He's not in sales so he's never going to make more than ~75k without getting into management. Normal seems to be 600/week + 10% of the profit. It's in the different accounts BS where the screwing happens on this gig.
To answer those last three questions, every single day (the number of loads I cover/arrange that fall apart for a wide variety of reasons is ridiculous), every day for the first 4 years of my career, and always. That's the industry, that's not just a drivers problem. I've had something hanging over my head continuously since I got this gig. Have you ever made cold calls to people who absolutely do not want to hear from you for weeks straight? 150+ calls a day for 30k is how most people build their book of business in freight brokerage. And then every time we lose a customer we have to go back to that to replace them. I get paid based on the money I produce every week. Nothing more or less than that. You aren't the only one.
Dude. You are an employee driver are you not? I apologize if this sounds harsh but the reality of the situation is no one cares what a company driver thinks. That's just the cold hard truth. You don't negotiate rates, you don't find freight, you do what your boss tells you to do. A company drivers input in a discussion between carriers, truck owners, and brokers, is like the fry guy at McDonald's inserting himself in a conversation between the corporate buyer and the beef supplier.
As a owner and OPERATOR....if I am awake...I am working....in one way or another....even if it is just my mind thinking hard about the business and trying to be 100% perfect all of the time every time because anything less=out of business maybe.
The noncompete is going to be standard. Honestly if you're a solid 30+ year old with a decent resume I'd be looking for a customer facing role. In this business there are only two things that actually matter: good freight and good trucks. Without the ability to control a supply of at least one of these things you'll never make any real money. Never.
Owned a truck that I ran, as a lease op. I have 2 trucks sitting right now. Until I make a decision otherwise. I do not respect any broker that has no idea of what a big truck is. Which is about 90% of brokers, the other 10% I like have driven, or know how to do their job, such as providing customer contact numbers, and appt numbers that are accurate on both ends of transport, and also give proper appointment times, and not make believe time. Because it busts my bubble when I arrive a day early, or 4 hours late, when I was dispatched 2 hours prior. But perhaps that's the distressed loads playing trucks on me.
I can't even imagine how on the ball and fiscally stable a person/s has to be to run 10 or 100 or 300 trucks! From hiring to trusting to developing a long term career driver that will stick around!!?? And then of course THE TRUCKS!! Ahg! And throw in trailers, yards, mechanics.