Don't believe the lies...

Now I'm seeing the bigger picture. It appears our O/P had trouble controlling road expenses.

Not saying this is exactly what happened, I wasn't in his truck. But it is entirely possible and even probable to make a decent living driving a truck under the name of a big company. People do it all the time.

The key is expense control. Yes, I eat food in truck stops, I take showers on the road and I buy pop and coffee. But I also keep my truck stocked with food and water. I have a little coffee pot that takes an hour to brew four cups of decent coffee for those times I'm not where I can go buy a cup. And, I work while I'm out. I don't sit around.

Yes, I also pay for my own fuel, make a tractor payment plus insurance and permits and buy my own health care plan. Yet, I take home an average $900 to $1,100/ week. If you can't live on that, you need to cut your expenses.

 

Most of the big companies can easily do 2,500 miles/week. Even on elogs. If your company can't do that, I hate to say it, but maybe it's time to look for something else. Even Swift has a goal for each driver to put on 2,500 miles/week. Many are going much more than that.

The problem I see our company guys running into is when they decide to take home time and turn the truck in, as per terminal policy in many places, then it takes an act of Congress to get them another truck when they're ready to get back on the road. I don't think this is right and we've lost more than a few good drivers to this practice.

If a person could get on with a DM who does not make them clean out the truck for home time (there are some) this could be a good gig...despite the pay scale. I imagine it's possible in any large company. There are people happy in every company, just as there are people b****ing about every company. Thing is, people are more inclined to b**** than to praise.

If you are in a large company and are not happy with how things are going, talk to your office staff and lay out your needs and expectations. If your immediate contact can't or won't help you, talk to the next person in line and see if you can get on a different fleet. Quitting a job should be the last resort. If that is what you wind up doing, don't quit before lining up the next job. The one you currently have might bite the big one, but it's a job and it's income. It's always easier to get a job while you still have one than it is for an unemployed person to get the same job.

 

The industry is not short of drivers, the industry is short of drivers who actually want to work for a living. We've gone through 8 drivers in the last 6 months. Generally, it's the same BS: too much paperwork (yeah my job is kinda paperwork heavy: log book, inspection book, trailer movement sheet, interchange receipts, POD invoices), long hours (we work 8 to 13 hrs 5 days a week), don't want to work weekends, don't want to start before 6 am or work after 5 pm, don't want to drive in the snow, don't want to run the mtn's (then why the hell do you live in Colorado?), basically they want to be a steering wheel holder. These aren't driver fresh out of school either, these are guys with 10+ yrs exp. whining like this. Most would rather collect unemployment.

 

This is the trend I am starting to recognize. I originally thought all the negativity was simply proof that man-periods really do exist, but when I look back at the extremely negative posters' stats, they have been truckers for over a decade, if not 2. Perhaps when I reach near-retirement age, I will become grumpy, lazy and want to semi-retire, but for now, I know I am joining a labor intensive career, and am willing and able to work as much as needed.

From what I have been able to deduce, companies give their most productive drivers the most miles. Alternatively, the least productive drivers receive fewer miles. Perhaps those complaining about miles should reconsider their past productivity level or consider choosing a different industry in which to work during their "golden years". Either way, best of luck in finding a job you don't have to incessantly complain about!

 

I am recently out of school and 5 weeks of training. Heading into my 5th week on my own (OTR). I understand that if the wheels are not turning, I am not getting paid. I enjoy driving so far. I am not blind to the complaints here (in this forum), and I understand them in which, I run as much as I can and don't complain. I believe that If I stay on that course then, I might reach that "end of the white line" someday.
I got lucky with a good DM, he had 15+ years of driving, he gets me home for my resets so far. I can take my resets out, in which I will take a few OTR resets, to make $$ for X-MAS presents (Wife's Idea).

 

One doesn't know drivers are in casino's unless you are there yourself. I love to play poker but have been lucky to stop maybe 1-2 times a year. It has nothing to do with miles.

You don't even have to run them cities to get the miles.

 

the reason they consider it a shortage is because companies want drivers sitting everywhere just in case and most dont pay or pay so little for layover they can afford to have a truck sitting wait on a load thats why mileage is dropping off

 

I second this. I also drive for one of the worst "bottom feeders" of the industry and I get 3,000 miles a week without even trying.

You can't expect to have good mileage and be at home every weekend. That's impossible unless you drive for a local company.