Finding drivers

My logic is if she cannot afford to hire even average drivers, she has no business being in business. Drop down to one truck, be an o/o and move on with life. Or, like I said, she can charge her customers more, stop taking crap paying runs so she has more revenue, etc. There are a lot of thinks she can do. If it's a location issue, she should be able to charge more to her customers. If it's an equipment issue, she needs better equipment. elogs preventing one from getting average drivers? Yea right!

Do you see the word I keep using? It's average... I'm not talking paying some company driver 3.00 a mile, with 100% medical, and a 401k that puts 100k in the retirement every year... I'm talking average...
I'm not her financial planner. So ergo, it's not my problem.

 

Yes CHARGE CUSTOMERS MORE HAHAHAH.

You clearly have never dealt with a customer before.

Goodnight

 

You are quite correct, sir. No need for the customer to pay more when your kind is double brokering loads and playing drivers and companies against one another. You're doing quite well I'm sure. Meanwhile, out here where the rubber meets the road...literally...people are going broke working their tails off 100+ hours a week.

Goodnight.

 

If you are working 100 hours a week that's illegal.

If you are in fact working 100 hours a week and STILL not making it well shame on you.

I have plenty of drivers who do loads for me and run legally all week and make enough and by enough I mean over 60k



Double brokering? Cmon dude stop with these broker cliches that you hear about at truck stops.

If I'm so well off I'll tell you like I tell others I'm hiring. Come work for me as a broker and show me "how well off I am"

 

It does sound a little foolish,but the brand and model of truck does matter to me. I've driven most of the major brands except for Western Stars and spent the last 17 years in 379 Petes and KW W900. It makes a difference to me as a driver to drive a quality truck with sufficient horsepower to do the job at hand. 90% of what I do is haul 102k lbs of construction demolition upstate NY and having a solid truck that holds up doesn't feel like it's going to fall apart is important. Although the Petes were good trucks My current W900 is hands down a more solid truck that has held up better ,other than the emissions issues which is a problem with all of them. It is a heavy hauler,double frame ,twin steering boxes,46k rears with a ISX Cummins 550 that has been turned up to 700hp with a 4 core radiator. It's not governed and very fast and can bury the speedometer without blinking an eye,so you better behave yourself .When I'm called down to NYC to do a trade show I'll use it at the Javitz center ,but if I have to go to a tight spot like the Hilton Hotel or Marriott in the theatre district I'll take one of the companies single axle CH Macks or Internationals that we have parked down in NJ. The long wheelbase Big hood W900 is like turning a tug boat in a bath tub in tight spots . It's definatley nice to have a smaller tight turning fleet truck in those tight situations. It does feel nice when I'm done to get back in my W900 . You might say that the W900 is not a money making truck and burns too much fuel etc. it averages about 5.5 miles per gallon . But it's relative to how much it earns. It makes $1200 a day to do a 270 mile run loaded and comes back empty ,540 miles round trip . I used to bring back salt ,crushed cars or hay but it made for too long of a day and the back haul would screw up my main haul so I just come back empty and have about an 11 hour day. Our city work pays $100 hour to the truck for the first 8 hours and $150 hour overtime. I would definitely have a hard time if I switched companies getting out of a w900 and into a freightliner or Volvo as my main truck,it's not about "The Hood" to me it's about having a solid feeling quality truck that holds up.

 

Tonight on the ABC national news they had a driver shortage story. Said the national average pay was $40,000. The story was based out of a driver training place in NJ. Didn't much delve into whether it was OTR or local stuff, but $40,000 in NJ is just barely making ends meet.

 

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree is there really a driver shortage?

 

Perhaps you have family members, or relatives, who are willing to work for you as employees, willingly accepting a 1099 and not having any health insurance, even if on a temporary basis.
Chances are, even the family members, or relatives, would have 2nd. thoughts about working for you under these "stipulations", too much of a risk factor involved.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

 

Hey guys. Not sure if this is the right forum to be writing this, but it seems so. I've been driving for over 10 years now, a year as owner/op, got injured a year and a half ago, won't be able to drive anymore, and will be getting a couple 08 Columbia's within the month. I really appreciate all the wisdom on what to have as an employer for the driver and I agree as I was a company driver for 8 years. I'm used to owner/oping in the oilfield and was wondering which company/freight/trailer would be best starting back up as a small fleet owner, assuming I can nab a couple reasonable drivers?

 

Let me get this strait? You want me to do a quality job tarping but are not willing to offer workers comp. hmmm what happens when i slip on a wet or icy tarp and fall and hopefully just break my leg? Oh let me guess? I'll get fired for being unsafe. Where do I sigh up?

I will say I started at a 1099 flatbed company but paid above average, home every weekend, new trucks and trailers. It was a means to an end from the beginning. Drove his truck for 7 months now have my own leased on to him. Heck I even pay myself on w2 and pay all my taxes and insurance I would as an employee. Still make a profit, although not as much as I want but can still afford to pay myself or a driver a legit salary. If you can't afford to pay legit wages and still make a profit you are not charging enough to move freight. Or lower your personal financial expectations, but to for go driver wages for company profit is not a responsible choice.