Feds & DOT say's $16.+hr. -$25.+hr.

what century are you living in?

 

you can't compare pay scale between different countries

 

The million dollar question - why is this the case? LTL was hit hard during de-regulation. I hear about it all the time from LTL drivers that went through it and have read extensively about it. This is the main reason there are so few LTL carriers left yet for some reason the annual wages equal that of a decent white collar professional.

But every time I advocate OTR drivers getting paid for all the work they do, they come up with some "logical" reason that they don't. Unfortunately the thread was closed, but the last reason basically said all line 4 work was included in their compensation package when they were offered the job. Uh.. Really? I'm pretty sure I'm not running the mileage meter while I'm fueling my truck so I fully expect them to pay me separately for fueling their truck. I've heard the greedy corporate speech, and there is truth to that but there is not a more greedy numbers driven corporation than CNWY and we are some of the best paid drivers on the road.

Could it be that since the companies see drivers are willing to make excuses for not getting paid, there is simply no reason to pay them for work performed? What's next? Will drivers be charged for not doing what their company wants? Oh wait, they already are for idling the truck too long. It's a sad sad state of affairs that I see and it will only get worse as more and more new drivers are continually willing to work for less.

 

Because the Teamsters are still involved in LTL.
YRCW, UPS Freight, ABF...as you know are all organized.
The non-unions...Conway & FedEx included...pay close to union-scale because they don't want us to sign cards.

Back before deregulation, many of the OTR outfits were unionized.
When the market was deregulated...anybody with a used truck and trailer became a competitor...and this drove rates/wages down and drove the unions out.

LTL is different because you need terminals, hubs, dockworkers, etc.
And you need lane density in your linehaul networks...something that takes years to build up because LTL carriers consolidate many smaller shipments together to build full loads.

So basically, the barriers to entry are extremely high in LTL which keeps the rif-raff out.
With OTR, the barriers to entry are extremely low and thus there is always an oversupply of power/labor...even in good times.

You hit the nail right on the head, my friend!

 

Once again, I'm still waiting for an intelligent reply as I am regarding Hazmat regs in another thread. It's easy to throw words around till a good question is asked with decent examples backing up the point..

 

Wait, another LTL driver has just hit the nail on the head. Could it be..

 

Nailed it..... The only thing I would correct is that FedEx and Con-way currently pay better than NMFA scale..

 

Yeah, that's crazy ain't it?
Those guys are paying union dues and making less than us.
I feel bad for those guys, I sure hope things turn around for them and they can get back to getting the pay they deserve.
IMHO, a strong YRCW is good for the industry...hate to see another Teamster carrier go bust.

 

I could not have said it better.. Some non-union drivers think it would be a utopia if YRC went out but it would be bad on many levels - I don't think our pay would be cut but benefits would go down and the workload would be ridiculous. Personally, I was glad to see the Teamster drivers at YRC survive another round - as I know most FedEx and Con-way drivers were..

 

The problem with figuring out trucker wages is that there are a number of random elements that affect how much you will be paid: freight availability, driver motivation, company load assignment prioritization, etc.

For a first year trucker in this economy I'd set your financial expectations pretty low. No more than $24-30k for the first year, if things work better for you then you wont be disappointed. In some companies you can make more money by running team as they tend to get a higher load assignment priority but check your sanity at the door unless you're extremely patient and understanding.