Why truck driving has such a high turn over rate?

I drove for Central, Lupe. I drove team though so that does make a difference. Like any company we had our ups and downs. I have to admit though Central on a few occasions really went above and beyond to help us out. Including getting us settlements of over $24,000 from two different truck manufacturers. This was something they absolutely did not have to do and could have told us it was our problem. I know that at Central if you do a good job, keep your nose clean and be professional then you will be rewarded for it. On the other hand there is always some bad dispatchers in the group which can leave you with a bad taste for a company. As far as the one day off a week, they mean that if you drive a week you earn a day. You don't get a day off every week. So they require you stay out 4-6 weeks. At the end of your time say you stayed out 5 days then you get to stay home for five days. You do not get paid for those five days though. Usually anything more than 5 or 6 days is pushing it. They do not want company drivers staying home any longer than that because they do not want their truck sitting there not making any money. If you are an O/O you can stay home as long as you want. However if you are an O/Op chances are you cannot afford to even go home for a day.

This was an excellent post guys. A lot of you had some really good points about trucking. Someone also commented on how dangerous it is too! Trucking is very dangerous. Not just vehicle wise, but there is also the criminal element in which you have to be weary of. Most shippers and receivers are not in the nice part of town and this increases your chances of getting robbed or jacked. On a side note that is why you don't tell anybody where you are going or what you are doing. Also watch for vehicles following you. A friend of mine got truck jacked in downtown LA. He had a load of Flat Screens and the guys who jacked him somehow knew what he was hauling. They pulled up next to his door at a stoplight pulled a gun on him and told him to get out. He jumped out and they took off with his truck! Luckily he did not get hurt. He did lose all his personal belongings which were in the truck though. They never recovered the stuff. Stolen trucks happen quite frequently. You need to be careful in CA, Chicago, PA, and Miami. These are all hot spots for stolen rigs. As a new driver you wouldn't think these guys could just disappear with a 53' trailer and tractor. Anyway great post gang!

 

Actually I did get robbed. It was late at night and I just scaled so I pulled off to the side and ran in to get my ticket. Someone opened my door and took my prepass and ez-pass. They didn't take anything else (that I was aware of). The scariest part was my wife was sleeping in the back.
Keep your doors locked. Park in well lit areas. Don't talk to people. Carry a gun. Get a dog. Sometimes the "team operation" stickers for your truck may deter theft. Also the "dog warning" stickers are a deterrent. At night you can run a bungy cord from your doors to your airhorn. If someone opens your door while you are sleeping it will blow the horn. Leave a light on inside of your truck if you run in to shower. Take a minute to observe what is going on in the parking lot before getting out of your truck. There are so many little tricks and tips but one of the most important is to just be aware of your surroundings.

 

>>>> At night you can run a bungy cord from your doors to your airhorn.

I love that idea!

 

It's an interesting point about Trucking as Plan B when things go wrong. This was true for me. I was out of work for a while and didn't want to count on Unemployment from the shaky Michigan government.

In early 2008 I think the economy was starting to crack. Just after I got my first PAM Truck Bear Sterns came begging for a bailout.


But they real question is "Why trucking?". Well the Help Wanted ad section in the classifieds had shrunk significantly and it seemed even the crappy jobs like fast food or Walmart weren't hiring at the time(maybe because it was just after Christmas).

So I chose trucking driving because it offered training and the school placed you in a job. The whole process is like a fast apprenticeship.

There are times where I see Accelerated HVAC Schools. Learn Heating and Colling in just 3 weeks but I'm to concerned they are scams. I wish it was the real deal though I would like to do that.

 

Maybe Chompi should define "good pay" for a recent grad. And what salary expectations said grad can expect within his first 24 months.

I had the pleasure of sitting in on a recruitment visit at a driving school several years ago, from Central. At that time, it would take a recent grad almost 7 years to top out at .29 a mile

Things have changed I'm sure.

When you consider that most "good" companies were getting grads up to the .30 a mile mark within their first year. It sure made Central look like a bottom feeder.

Just my personal opinion:::::

A recent grad should be making no less than .26 a mile, while on the truck with a trainer.

No less than .30 a mile after 6 months.
No less than .35 a mile after their first year.
No less than .40 a mile after their third year.

But, the reality is. Most companies base their pay scale on a set model of earnings expectations, theirs not yours.

Most of the major companies have come to the conclusion, that a driver will be happy with $750 - $850 a week, before taxes.

So base pay, is tabulated on a a weekly earnings somewhere between $750 and $850 a week. Simply divide that number, by their rate per mile. And you can get a good estimate of what kind of miles you can expect per week.

Things have changed tremendously over the years. I once made in excess of $60k a year as an OTR driver. Just a couple of years ago, I was on track to make over $50k a year, as a regional driver, with weekends off.

Names changed to protect the guilty
Bozo the clown trucking, now pays regional drivers on average $740 a week before taxes, with weekends at home. The same pay that another nationally recognized company pays it's OTR drivers, who spend 3 weeks out at a time.

Yet the regional driver gets more miles per week, on average.

 

Quite true.

When you subtract all the abnormal expenses you have as a non-OP, that you cannot deduct from your taxes; the low miles lots of drivers are working and the pay-rate per mile being LESS then it was before this recession; you end up with lots of drivers taking home the same as a 40 hour low-wage earner, and you have ALL the liability of being the driver of 65 feet of hurt and misery, when you get in a wreck or end up in a ditch.

And people wonder why we tell them not to invest their time and money
in this awful RACKET?

My .02 cents.

 

Great post! Very true.

"I love to drive a car for miles and miles" doesn't qualify anyone to drive a commercial vehicle for a living. Its hard work, or as some are calling it now:

" A modern-day sweatshop, on wheels".

Think you want to be a truck driver, folks?

Think again.

My .02 cents.

 

Thanx Danc. I know there are a great number of various folks out there, some are worse off than others, some meaner, some nicer, some more psychotic, some less so, some loving what they do and others not. I made an observation after a month or two here and put it on "paper" is all, with a take on how I can relate. Hope you are doing well out there and have a great day - be safe!