies???????

Let me chime in here if you don't mind.

The company I drive for (Eastern Freightways a subsidiary of NEMF) actually is a non union, northeast truckload carrier. More of a regional outfit than otr. The operating area for us is from Maine to Florida and out to Chicago Il but has team runs that go to California.

When I first signed on with them in June of 2001 they actually paid 100% medical and dental insurance for the driver and his family. A few years later, based on increases in the insurance premiums, the company began charging the drivers for the medical coverage. Per week the rates are $20.00 for single, $30.00 for a married couple, and $40.00 for family. The insurance was Blue cross/Blue shield of NJ but starting January 1 the company elected to switch to United Healthcare instead to try and hold the line on the costs.

In regard to paid benefits we get 3 sick days, 2 personal days, 6 holidays, up to 3 weeks vacation, life insurance, short term disability, 401k with 50% match on the first 3% contributed by the driver.

Other benefits include detention after 2 hours, breakdown pay, congestion pay, handling pay (loading/unloading), weekend pay, monthly .01 cpm safety bonus.

These benefits are calculated at the drivers hourly wage for the first 5 years of service. Vacation is calculated at 40 hours, and a paid day off is calculated at 8 hours pay for the first 5 years. After 5 years, Vacation and paid days off go to a percentage of your normal earnings (1/52nd). Or in the case of 1 paid day off it would be 1/52nd divided by 5.

When I ran solo for Eastern (from 2001 to the end of 2007) I would normally average between 1350 to 1400 gross per week. This was based on being out from Sunday evening to late Friday night. My best yearly earnings were $75,400.00 and I had the month of December off (due to my wife being ill). Had I worked that month I would have made over $80,000.00 easily.

Aflac insurance is available to any driver that wants it (at his cost through payroll deduction). Direct Deposit, Fuel cards, toll credit cards for OH, In, plus EZ-Pass, and OK Pike pass are also assigned to the drivers. Assigned trucks too but the company wants them parked at a terminal when the driver goes home for time off. Trucks are equipped with satellite tracking as well.

Now I run team with my wife here at Eastern Freightways. We split .475 cpm plus get paid for every drop/hook/stop.

The company no longer offers pay for each drop & hook or every stop to new hires but I am grandfathered in on the old pay scale. This accessorial pay equates to an additional 125.-150. per week for us.

Not fair to compare our pay to a solo but in case any of you are interested; so far we have made over $70,000.00 together this year. This is averaging a little under 5000 miles per week and home a couple of times per week including a 34 hour reset. We should make around $120,000.00 for the year together.

 

You Sir Make Sense !
I find it Truly sad that drivers (people for that matter) WILL NOT STAND together.
I saddens me that I am new to this business, miles per day, But after 7 months with CR England< I feel that management shoulod be incarcerated for fraud.
Even more sadly, I seeing a pattern here (this forum) that makes me feel that I have chosen the wrong second career path.

 

Saw the one post about your union driving job. They are hard to get. I looked into a union job in NY and was told you worked your way up, from docks and yard to driving. You also needs loads of experience. A guy like me will not get such a job.

I am getting retrained this coming month (still have my A CDL and current medical card) and plan to start driving again after 4 years off for family problems (divorce, kids and ailing parent). My experience was dump trucks in the late 60's, heavy equipment in the 70's (all w/o CDL), then got a CDL for the first time in 2004, drove 3 months and had to leave for family reasons above... nothing again until now. I highly doubt this union company or one like it would take me.. and instead seeks drivers with 2 yrs. min., or more. This is the problem with all the "good" jobs and "good" companies... one needs to work for the lousy companies for a year or two first it seems.

The fact is... and I have not seen this mentioned anywhere... insurance companies regulate the trucking industry to a large degree. Most good companies are also smaller companies, but the insurance costs are so huge that these good and smaller companies can't hire you. The other fact is... the few large companies out there (Swift, Knight, Schneider, CRE...and some others) that do take new drivers, KNOW they have you by the gonads, and so will BS you anytime they can.

Is it cheaper to pay experienced drivers .40/mile or newbe's .24 a mile with a high turnover rate? A step further... those that take the newbe's and force the 4 week "training" period on you at $300/week, essentially have drivers working FT for minimum wage. They DON'T CARE if you quit because they'll fill the seat again with another chump...like me or any other person trying to break in to this... and we don't have a choice! We KNOW it, the government knows it, and the trucking companies know it! For new drivers this is as close to forced slave labor as still exists in America. You have no laws to protect you and you are forced to work for less than minimum wage for up to 8 weeks for these few large companies.

I have owned businesses and know the cost of turnover and training. Obviously, these large companies like Swift, Werner, England, Knight... have this down to a science. How do you think they keep making more money and growing bigger???? By hiring drivers with promises of $40k and $50k a year and then busting your ### for a couple months at $300/wk, not caring whether you are still around or not in a few weeks. This is a joke, and drivers need to confront this as a whole. The only fix is thru a fed investigation into these practices, and new regulations for this industry to end this BS, but the Feds are paid off, so ... nothing happens.

