Companies running CPM drivers to do local loads

There are good otr jobs out there but they do seem to be few and far between. The money all comes down to what the person thinks is crap. For some guys 40k is good money and fits their lifestyle. For the work I do I won't get out of bed for under 75k but I have expensive hobbies, a house, I like saving for retirement, etc. If your a single dude with no house or bills that lives in the truck 40k is probably pretty good.

 

well, I think I probably posted something optimistic about driving OTR and getting local runs, and I apologize for that

my new viewpoint is that an OTR driver should refuse to do them for mileage pay and drop pay

I like almost every thing about my job except the ever-increasing number of short hauls I get.

When I get back to the terminal I'm cleaning the truck out and I'll see if they want me to drive local or maybe dedicated, otherwise I am changing companies, even though my preference is to stay with the mega.

I am not doing OTR even if they try to tell me I won't get anymore short haul.

OTR runs and local runs just don't mix. I drove 420 miles (second day of rare actual long haul run) and they wanted me to deliver and deadhead for a live load in a city with 4 hours on my clock fighting traffic to try to get to a truck stop, and the run was like 200 miles with a live unload. I shut down and did it the next day but it messed everything up since I like to start out super early and I had to wait until 7 am for the pickup. It's not about the money for me. Its about not being exploited. In my view, if I keep driving in this configuration knowing I will be abused with short haul, its the same as me abusing myself, and I will not do that to myself. Life is too short.

Why would a company pay hourly or day rate for short hauls when there are people dumb enough to sit in traffic and at customers for multiple live loads and unloads per day for mileage pay and drop pay?

 

God #### dude. I do more than that on linehaul and I'm a local guy. I hope they give you what you want.

 

Thanks. Another problem is that they don't give me the new assignment until the last minute, so I had trip planned with the idea of drop and hooking the delivery and empty then ideally another drop and hook pickup then drive some more before shutting down for the night. I don't even really mind doing short hauls, but not for mileage and drop pay and not mixed with actual long haul runs.

 

I've had to run short local loads more times than I'de like to admit as a noobie OTR driver.

There are times when my hourly wage for the day will be below minimum wage. I don't like that, nor do I think it's right to do in a first world, developed country.

But, I do get my miles every week, that averages out to about $900-$1000 gross per week including hometime where I don't get paid. For me, it's good money and I'm able to save quite a bit.

I try to rationalize it, that I get my miles for the week, and that's what matters. But, I'll admit, it does hurt me a bit on the inside when my hourly wage for the day dips below $7.25 per hour on some of these short runs.

There's a fine line between being a team player and being exploited.

I was thinking about it the other day. Somebody mentioned on this forum that paying an hourly wage, or at least pay for 15 minutes per fueling, pre trip, drop, ext ext would be unrealistic.

And yet, I go to the LTL sub forum, and they post their checks making more than OTR drivers and they get paid....... By the hour.

Now, I'm no Einstein, but when I hear hourly pay is not realistic, that we would all be earning $8 per hour, yet LTL blows OTR out the water with their hourly pay yearly gross earnings, I have to wonder......

Have OTR drivers been sold lies?

 

I think so. I have been hourly my whole career and it works. Running this linehaul I run now I'm running as many if not more miles daily than a lot of otr drivers and I'm paid hourly so it definitely works.

 

Seriously, I lost count on how many times I asked. My on time stats are great, my communication is great, the left door stays shut, turn and burn on my 10’s, and my trip planning consists of plan A and plan B allowing me to, for the most part, run my clock/s right on down. And no incidents...

 

Another reason for hourly pay. You never have to kiss ### to make money. I go in, pre trip truck drive 613 miles making two stops along the way do pretty much the same in reverse after a night in a hotel. Never have to beg for work so I can make a decent paycheck.

 

I wish all the best in “standing

I wish you all the best in “standing out” while driving for a mega.

 

Well Yay

I’m feeling what you’re laying down!

Yay for me...pulling my last load for them with only 100 miles to go!