90 for 90

The big difference is 48 vs. 11 western.

With 11 western, you *rarely* go past 2500, and you spend (seemingly) half your time bumping docks at Costco retail stores and GP pissholes. The miles are not there, but the work still is.

Bumping docks twice (and even three times!!) a day means that you're dealing with city traffic and assorted B.S. instead of simply driving.

On on the other hand, if you drive 11 western, you get home every couple of weeks, and that is why I do it (not because I want to get paid less).

 

Your story agrees with pretty much every story I have heard about 11 western. I have heard rumors that they are working on the mileage problem with the 11 western fleet but I don't see it happening to be honest.

 

$630 / 70 hrs = $9 per hour. Wow. Yeah seems like one heck of a deal, dangerously negotiating 80,000 lbs through traffic everyday. Where can I sign up. And I get to share a truck with a smelly stranger away from home... Bonus!

 

The only reason for the flat rate is for safety... (and being able to retain that much funding for 90 days is a plus on the company end) they don't want new drivers to be stressing about making that extra mile on top of everything else. All it guarantees is a minimum daily wage regardless of how many miles you drive. You are STILL paid mileage and if that adds up to more than the flat rate you are paid the difference.

Also, 8 days is not a week so your figures were wrong off the bat.

 

Lol, you think all those live load/unloads, drop/hooks took fifteen minutes? I probably had 80 hours after it was all said and done.

 

I understand that. That still doesn't explain why they said they never got the bills. They could have said that they showed up late. But also, I scan my bills the day I get them every time. I don't leave the lot until they are scanned. That is the beauty of the iPhone app. So even if they didn't get one trip, the others should have been paid. The problem is, they had a couple of ######## in payroll over the summer. There was one lady in there, I can't remember her name, but she sat all the way against the wall when you came in the door opposite the "drivers lounge" in Brooks. She knew what she was doing. I also think that calling repairs that they paid for with a comchek on my comdata card, and then only have receiving the invoice, should not be called an "advance" under any circumstances.

I think May is a good company. They have their issues, but so does every other company. In the end, I was paid, although it was delayed by a couple of week. I always did get the money eventually, and with no more than two phone calls. All but one time I was given 100+ gallons, usually a fill. That one time was a weekend dispatcher and I parked the truck and wouldn't drive anymore because the fuel was so low. When my DM came back on Monday and had me stick the tank, she couldn't believe that they wanted me to drive more than 80 more miles as the fuel level was below what they considered the usable level. It worked out ok. I got my 10, got 25 gallons at a place that May didn't work with (they had to put the cash on the card and I had to send the receipt). Then I made it to my fuel stop and got a fill.

Running 48, I NEVER had problems getting miles. But yeah, they are a starter company that pays starter company wages. What saved me is that I'm a veteran and May's apprenticeship program got me close to another $1000 each month. The only reason I left is because once I got my 1 year my wife's uncle could put me on his insurance and I drive his truck now. He broke his hip and really doesn't want to drive anymore. I run two round trips from Portland to Petaluma, CA or Sacramento, CA area. Every now and then there is a Reno run thrown in there. But I work 8-10 days, then 5 off, then do it again.

From talking to guys out here, there are a lot of jobs like this around if you get 2-3 years experience. So I consider May exactly what they told the government they were, an apprenticeship. There is a LOT more to trucking than getting your CDL, as we all know. But this is still one of the last places that a guy can get a start in an industry where he is making $50k / year for work that isn't that hard. It's long hours, but it isn't that hard. I mean, come on, once you are on the open road, it's quite peaceful to have the radio / audio book / talk radio on while keeping the dirty side down. That is until you hit snow, or wind, or ice, or all three at the same time on 80 outside of Cheyenne. LOL.

 

Well said. Thanks for the thoughtful post.

 

I was payed every single time, on time. I would even call on Wednesday morning and ask if they could put that Wednesday morning trip in for me, and guess what they would. I left because I get to be home every week now and more money of course