Why do we let them get away with it? And why doesn't the government protect drivers

Well first of all.. I never said companies are making profits from stealing from employees... But while you have brought up the subject.. You tell me how exactly they aren't making extra profits by not paying you for work performed??? Stealing isn't really the word I would use, because the employee know's it happening and can't/won't do anything about it.... I would more along the lines say something like "being ripped off" infront of there own faces.....

I'll tell you how they are making profits by ripping you off from time worked... Say you have 40 drivers in the company... Now lets just say for instance the 40 drivers are all doing Pre and Post trips inspections... Now lets just say that would account for $10/day ($10/hr - 2-30min inspections)... So EACH day they are saving $400... Each week that company is SAVING $2000/week which equals out to $102,000 annually.. This doesn't even include load times and anything else.. So if that doesn't scream extra money in the bank for the company then I don't know what else is... This might not be profit from billed out work, this is profit from not paying employees for time work.. In turn rather then being out $100,000 each year that company is saving $100,000/year for not paying employees for work performed.. Oh ya the numbers are hire then this onces you included other duties such as loading times etc...

Like I said I don't even really care.. We all make choices.. I made my choice to find a company who pays me for all my time worked... If I want to work for free OTR when my wheels arn't rolling I guess that is my choice.. Which is a choice I will try very hard to avoid.....

 

I never assumed the company is getting paid for the downtime.... I never once said that.. Nor did I say the company is getting paid for border times either... I said the drivers should be getting paid for that... Why do I say that.. Well one simple reason.. YOU work for the COMPANY.. The company DOESN'T work for you... You don't pay the company for hiring you or giving you a job.. You get PAID by the company for WORKING for them...

That's ok bud... Let the rich get richer while the poorer get poorer.... You wanna stand up for companies making mega profits (if they weren't profitting they wouldn't be doing it in the first place) by paying the drivers less and less money each year so that the "big dogs" upstairs can make handsome salaries then go for it... Me personally I like to make sure I get paid for what my time is worth.... I don't need to make my boss/company richer by working for free so that they can save money... Remember your the little guy trying to get by in life, why do you wanna make your life harder by working for free.. Ya that's all I want to do in life is work for free so my boss can get richer and have a great life while I don't have such a easy life (not me personally just people in general)

 

I'm an O/O with an O/A....Not a L/O....So...Hmmmm...Perhaps I see things from a whole different perspective.....Like today...What I spent on drive tires is more than most of you will gross in a month.....But...A truck doesn't run on thin rubber.....That's an investment....Just like an employee is an investment....My tires were a good investment....They should last over 200K....As an employee...Are you a good investment or a bad one to your employer?

 

Why does this always boil down to the "Us Against Them"?.....

You think the rich are luckier than those who are less affluent?


The main difference between a working man and rich man....The working man works for his money....The rich man?......His money works for him.....

 

You want more money and better treatment? Get a better education. Save money and buy your own #### then run it how you want. Find another company to drive for.

I just listed three viable options to solve this so called problem. Unfortunately many of you pick option 4 which is whining.

Here's a hint: option 4 ain't viable.

I am a short timer in this industry so maybe my view is different.

I just don't see how there is so much complaining when you can easily make 60k plus and be home everyday or every couple of days for what is mostly an easy job. Do you know how much the average 9-5 person in America makes? Look it up and then be thankful that you are in an industry where you out earn the average American worker by a significant margin without extensive training or financial investment.

Reality checks are free maybe it's time some of you cashed one.

 

I'm aware what the average 9-5er makes on a 40 hour workweek. Why are you comparing our 70 hour standard week to their 40 hour standard week? Are you not seeing that 30 hour difference in your comparison??So A driver working 30 more hours a week to out earn somebody working 40 hours a week is a positive thing? How about that 9-5er goes out and get another 30 hour a week job and he'll be making close if not more than Our 70 hour average. All He/She would need is 2 $13.74 Hr warehouse jobs(or hell, even being a waiter or a waitress) at 70 hours a week and He would make 50K a year.

Speaking of reality checks, how about cashing one of your own.

 

70 hours? If you choose to work at a driving job that requires you to put in those hours to make money you should reread my post pay specific attention the part where I said find a better job.

Did you even bother to look up what the average worker makes? Of course you didn't. Yet another whiner going with option 4.

I personally know two drivers putting in between 40-50 hours a week making more than double what the average college grad makes. That's home everyday or every other day with weekends off.

8 years experience 40 years old and still working 70 hours? The reality check for you is that you have failed somewhere along the way. Don't blame others. Blame yourself.

 

Ok guys. Listen, everyone has a good point and for this same reason we shouldnt be arguing over who is right and who is wrong; obviously from what I've read we can all agree that getting paid peanuts to be a professional driver is not fair so now we have a meeting point on how we view it, what are we going to do now?

A lot of ppl are right you know; pick ure companies better, this way you won't get screwed and maybe in the long run those incompetent mega cheap freight carriers will go away cause the general public Wilo be informed.

The real problem is information; I worked for what some may consider a bad company which is PAM, did they make a profit of me, heck yeah, but I bet you they mismanaged that in a week.

So ... What is the real problem? Cheap freight causing a real company to go under because it can't compete? Or is it that there is no industry regulated freight cost?

Let's find a solution guys and stop arguing about what separates us

 

With the way the economy is most the blue collar workers are living from pay check to pay check.I don't consider that making money.Trucking and non trucking jobs pay poverty wages.They have money for lavishes bonuses,afford the finest things in life while the little ppl depend on goodwill,government food rummage sales to live from day to day.This poor lady does not have a smart phone.I have a cheap sprint phone and a cheap plan to boot.I have a cheap car as well.I can't afford the finer things.What trucking companies pay the back bone of the industry is insulting to the drivers intellegence.We do not have anyone to stand by us but other drivers.You may be doing well where you work but sadly most of us are not especially in general trucking as to why I plan trying a different type of hauling within the near future.

 

Sounds like far left liberals vs far right conservatives. The 'new age thinking' as you call it is what's tearing this country apart amendment by amendment.