Why do drivers have to accept freebies

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by ad356, Dec 3, 2017.

  1. Hotplate

    Hotplate Medium Load Member

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    How do you figure that? Let's say Driver A picks up a load, drives 400 miles, and drops the trailer at a customer. Driver B from the same outfit picks up a load from the same place later, drives the same 400 miles, only he gets stuck in an hour long traffic jam.

    If they were both making .37 cpm then they both got paid the same on mileage pay. Except that Driver B got screwed because he sat an hour for free in a traffic jam. He made the same money as Driver A even tho he worked longer.

    I don't see how that wasted time is built into the mileage pay. Years ago, Driver B could just POOF make that hour disappear on his paper logs but with ELD's he can't do that anymore.
     
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  3. Kyle G.

    Kyle G. Road Train Member

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    That’s a valid argument, but I still lean toward agreeing with @spyder7723 . In this scenario, driver A made out better than driver B, but then who’s to say that driver A didn’t get screwed on his next load in the same fashion? The point is, at the end of the week/month/year it should all balance out for both drivers. Breakdowns, traffic jams, slow customers, those things are normal in this industry and the mileage pay should reflect that.

    Now, if at the end of the week/month/year, driver A is consistently getting the same miles in less time than driver B, then we can start talking about which driver is the better performer and more adept at trip planning, but that is a whole different discussion.

    I am paid hourly, $18 per hour with ot after 40 hours. So yeah, I get paid for all the time I sit in the dock or on the side of the road. But even I get screwed sometimes, like doing local yard work in Chicagoland all day, sweating bullets and fighting traffic and racing the clock. On those days I’d love to make more than $18 an hour. But then the next day I might only do two stops and get paid to take an hour+ nap. It all comes out in the wash.
     
  4. SlowPoke44magnum

    SlowPoke44magnum Medium Load Member

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    This is why I do not miss hauling freight. I haul company owned equipment that we have very relaxed time lines on. If we encounter delays, no big deal call the boss & he lets the customer know we've been delayed. I've never been so relaxed at a driving job ;)
     
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  5. SinCityShooter

    SinCityShooter Light Load Member

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    Thank you very much... Wonder how much it cost to pay dispatch off because I certainly will! I can be just as corrupt if needed. Just need to figure the system out and work the heck out of it.
     
  6. TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

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    Did you know that some neckbeards refuse to shower because they feel that they should be paid to shower? After all, they do represent the company, don’t they? And they want maternity leave. Single guys, women can’t stand them, but they want maternity leave.
     
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  7. Toomanybikes

    Toomanybikes Road Train Member

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    I don't know because I haven't done it. But, I have seen it done. I have seen whole terminals fired because of kickbacks.

    If you don't have the money, which is very likely if your working a piece work job. I have seen instances where sexual favors can be substituted.

    Of course dispatchers and planners have desires and truck drivers have sleepers. Don't forget the loading dock personal too, they have needs too. I remember one instance where the desk jockeys could never figure out why everybody is late to this simple 160mile run. They had 14 hours to do it. The office staff at the mega handed out service failures left and right for this one run: Literally like 50 service failures for every driver except this one driver. What did he do different? Well, simply he took the receiver for a ride in his sleeper while his truck was being unloaded. To keep that level of service up, the gal in receiving would lock out all other drivers while calling up the trucking company to complain about the loads not getting there. The einstiens in the front office never could figure this out; they just handed service failures out like candy.
     
  8. diesel drinker

    diesel drinker Road Train Member

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    Exactly.When I cruise @70mph I am making $45/h but I don't get paid for fueling, waiting up to 2 h at shippers,being stuck in traffic,sleeping in the truck etc.It's all included in my 65 CPM.
     
    Kyle G. Thanks this.
  9. diesel drinker

    diesel drinker Road Train Member

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    Why the hell would you want to pay them and for what exactly???
     
  10. Kyle G.

    Kyle G. Road Train Member

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    That’s funny, my company actually gave me a paid paternity leave when my daughter was born this year. The HR gal said I was the first driver to ever use it.
     
  11. SinCityShooter

    SinCityShooter Light Load Member

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    Wow, that's crazy. Did they call him tripod?!?! or was she that bad looking?
     
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