Big Decisions
Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by ConsciousTrucker, Jun 14, 2021.
Page 2 of 3
-
-
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
-
But I have a clean history, all safe miles, and spectacular on time delivery record. So I'm really struggling internally about whether I'm being greedy, or just honest about my own worth? Self-worth is not a thing I learned from family, and it's been a hell of a challenge to learn on my own. The line between self-worth and arrogance often eludes me. -
bzinger, slow.rider, Dino soar and 2 others Thank this.
-
The grass may look greener on the other side, but it is often an illusion because of rose colored glasses.
If you have it good where you are at, why leave?
And that whole thing about a 'fair wage' for everyone will come back to bite everyone in the rear.
Raise the bottom, and the top also rises just as much.
After a year or two everything averages out to where it was before, with everything costing just that much more.bzinger, GoneButNotForgotten and slow.rider Thank this. -
Do the other drivers there complain that they're underpaid? You know what I mean because wherever you work at either the drivers in general feel as though they're pretty well compensated or they feel like they're working too hard for not enough money. What is the general consensus there? Are you being paid less because you have less experience or is your pay pretty good for Where You Are?
The next thing is there's nothing wrong with contacting other companies. But you want to try to contact other companies they are as close to the exact work, the exact Lanes, the exact equipment etcetera that you run. So for example if you run refrigerated in the Southwest you looking for a company to compare that's the same.
If you talk to other companies and especially if you talk to other drivers from those companies you might be able to get a good feel for what pay is out there.
And you may also find that they promise you this rate but you only get that if you do this this and this and this other thing falls into place. And maybe they don't pay you for this and for that and if this happens you don't get that. There's a lot more to the money that you get than just your wage. Ask plenty of detailed questions like what happens if I break down vacation 401 k medical benefits blah blah blah blah blah.
And the last thing is I think your post said you wanted to get out in a few years. Unless you find a job that pays you double what you're making or something largely substantial, if where you are now you get out in 4 years and you have a 4 years you would enjoy, if you go someplace else that you have 3 years that you hate but you get out of the industry a year earlier does that really make that big of a difference?
Only you can answer these questions but there truly is a lot to be said about working some place that you feel valued and you don't have knots in your stomach everyday.slow.rider, silverspur and ConsciousTrucker Thank this. -
Just, sometimes I strike up a conversation with the driver next to me about whether he's interested in joining our team (heck yeah, referral bonus!) and he pulls out his W-2 on his phone, showing me last year's $92k net income. Then I'm all like...
Chasing those referrals, I hear about a lot of companies from drivers. Often, my company can offer them a heavenly respite from the drudgery of being an unappreciated, dehumanized number in a big machine. Similarly often, I wonder what I'm doing wrong to not be making as much as some drivers I meet.
My insurance deductible was met by early March this year. I have life insurance and great benefits. 401k and profit sharing.
slow.rider Thanks this. -
ConsciousTrucker Thanks this.
-
I not going to give you fluff.
I strive for a low low turn over rate in my fleet and it is hard to do. I listen to my drivers and when they want to see a change or three, I ask all of them across the board.
one important thing that many of them say is this fact … it isn’t about the money.
it is all about being happy with what they do.
Most of them worked for a bunch of companies and know what makes them happy.
If you want to go, then go but most good drivers stay in one place if they are happy.Suspect Zero and ConsciousTrucker Thank this. -
I only worked at one company before this. That company pays Mexicans 18 cpm to drive the same routes as the rest of us, were happy to let drivers go if 35 cpm wasn't enough, and had "no comment" about the CFO beating a Black man like nobody would care he did it. The bar was low.
For lack of knowing how bad it is at multiple other companies, I sometimes wonder whether I really found the Holy Grail so early on in my career, or if I'm fooling myself to think this is as good as it can get.
A big part of my challenge is really that I'm just tired of trucking already. 2.5 years in, I'm tired of the constant noise, always moving, cramped space, lack of bathroom, no running water to clean my dog off after he rolls around in a grocery-bag full of human feces someone left near the parking lot right before I was about to eat dinner after a long workday....
So when you say "it's about being happy," well... yes, exactly. I'm not thrilled about trucking. This isn't what I had planned for my life. But as far as trucking companies go, I don't think I could ask for a better team to work with.LtlAnonymous Thanks this. -
I’m not truck driving anymore , but I have a job I really enjoy and the pay is ok.
I could make more somewhere else. But at my current job I get to set
My own hours and Ive seen my boss exactly once in three months.
ive worked for incompetent micromanaging control freaks and there’s not enough money to get me to do
That again.
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
Page 2 of 3