decker truck lines ft dodge iowa

Percentage pay on flatbed I've always heard is bad because there is to much deadhead

 

I know of 1 flatbed company that gives you the choice of either cpm or % pay. 85% of there drivers choose percentage pay.

 

Yeah TMC offers both had a buddy over there for 3 years. And P&S does as well I believe

 

Keim TS also offers Both. But they are a small outfit out of Kansas. 25.25% or .40 cpm

 

I prefer mileage but it's all up to the individual. Some loads would prob come out ahead on percentage some not. Couple things I don't like. Who's to say the price the company shows is the true rate? Also flatbed has a lot of deadhead miles percentage means all those miles are free.

 

I make 45 cents per mile. With fuel bonuses and tarp pay. With a couple other ways of making extra money. I just don't see percentage pay beating that in the long run. Maybe a load here and there but that's it. Just my opinion.

 

Yes I agree I have just come across more and more companies who are offering both flatbed and mileage. System out of washington is all cpm and has continues to have the miles for there drivers. I am scheduled to go there in January...

 

I ran into a guy working for them awhile back on here. He had good things to say about them. I see the sometimes. I think more and more companies offer it as a way to make drivers come to their company or stay at their company. But let's face reality. If you or I own a company. Why would we pay a percentage driver more than a mileage driver? It would cut into money for business expenses and my take home pay. It's just another way of paying that makes sense for some drivers. To each their own. I feel the same way about lease drivers that lease a truck from the same company that dispatches them lol. At the end of the day how ever the company manipulates the numbers they are going to make what they need to make to maintain the profit margin they want or need......if I offer you a 20 dollars a hour to dig a ditch. Or lease you the shovel offer you 40 a hour on the lease then charge 20 a hour for the shovel. Same thing. Talk to any percentage driver on a good week it's great on a bad week it sucks lol. But my weeks are steady on mileage.

 

I'm setting in my truck here mad as he'll. Trying to calm down. Oh been at Decker a few months. Up till now it's been mostly ok. I'm setting here in fort dodge caint sleep with serious thoughts of leaving. Maybe someone in here can tell me if I'm over reacting. You know as a driver we sometimes blow little things up to be big things.

I'm on flatbed division. My first flatbed job. I've been driving 6 years. Mostly reefer.
Here goes. A week ago I called in and spoke with driver realitions. I told the lady I would like to swap over to reefer. I don't like flatbed. I'm not getting home like they said I would. 1800 miles a week don't cut it with my 800 a month in child support. And 20 bucks tarp pay just doesn't seem worth it anymore after dealing with it the last few months. She says let her check into it and she will call me back. A little while goes by and she calls me back she says are you okay with a 3 cent cut in pay cause that's what it will be if you do this. I said that's fine. She said okay let me get a hold of someone in the training dept and see when would be a good time to go over the reefer unit with you. I said ok. Some more time goes by and she calls me back she said next Thursday will be a good time for them. I have already called your terminal manager and let him know. Well Wednesday comes around and I get dispatched to fort dodge I'm thinking great. Everything is on point. I get up here Wednesday evening drop my load and come to the terminal. Thursday morning I get up go in and drop some bills off at the reception lady to give to payroll cause they couldn't be read on the in cab scanner. Then I proceed to get a hold of someone about what I need to do to go over this reefer and swap trucks. Well at 3pm a guy calls me and says I'll meet you in the driver's area around 4. I said that's fine. Turns out he claimed no one knew I was coming in to do this. And he don't have any trucks available. I'll have to wait till Tuesday to get a truck. "Still nothing about this training" tells me he will let my dispatcher know so I can run some more flatbed loads instill then. Mind you I been awake all day. At 10 mins till 5 a load hits my QC picking up on the yard going to Wisconsin 300 miles delivers in the morning.


Now here's my frustration. I feel like they are playing games with me. Number 1 I'm south east dedicated and yet I was routed here on time. Number 2 there are empty trucks all over this yard. Number 3 why would you dispatch me on a night run when I've been awake all day?? I mean it's been a month since I've even seen my home state. I was told every other weekend. I'm just frustrated. I haven't accepted that load.