Confused and need some GOOD ADVICE

ScooterDawg, to understand the trucking business, you need only to look at America's history to understand the mentality of big business. We seceded from England in 1776 because we refused to part with our profit margins. Under the guise of taxation without representation, it was really about hanging on to $$$, even at the cost of lives (I took American History in college, and learned only 33 percent of colonist actually fought against the British. The other 67 percent were either loyal to England, or stayed neutral). In 1865, the Civil War cost 620,000 lives over the issue of slavery. The south refused to give up "their way of life," unpaid farm labor to maximize profit returns. From the late 1890s until the Great Depression, child labor was a controversial issue. Much as we today can't resolve issues of abortion versus pro-life arguments, the USA debated whether children should be in schools, versus working at the factories to increase profit margins (children will work cheaper than adults). It wasn't until the during Great Depression that the issue was finally resolved.

The point I'm making is, trucking is about making promises to clients you can haul the freight faster (we push our drivers beyond their safe limits) and cheaper (we pay our drivers so little, and pass the savings to you) than the competition. The news media turns a blind eye to what's going on in trucking because they rely on advertisements for revenue. To inform the American people of the inherent abuses in trucking can result in big business (companies who rely on trucking services) pulling back on newspaper advertisements. No matter which carrier you pull for, they all exist because they lied and cheated the driver somehow. Whether its being told "we give you plenty of miles," and you later find yourself sitting idle at a truck stop because there's no freight to haul, or being told over the phone "we're paying you for detention, lay-over, etc..." and reading your pay settlement a week later, and finding out they lied to you. Trucking companies CANNOT stay in business without exercising some form of deceit on drivers, which is why they have high turn over rates. Like myself, the drivers who left OTR had settled down for an hourly paying local job, and gave up OTR for good. I advise you concentrate on establishing your verifiable driving experience and maintaining a clean MV printout in the first 2 or 3 years. Don't get upset or disappointed when you're lied to, or they fail to keep their promises. If you had a fleet of trucks, you'd do the same, or find yourself going out of business because you were too honest with the drivers. Until you secure a position with a private fleet (Walmart Transportation, any grocery chain store, etc...), you are in an uphill battle. If you come out to California, I suggest you learn Spanish to appease the Hispanic warehouse staff, and hopefully they'll load and unload you faster. Where I'm at, they have an unwritten policy; No hablo español ?? No rapido servicio ‼

 

i'd actually lost touch with this thread, but happened to read ur remarks....very well written and accurate in my opionio....

 

posted by "scooterdawg"


BTW - the slavery issue in the Civil War was not what started it, and what the South was fighting for. The war began because the South was trying to seperate from the North because the agricultural South was doing all of the work, and the political North was making all of the money. When it started, most northerners couldn't care less about the South. So Lincoln threw the slavery issue on the table in an effort to raise the eyebrows of the northerners with horrific stories of the treatment of slaves. In actuality, very few people who fought for the South had ever even seen a slave... heard about them, but never saw one. Only the wealthier plantation owners could afford to buy an army of slaves. Also, it is documented that every now and then, there would be the "average farmer" who might have one or two, but although they were not paid, they were treated like just shy of being a part of the family and lived in a little shack on the back of the property. They just had the harder part of the work day. The Southerners did it to keep more tax and tariff money in their own pockets. Most were farmers, so it only made more sense that they would make more money. Slavery, or the Emancipation Proclamation, was tossed in after everything got rolling and Old Abe needed support. Sort of like a modern day Line Item. Check it out.... you'll see what I am saying is well documented, just not presented


Excellent! real History, not revisionist. BTW, with your attitude you'll do just fine whichever co you go with....

 

Fairly accurate, although, presented from southern point of view.

Your correct, the Civil War had nothing to do with slavery. In a nutshell... The North held most of the industry and the South held the raw materials for the industry. The powers that be(in Wahsington) knew at that time, that if you take away one of the facets, our country would be extremely weak and vulnerable. So, when the Southern States tried to succeed from the Union.... It was met with extreme opposition from the North... leading to war.

Another way to look at it is, the North valued the South's contribution(the farmers) to the union so much, they fought them to keep it.

 

It's too bad it had to happen at all (the Civil War) I personally feel is was a spat between rich ### factory owners vs. rich ### plantation owners... w/ the small guy doing most of the fighting and dying, as usual.

On a more helpful note, I see, with your great attitude... that you'll likely be successful whichever company you choose to go with... Hope to meet you out there some day.

Good luck and be safe