another driver told me to dictate terms to the boss??

I doubt the farmer is going to alter his milking schedule for you. You're just another minor problem in his day and I doubt if he worries about you and your waiting time very much.
The problem was there before you came along and it will be there after you leave.
Quit taking yourself so seriously. Nobody else does.

 

Although western ny does suck, your hands aren’t tied,because their are PLENTY of good paying cdl jobs in our area with excellent benefits. Lots of seasonal work to summer and winter.
Hauling dairy kinda sucks no money in it around here in my opinion, but the one thing you can do is negotiate what you want, the boss will ether say he can do it or he can’t pretty simple really, stop being a wuss everyone needs drivers

 

I've seen similar outfits around here. A buddy of mine ran for a local dirt and rock hauling outfit and they were paying drivers 14 bucks an hour to run end dumps and belly dumps. POS equipment, ####ty pay, horrible hours etc, makes it almost impossible for the owner to retain drivers. He pretty much has an ad up on CL and indeed constantly. I've always wondered, why not just pay for quality drivers, vs constantly trying to hire new drivers, paying for physicals, drug tests, etc. I guess some places are content having a revolving door vs just paying a decent wage that will retain good drivers.

Regarding the OP's issue, I think you respectfully discuss the situation with your boss and you'll know real quick if he's even going to entertain the idea. If he wont, and you're tired of it and it's really not worth your time, turn in your keys and head on down the road. Life's short and if you don't constantly job hop and your records clean, you'll find something else. For every GOOD outfit you come across while job hunting, you'll find 20 less than desirable outfits, and those good outfits usually have a line around the block. So I'd put your cards on the table while looking for employment elsewhere. That's just the way it is in trucking unfortunately.

Dave

 

OMG,

1 - driver takes a job, knows what's going on with the scheduling and how the customers are.

2 - driver finds out it isn't all milk and honey.

3 - driver comes here to complain.

4 - driver doesn't get that this is a customer driven industry and he is on the front lines.

To the OP.

QUIT.

Find another job.

You claim there are so many out there, then go and see what you don't get paid for.

 

Demand and dictate your terms. You are in charge, not them. Walk in like own the place. Tell them its YOU who will fire THEM.

 

I don't know if I'd "dictate terms" with the boss but I wouldn't let him run all over you.

I know I've put my foot down about stuff. I have spent numerous hours getting tires repaired, waiting on loads, etc. I told Ozark in no uncertain terms time is money. I asked for detention pay one time when I had to wait 6 hours to get a tire fixed at a loves. A steer tire at that. They said no. I said route me home I'm done. Same when I had to wait 5 hours for another load. I asked for retention pay. They said no. I said bye. Extra pay a few minutes later.

Within 10 minutes my qualcomm popped up with a message "extra pay" -misc pay.

Now if I need a break and ask for some extra time and put my PTA off until the morning. that's on me. But if the wait is on THEM, and I'm LIVING out of this truck in order to make money pulling loads and they are holding me up, yea I get pissed. Fast. I can easily get a local job home every night. And they know it.

If you're a good driver and your company pulls some #### on you. yea put your foot down. If you're crap they'll be glad to see you go. I've got some experience under my belt and no truck damage. Everything on time. Show you're worth something and that you can go get another job anywhere else and they should bend.

If not quit and go find something better.

 

Some of you people don't have a clue.
It's a bottom of the Barrel milk hauling job.
Just like dump trucks,cement truck,end dumps,
Wood chips,log trucks etc.

Long hours, low pay. It's the price you pay
For going home every night.
The owner of trucks won't lose one minutes sleep
When he quits. Neither will the farms that he's picking up
From. He's just meat in the seat.

They've both seen many come and go.
There always another sucker to take his spot
Who claims he wants to be home every night.

Walk into the bosses office and tell him you want
A raise or your leaving. Then when he's done laughing
At you go get a real job and stop bouncing from one
Crappy low paying job to the next.

 

Bottom of the barrel? Now you've hurt my feelings.

We do all those kinds of trucking except milk.. Our guys get paid by the hour. They get OT after 40. Full benefits for them and the family at a ridiculously low price to the driver. 401K. Longevity pay. Safety bonus. Home almost every night and off most weekends. Nobody leaves unless they get fired. Guys stay until they retire.
Just because we're involved in vocational trucking doesn't make us bottom of the barrel.
Kick yourself in the ankle, okay?

Edit...the rest of your post was pretty good though.