question about earnings

You sit for free. Alot of what you do for the mega carriers is free.

 

Yep, that recruiter and the want ad says:
Great miles and GREATER pay
Layover pay
Breakdown pay
Detention pay
PAY PAY PAY
And when the pay check comes all you see is:
TAKE TAKE TAKE!
So you are making that "great" mileage pay of $.30 a mile (cough,cough)
Yep you sat for 6 hours and should get 3 of them paid according to the recruiter and you spent 24 waiting for a load and then 2 days at a shop in a town far far away and you were told breakdown pay and you were even told you got paid for that 4 day orientation you took and when that first pay stub hits the mail box and the wife is eating your ear off asking about all this "pay" you were supposed to get and you've yes deared her to death and call in and ask and after the question leaves your lips you hear that deafening sound of.....

Crickets!

BIG FREAKING CRICKETS!

Then the "answer"
We don't pay any of that!
WHAT!
No we don't. Who told you that?
And your answer is what?
The recruiter?
And they ask you if you read the agreement you signed?
ROFLMAO!

While in that orientation class do this. I know it's a stretch but......
READ THE CONTRACT!
Yep you WILL sign a forests worth of papers even as a company driver as these BFI's now want everything you do put on paper and verified that you got the "book". Somewhere in the crapola is the page that tells you what you will be reimbursed for!

The funny thing about an Orienation class even for L/P drivers is it's an Evelyn Woods speed SIGNING class! Read the print? OH HELLO NO! There is not enough time to read it and we wouldn't lie to you ever! And no you can't take it to the motel so you can actually study this legal POS book! Just sign it and get in that truck out there!

If they do NOT give you enough time to read anything they want signed then take that as a sign to GET THE HECK OUT! Let that door hit you where God split you!

ESPECIALLY if they linger on that one paper that tells you how much they WILL TAKE FROM YOU for:
drawing a bad line on the log that does not benefit them
missing a check call by 1 minute (check calls with modern satellite communications is like having a dinosaur in the rocking chair next to you!)
Late to a drop or pick up even though you were there on time but the dispatch page said one thing but they didn't open the gates until the next day!
You did a sudden stop and the ECM told on you.
The ECM said you idled when it was 100* below zero or 200* above zero while you were sleeping
Or you opened the door to go pee when you had stopped the day before
Or you were trying to comply with FMCSA rules and they said you didn't need to stop after being on duty for 24 hours!
The trip pack didn't make it there on Monday when it was dropped on Sunday when the load was delivered.

I know I'm trying to be a comedian when so many of them are unemployed but it's the truth!
Listen to the recruiter.
Write down everything they "promise you" BUT when in that orientation ask the same questions you did on the phone. READ every word on any piece of paper they put in front of you to sign.
If what you see does NOT jive with what you were told on the phone then be a rebel and question authority!
If they lied to you yesterday and lied to you today what makes you think they will tell you the truth tomorrow?

This is only one of the reasons why I recommend that you drive yourself to the orientation site or buy your own ticket as this way they can't say they fired you from orientation on that DAC report! You also have a way home when they say they aren't going to get you home! And yes that does happen in the wonderful cesspool world of truckin!

OH. If that Per Dien is not opt out RUN!

 

Thanks Rollover,

That helps out alot. It kind of sounds like when you join the military, you get promised a whole lot and all you end up doing is giving a whole lot. I am headed to orientation for Jim Palmer Trucking in a week, so i will take your advice and read the fine print.

 

I never had an issue getting detention pay, layover pay, breakdown pay, motel paid for when i could not stay in truck etc.
And that was working for a training company, and the only company I have worked for that advertised all those things.
My current company tells you straight out that you normally will not get detention, layover, or breakdown. Sometimes you do, most times you do not.

 

Btw guys... What exactly is per diem and opting out of per diem? Don't laugh, I'm just new and trying to get a handle and understanding on things.

 

Per Diem is the amount you are legally able to deduct from your income tax to cover meals, etc every day you are away from home. This can add up to a nifty deduction.

When the company "pays for that" you do not get to deduct that... they do. Most often the "per diem" they give you is substantially less than what you could otherwise claim, so you lose both ways.

 

The problem with 'per diem' is your employer won't pay social security taxes on that amount so years down the road your retirement income will be lower... look on the bright side 80% of newbies won't be around after the first year anyway so you won't be taking much of a hit!

 

I was talking to a guy from a driving school today, and mentioned the relationship between military recruiters, and BFI recruiters, and he said he agreed "that they will tell you anything, put nothing in writing and will steal your grandmother when you turn your back if you don't read the fine print"