Do all Truckers whine about their companies?

LOL ....... ok

 

!!!!AMEN!!!

 

That's true. My s/o voices his dislikes IF the company dispatchers are being jerks. So far we are real happy with the company he drives for. They have been keeping him running since he started with them. And so far they show that they take care of their drivers. As long as they keep him happy he's willing and he works hard to get the freight where it needs to go.

And you are absolutely right .... any company you work for whether it's a trucking outfit or regular every day desk job has JERKS . It just depends on how you deal with them. I work for the county here in CA and believe me you .... there are LOTS of jerks where I work. I just blow them off and do the job I'm paid to do. Their opinions and views mean nothing to me.

 

It could take me a couple of days just to list here all the examples of crap that I have been served with the four companies I worked for during the last 7 years as a company driver and as an o/o. If they would have payed me honestly for all the miles I was asked-made to drive, I'd be having today around 40-50 K more in my pocket. But it could have been even much worse if I wasn't refusing on numerous occasions to work for free...not only the labor part, but how about burning MY own fuel and wearing MY own truck?!
And all the tricks they are using and unfortunately for us drivers succeeding...sometimes I am even ashamed to admit to somebody that I am a truck driver afraid of immediately being considered as a dumb idiot who can't figure out how much is 2+2.
Wake up people...when enough is enough? They don't care if we end up with a beard under a bridge...another fool that bought recruiter's crap is right there next in line to take your place. And all that crap how they appreciate what we do...C'MON GET REAL!!! It's always about them...about their bottom line...about the people in the company's offices, shippers, receivers...only they are always important and hardly ever us. Think of it for a minute!!! How many miles YOU drove for free, how many hours of detention and layovers YOU DIDN"T get payed for?
WE are replacable, not THEM! When will most of the drivers understand that actually THEY are all unemployed without us??? Not US!!!
Once I asked a driver would he, if everybody would at the same time, shut down his truck at least for an hour, he said he wouldn't cos he needs that money he would make by driving those 50 miles. He just doesn't get it that this way we all (including him) are missing at least two monthly paychecks within a year or less.
And have you noticed how we all are making less and less miles? Because they are overhiring drivers...that's how they make sure all the potential loads would be covered...they don't give a sh.. about us wasting our time and our lives far away from our homes and loved ones often (even one sole case would be one too many) not being able to make bare living. This is all just too humiliating. Good Luck!
Who? Me just another whiner?

 

You, a just another whiner....... mmmm no. I've only been a driver for 6 going on 7 months i agree with you 100%. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see what you stated is going on.

 

I do agree there are those of us that it does not matter if gold ran out of the dash they would not be happy. THAT BEING SAID. Most drivers only ##### if there is something wrong. Either the truck stays in the shop so no miles, you are stranded and have to sit for days on end or you are not being paid properly. Those are the most #####ed about reasons. We all know a dispatcher today is just a load finder and has no clue about trip or week planning. So with them it is what it is.

 

What would shutting down a truck for an hour do? I understand your reasoning behind it, but i am afraid that would not get a companies attention. That would be no different than taking an extra hour meal break. Besides, you (the driver) agreed to that load. And if you dont get it to your final on time, it isnt the company at fault (they will be to the folks paying the bill), it is you, and you'll be the one to get a service failure.

NOW....if you were to ask if everybody would just not accept or decline a preplan for a full day.....that might be a different story.

Here is my big gripe. I've pretty much been doing SOMETHING company related since middle of August. I bust my tail going thru school, learning everything i can in the 6 weeks of on road training, I jump thru every hoop i've been asked to jump thru. And i get rewarded by a DM who sits on her butt trying to upgrade me into a truck. Then when i get assigned said truck, i am asked to take it out without it being cleaned properly. (i ended up cleaning it, and before doing so, asked if i could get the $50 they were going to charge the previous driver for the cleaning bill...they said yes) I get a truck with very MINOR problems....what is a problem i get fixed in Detroit pretty quicky so no gripe there. But when I tell my DM i want to roll. I want to have to turn down loads because of HOS. Now i know every driver wishes they'd have this problem. I WANT to roll. I hate getting to a final, doing a drop and hook, then having to head to a rest area or truck stop and WAIT and WAIT for a preplan. Now i know this time of year the freight is slow, i can understand that. But if that is the case, then why dont alot of veteran drivers take the entire 6 weeks off between thanksgiving and new years. They make plenty of money when they are blowing by me going 75mph.

 

When I first started to drive OTR I did everything I was supposed to do by the book thinking that being a good company man would get me more miles better loads and more opportunity's. But what did it really get me? Absolutely nothing.

The first thing any driver should know about OTR trucking is that even though they work for a company as a employee, they are pretty much on their own when it comes to making money. You are competing with every other driver who works there and no one cares about your needs, unless you make them care.

You have to learn how to work the system and how to deal with the company to keep yourself in the best position to make money.

The term squeaky wheel gets the grease is what OTR trucking is about these days. Sitting back and thinking the loads will come to you just does not work.

 

Well said. No argument from me.

 

Just a question for you. Do you think there would be much complaining going on if the driver was paid for all of their on duty time? A combination of miles (driving) and hourly (sitting)?

Just asking