Welcome your info and feedback. Thanks. Be safe.

 

I have to agree with inthewindaz on the cheapness of pay.

As far as costs ... they cry costs are too high this and that. Well look at the cost of putting someone in a motel, physical, drug screen, meals and all the other background costs to get that driver in the door. Just to have the driver quit because he was not told the REAL truth about the job he/she applied for.

This is the REAL REASON that companies can't seem to give the perks or pay we find appealing. Countless thousands are wasted at the upper management levels for allowing their company to continually practice deceptive recruiting tactics. To squander money on such inefficiency is just as bad as our government. Allowing the feds to get involved will surely make the situation more costly and results will be of no greater restitution.

The sad thing is that these giants are pocketing better than average profits at the cost of drivers. The economy has forced their competition (smaller companies and contless Owner Operators) out of business and they are reaping those benefits right out of hard working American Drivers pockets!!

If you happen to have a good job, You are very lucky to come by it. Most companies realize that they have a greater pool of drivers to screw over now that the economy has closed alot of competitors doors. Now, more than ever, is the time for drivers to get smart and boycott the conditions that plague this industry.

As for the 2 years experience rule, blow that one out the window.

I am not a new driver and have been trucking over a million miles error free since 1988. I applied with The Crete companies. Because of my last year of employment being an Owner Operator they told me that I would have to ride with a trainer for 6 weeks and would have to drive national upon completion, even though I applied for regional. They said "Your last experience as O/O was not with a large company." What kind of BS is this. Companies are hiring people out of school and yet a driver with a great record has to be treated like a newbie! Now that is BS to the max.

I have been entrusted to haul explosives, driven doubles, refrigerated, vans, lowboy, oversize loads, covered 48 states and Canada, been in all types of weather and never paid one cent for a DOT violation. So, inthewindaz, if that is not enough experience then I feel you are truly in for a world of hurt. My advice, get some vasoline it may not hurt as bad.

 

To anyone getting in the trucking industry, this website is an invaluable research tool.
The information here is straight from the mouth of experiences.
Whether new or seasoned, good or bad, drivers have endured enough over the years and it continues to decline for the driver. Now realize that everyone's cup of tea isn't necessarily the flavor that someone else may tolerate.

Many issues in trucking are getting way out of hand at the expense of your CDL. Take for example the DAC report system. It is vital to your career as a driver, yet you have to pull teeth when it comes to what gets posted about you on that report. There is someone that runs this website that is trying to obtain info straight from USIS and is running into some roadblocks along the way in obtaining info from that company.

I appreciate the efforts of this website. Yet it is not enough to change the conditions that plague this industry. We as drivers need to round up and get serious about correcting deceptive and corruptive practices that threaten our livlihood.

One person alone cannot accomplish such a feat, but one person to start the crowd is all it takes.

 

I guess you could say I am going backwards, started in the middle 70's with a great job, will not bore all w the details, but the last year I drove was 83, made $82,000. driving someone else's portable parking lot, now I want to drive to keep a second income along with social security, had dropped my license a long time ago so now I have to go to a cdl mill to get a license and probably take a job w one of the companys whose names keep coming up here, one has a dedicated run, out 4 days and home three with suposedly 2000 miles a week, don't think I would be happy with only 2k a week to drive, but whats a body to do?

 

You have a world of experience. My comment regarding experience is based upon what is generally advertised in the jobs sections for drivers... min. 1-2 year OTR and up for a good paying, home on the weekend job. I have never heard of a company requiring that of someone with your experience. Has anyone else? Seems to me being penalized for being your own boss (O/O) is just another way for them to get a good driver for alot less money. I have said this for several years since I got my CDL... this BS with large companies and the "mandatory time with a trainer" is a scam on the drivers of ALL experience to some extent (due to the pay structure, which is below min. wage), and your statement just points that out. I am curious if any other drivers with your experience have had this happen with Crete or anyone else. I have heard Crete is a good company but maybe I heard wrong. Regarding Vasoline... it should be a necessity for every one of us our first year out. I'm pissed they don't tell you to buy it before leaving the first day with the trainer. I know I'll have some. lol

 

I to was bullied by the corporate sector. All my OTR expired years ago. I went out for a couple of years did the 48 state thing with several company's that didn't pay squat. Got some experience, got a local job. Now I've been driving for the same (union) company for nine and one half years locally. Due to a work shortage I may get laid off (again) They (Creat.melton ect....) told me sense I haven't had any OTR within the last three years I had NO experience and wanted me to ride with a trainer and pay me nothing or work for free. I guess telling them the truth was the wrong thing to do.