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cpape- no that makes perfect sense that was not really based towards you I was just venting at all the funny reasons big companys won't give guys with recent exper a shot but have plenty of exper they just want you to go to there CDL mill so they can meet their goverment quato to get there funding or tax breaks. I NEVER WENT TO A CDL SCHOOL AND NEVER WILL!!!!!!

 

Sent you a PM cpape.....

 

Hello cpape. Yep it seems like now alot of America has the not my fault thinking.

I have made my mistakes and have admitted to them, Kept my job for bring honest.

I have seen your trks. around for many years.I used to work out of the quad cities area years ago.

Yes the high wide heavy can really slow things down much.
Right now we are waiting out the weather to unld. 2 days now.
Thank goodness for Det. money..

Are you haveing the problems of other carriers cutting the rates just to try and make it up in volume??
They kinda forgot about customer service.

I am leased to a big carrier and at times I just wanna throw my hands up and move on or sell out, but I keep hanging in there..

I make a good living. Don't get me wrong.

 

Personal lives, yes, but how about professional lives? And when lack of control in professional life starts to create negative results, then personal life is also negatively affected.

As a company driver, I can't control a problem of not getting a load for three days, or only getting dispatched 1500 miles for the week while on a measly mileage pay, or not getting home over the weekend. Those things are part of my professional life, but they affect my personal life and, unfortunately, there's nothing I can do but complain and/or move on.

Sadly, the company I move onto is likely no better than the one I left, and the cycle repeats itself.

(None of that actually applies to me; I just used "I" to help the flow of the argument.)

 

There is your KEY!! I'm in aviation and have been for 19yrs and it's by no means any better here.

Working Contracts is where the money is and if you want to make a living you better be willing to go where the work is with the company that has the contracts. Else you'll bee stuck on 40hrs /wk and $18-20/hr for 15-25yrs experience.

I'm seriously looking at Trucking (as well as 2-3 other options) when I come home from Iraq off my current contract (hopefully in 2 yrs.)

My mentality is: I'm here to work! You pay me for miles? Then keep the miles under me or I will move on to someone that will. My LOYALTY is to my Family first and keeping a Pay check in their account is my job for them.

I myself see too many openings in Trucking as well as Aviation to be hassled by short pay.

I have been on my current contract for 2yrs and have 2 more years to go (the REAL Boss's Rules: WIFE). It is the longest I have been with anyone besides the US Navy. The pay is really good and the BS level is low enough the pay makes it worth it.

As my father once told me!! Every place has their own flavor of BS. Are you willing to put up with it for what they pay you? If not find some where else and see if you like their Flavor of BS for the Money.

In todays economy people need to get over Job Hoppers!! In fact in some industries if you aren't job hopping (Aviation) your probably unemployeed.

I've just been lucky & blessed the last few years.

Just my nickles worth of input!!

 

While I can agree with some of this in principal, (and much what DakFink says) the other side of the coin (highlighted) is, it's when you let it effect your personal life negatively, THAT'S where you give up the control cpape speaks of.

Sure, maybe you don't have control over getting a short load or having to wait hours/days for one. BUT, how do you handle that? Do you scream and curse at your D/M or do you say, "hey, I understand not every load is going to be ideal but how can I help you through it?"

My feeling is (and yes folks, I'm a wannabe but have a month OTR and I've seen a lot), I think drivers tend to forget that the D/M has quite a bit on their plate. That you are not their "only" driver and sometimes, when the ###### hits the fan, it has nothing to do with you but the D/M still has to figure out a way to make it happen and you're the one that can bail them out. Perhaps another driver got sick, in an accident, said NO! I don't want that stupid load or simply quit. The reasons are vast I'm sure.

I'm not saying this is always the case or that there aren't bad D/M's that make their own lives, and thus the driver's lives tougher. But the question is, when things do go bad (for whatever reason), are you going to be part of the solution, or simply add to the problem?

Times are tough, tempers tend to rise and that puts many folks on the defense and in the "I'm more worried about ME" frame of mind rather than the "What can I do for the TEAM" thinking.

I've been a self employed builder/woodworker for 30 years and trust me, it's no different there either. ALL walks of life and occupations face this basic question. When the going gets tough, are YOU gonna get going"?

I want to run long haul and get lot's of miles for sure. Honestly, who doesn't? But if my D/M were to call me and say "Hey Chris, I got this backup building here and I need you to run a few short loads to help me out of it. So you'll probably end up with a short week or two. Will you take them?" You can BET I'd take them with a smile and know, OK, I may not make a ton of cash over the next couple weeks but I'm helping the team get back on top of things and that in itself has it's rewards (to me).

Now, do you think that D/M will remember that? Do you think I just "controlled my own life" such that the D/M might feel I deserve a few good loads now?

Correct me if I'm wrong cpape but I think this is what you're referring to when you speak of controlling our own lives?

 

Apparently you haven't been looking in aviation much (most aviation company's use 100% seniority for plane or route assignment, so hopping will get you very little pay, crappy jobs, usually cargo or shady charter operators...the orgional "fly-by-night" places, that aretrue gypsy operators that you take the chance of loosing your ticket for evry time you fly!!)...in aviation, most places I know that pay a decent living wage haven't hired in 14+ months...the places that are terrible, and pay 18,000$ and make you live in NYC are hiring...

Trucking jobs seem to be similar...most company's are fighting to survive, and the better company's haven't hired, cause the turnover is nearly 0...when folks do leave, there is a long list of highly experienced folks waiting to take their spot!
It seems that trucking, like aviation will make you pay you "due's", but job hopping is much more common, and there are some places that chew up drivers so fast (by making them quit, change jobs, or stop driving) they will always need a new supply of drivers...

Big companys, in a bad economy might be the way to go...they are more likely to "weather the storm", and have deeper pockets in most cases, and are most likely to be taken over if they fail, rather than liquidated like small company's....sure they may ask for pay reductions, or treat folks poorly....but a small company is only as good as an owner, and while many are the salt of the earth, some are tempted to do questionable things, hoping to hang on a few more months till "things get better", things like leaving your 401K unfunded, missing quarterly tax payments, send out paychecks late, fail to reimburse expenses, etc....the list go on and on...it can be a downward spiral.