Trucking and pay

Also...like to know just who your Dad worked for in the late 70's to early 80's.....I started in the early 70's and never knew of jobs paying that much...not doubting you...not at all , just curious...do you have the company name / location....I mean if you knew his wages you should remember the company....right?

 

if you want to figure a job by the hour
get a by hour paying job
i get a 2300 mile run pays $.42/mile
only the goverment limits my ability to make more per hour
When i ran fishing boats crew were paid % of the catch
try staying out to sea 3 weeks and expenses are more then the boat gross
and yet next week we would try again

 

This is the most current statistics I can find at the moment, lots of info here: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533032.htm#nat

 

You only pay about $5k for a CDL, and have it within 3 weeks. The people you're comparing yourself too go to school for 4 years, and rack up about 30k in student debt.

However, there are some professions that pay 6 figures out of school. Those professions are doctors and really good lawyers.

 

Stop assuming and demanding a doctors pay. You're paid for what your worth, not what you think you deserve. Most new drivers are barely worth the 30k they're getting now.

 

I did! Reading and math are good fundamental skills to have even if you want to be a truck driver.

There are a couple problems with wage reports on trucking jobs.

First - a lot of the reported wages are from companies that need to entice drivers. They have to; turnover in the industry is over 100%. They inflate reported wages to encourage people to invest in a career in trucking. Excess driver capacity will lower wages and therefore costs for the trucking companies. These same companies can also sell the services of their training schools at a tidy profit.

Second - Most of those outside of the trucking industry do not understand the pay system or the hours of service in trucking. Many reports put truck driver wages in terms of hourly wage; few trucking jobs pay a hourly wage. Most trucking jobs pay CPM which is not at all comparable when you consider what actually happens in trucking. If you take the 38k median that the IRS reports to the government and divide it by 40 hours a week you get the $18.26 that the government reports. What the government paper pushers do no get truck drivers work some 80 plus hours a week to make that 38k with many hours off the clock to accommodate HOS. Run the numbers that way and you get $9.13 and hour. That is closer to the truth but you must consider 40 of those 80 hours should be paid overtime. Run you spreadsheet and you will find wages around $7.30 and hour.