USA - is it supposed to be this way?

I really hope you don't take this the wrong way.

But.



I often see threads started with "My boyfriend..." or "My husband..." and in most cases, it is a significant other who has no previous exposure to this industry, trying to make sense out of something hubby or boyfriend is telling them. Girlfriend/wife don't actually have pay stubs in hand. Or, if they do, the stubs show advance after advance, yet hubby/boyfriend tells her it was legitimate.

In more cases than not, it is found to be personal advances. Which are NOT reimbursement expenses.

Unless you are actually on the truck with him, and track his expenditures to the penny, then correlate it with his pay stub, you have no way to verify what he says is the whole truth. Now, I'm not saying boyfriend is lying. What I am saying is, cash flows through hands so easily and it is virtually untrackable unless he writes every little thi g down. Stops for sodas, burgers, paper towels...add up quicker than you would think, especially at truck stops.

And, then again, maybe he doesn't want you to know what he spends his money on. You are his girlfriend. Not his wife. Regardless of how long you've been together, you have no legal right to his finances. And, he might feel the same way. It wouldn't be the first time a man finds the open road and forgets about home.

Just sayin.

 

I don't know how many miles he runs but it looks like they pay 0.26 CPM until he has a year of experience. I know most new drivers don't research the industry or have realistic expectations. When reality hits, many leave. I would guess that 80% of new drivers leave the industry in 3 months or less. Many will say 95% in 1 month.

Some new drivers find better jobs, better pay and better home time starting out. However, the biggest percentage does not encounter these more favorable conditions. Here's what I would consider realistic expectations.

Don't expect to get home more often than every 5 - 6 weeks. Don't expect more than 4 days of home time. Expect approximately 2500 miles a week at about 0.26 CPM for a gross of $650 per week. After taxes ($115), other deductions like health insurance ($60) and living expense on the road ($110) you might expect $365 per week net. If miles drop to 1800 per week ($468 - 88 - 60 - 110) you are looking at $210 net.

Most new drivers fail to realize or consider the cost of living on the road. You can easily spend more than $200 per week for living on the road, which would be $10,000 per year in extra expenses that you don't with a normal job. If you eat out 3 times a day at $4 breakfast, $9 lunch and $14 supper that is $27 per day or $189 per week. Now add $10 for laundry and $11 for shower and you have $210 per week.

With $210 per week living expense instead of the conservative $110 your net on 2500 miles is $265 per week and on 1800 miles is $110. Now throw in a forgotten receipt or two and you're in the red.

If he isn't buying groceries and eating that way, I doubt you will survive at 0.26 CPM. The only thing I use truck stops for is to fuel and shower. I don't even park there if I can find something better. If you purchase your meals, supplies and services at a truck stop you will lose your ---.

 

I love vienna sausages. Especially the jalapeno ones.

 

BigJohn54 explained the money earned/spent pretty well.

The way lumper or other fees work with my company, and I think you two have figured this out, the company loans you the money. Then you pay for the service. Then you have to prove that you spent the money on a trip charge. Lumpers, pallets, etc... for them to give it back to you.

I have to submit over the qualcom any expenses. They get approved and a Purchase Order number is sent. I then have to write the PO on the receipt. ALso on the trip scan cover page with the cost.

I keep my current bills on a clipboard in the door pocket. Completed trip bills, receipts, scale tickets, etc... that I have not had a chance to scan are paper clipped together by each trip and turned upside down so I do not confuse them with the current trip. I try to scan everything immediately after completing a trip, but that does not always work out.

Once scanned I staple all items for each trip together and put in an expanding folder. The company recommends keeping them until I get paid. I will be keeping them until taxes are done, and longer.

1000 miles is not much. As a rookie we were trusted with 1500 until we proved reliability. Now less than 2000 is a low week.

Mikeeee

 

I guess I am luckier than most. I get home every week, rarely do I spend more than 2 weeks out. I've only had to do laundry on the road a couple of times. However I stock my fridge with sandwitch supplies and frozen breakfast sandwitches since those can be either frozen or refrigerated. They defrost and I wrap them in foil. 30-45 min on the engine and breakfast is ready. Every so often I will take some burritos with me, especially if we make brisket. I also stock bottled water, cold brew iced tea bags and sodas so I just have to fill my jug at the pilot with their free ice for a drink. Its not hard to avoid spending your paycheck at the truckstops.

 

I worked for usa for a short while too, and i learn too have direct depoist with them is the only way too go with them, then i can park at a truckstop, pay for computer service bring up my bank account and theres a quistion on lumpers , i get on phone too dispacth quik, i lernt too keep too be a real good file person too, and what i did on all my paperwork was my three tee's, and they are my truck number, trip number and trailer number, that way they can bring up on there computers and see were or were i took that trl too and get paid for it, next i would buy cake server plastic trays with lids and on the side i would mark each month on them, then i would photo copy every bill, every receipt and staple all together and put in this cake box i got from wall mart, few times i send in my paperwork and i get a msg on q-com say they lost the paper work for a certain load and wondering if i still had , i say no, i sent em in and i go make anthor copy for them, one day while at the yard , i was talking too my dispacther getting anthor load setup, when payroll walks over , and ask me were the last bills was , she never got em, wait ill go out truck en get you my copy , just as i walked past anthor desk i spotted my paperwork, cause im only one in company too put my 3 t's in the upper right coner on the brown enevolpe, i took it over too her, heres my paperwork you laydown over there, she just said thanks, then i was down in the south bought ciggs for wife, 22 cartons, had a load too canada,and in canda you cant have that much and i told dispacth and dispacth said just toss in dumpster, i think not, told them i dont have a pass card and they knew this, but i took it all way too pa, were it was to relayed, never happend we had words,took away, trl got taken by anthor driver and they put aboment of tractor on my dac, which i didn't cause i told them i would drive back too yard and then quite ,guess not , so they left me in pa , at the pilot and thank gawd for that little chappel there , they raised enuff money too get me home too iowa, i repayed that church ten fold over what that bus ticket cost, there are good people,but ya usa will screw you over and let you go aft 6 months anyway, i tryed too make work at .26 mile, didnt work, chalk up for the exaparence tho.

 

Hello all,

Very interesting thread as are many others here. Been reading for 4 months while going to school at Rock Valley College in Rockford IL. Got my CDL A almost 2 months ago and am just about to start with Roehl. I could have gone with swift, schneider, tan tara or crst to name a few. Warner turned me down! I know what I'm in for and am willing to pay my dues again while starting my second career. 26 years as a carpenter, a field where I cannot now buy a job. I did a lot of research before making my choice and a lot of it was done here. Thanks a one and all for the good reading.
I gotta tell ya, I don't really have any questions, you all yap about EVERYTHING! Nice to be here and I won't be a stranger.

 

Careful, Caveman. Might think there is a hijackin afoot. All hijacks must be cleared with the Otter, aka "Otherhalftw" before being perpetrated. He's the HIC around here. Uh...Hijacker In Chief.