Trans Am Still

Amen...it can be a hard hurdle for lots of drivers to get over, especially coming from the company driver side, where miles equals money. This whole point a to point b in a large vehicle can be trickier than it looks. Probably why people smarter than us started this forum in the first place.

 

I just saw a New lease driver at Transam. He is doing videos on you tube.. I can say that it surely is not a recruiting video for Transam.. It was obvious that he either didn't get it explained or he simply did not listen.. I can only imagine that hearing a lease driver say yes there are a few weeks where I didn't make any money but then I have a week that I made some money.. The person struggles and fails to even list what his fixed costs are and no understanding of what the FSC really was or how it worked.. It was really difficult to watch.. What it did confirm for me is that there are plenty of people and not just at transam that have no idea what they have gotten into..

 

Mileage pay is even a rip off scam for company drivers.

Say for example a 44k load from Columbus, Ohio to Boston, MA vs Omaha, NE

Both are about 780 miles.
The company driver to MA will be going slow up those never ending hills/mountains in either PA or upstate NY only to reach near the coast to go slow with fighting traffic.
The company driver to NE will have all easy driving, flat roads and mostly being open empty spaces.

The company driver to NE will have easier work and will be earning more per hour of working vs the driver going to MA.
Does that seem fair?

Take that into a flease deal on mileage pay... then factor in how all those grades will be killing their fuel economy along with paying more for fuel in the Northeast.
The barely little profit already driving for peanuts per mile just went even lower by going into the Northeast while yet you still have a dispatcher and all the fun that comes with that.

Mileage pay is so bad it's a joke and the joke is on the driver, especially an L/O or O/O

At least with % at least in my view it feels fair.
If I do easy long runs in the middle of nowhere.. I will earn less.
If I pile on short runs say in the Northeast.. I will earn more, a lot more and I will earn it lol.

 

I agree fw it's not set up as a fair system. I do, however, subscribe to the belief that everyone has to start somewhere, and slogging up and down mountains and fighting traffic for peanuts is basically the apprenticeship to having the skill, knowledge, and ability to move forward in a challenging and rewarding career and do what you do. I follow your thread pretty regular and you have your poop in a group. I'd like to thing I do too. But I know this: without doing the company driver gig, learning my lessons on the company dime, and making the mistakes we all make, it woulda been impossible to move forward. That's why I like this trans am thread. These guys are in a place that we were in earlier and many of them are here craving the knowledge that more experienced hands can impart. That's why I'm here too. And let me tell ya brother I've gained a lot of knowledge reading your posts. Keep up the fine work.

 

Thanks and I agree with everything you said.
I drove for peanuts myself my first 6 months and then GTFO lol
Experienced drivers that work for nothing kinda bugs me though.
Most of us are worth more than what we're getting paid.

 

Amen brother. We all settle in to the level we feel we deserve, I think. I've swung for the fences more times than I care to admit, but I gotta tell ya...sometimes I wish I could be content working for 38 cents a mile, overpriced health insurance, and no headaches. Just get my runs in and head home for a few days with my family. But I can't, so I keep pushing, keep learning, stay fluid, and do the best I can. Thinkin that's what you do too.

 

I have not seen many reefer carriers that do %. It seems as though the % is primarily with flatbed. Thats what I have seen anyway. However i did find one recently but they only do % for there lease drivers. which is a lease purchase not lease op.. Actually at 65% of the gross which is averaging about 4k gross each week. They are a smaller fleet 150 trucks.

 

Big Papaxx another company you may want to research is Riverside Transport. Their lease is charged by the mile. If you don't get any miles you won't owe anything.

 

aren't they in kansas city? @Evomalo thanks if it is the same 1 I have talked with them and yes there lease program is really interesting.. They are pretty firm on having experience and unfortunately no one counts heavy equipment as trucking experience.. Thank god cause I used to flip the dumps on the rock trucks.. that would be a big NO BUENO with a big rig,,

 

I'm sorry I forgot about the experience requirement.