Driver pay

Meanwhile, that local truck driving job is paying $14hr with no overtime hints the reason for this thread. So why are you going to live on the road full time for 2 years to get the experience to qualify for that local job that pays less than Panda Express? You'd be better off just skipping CDL school and going to work at Panda Express. Home everyday, no experience required, no special license or schooling required.

 

I invest the bulk of my income into dividend paying stocks. I should have enough at this rate to replace my truck driving income within 10 years, maybe less of this bull market holds out. So by age 45 I'll be living quite luxuriously near a beach in Latin America. However that's not the plan that's been outlined for us and beaten into our heads from the time we could walk. We're supposed to find a long term career, get married, buy a house, raise a family while paying into a company 401k then hopefully have enough between savings, the 401k and home equity to retire by age 65. That obviously isn't happening today unless you're earning well into the 6 figures. So I found an alternative path.

 

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Our industry uses what's known as piece work pay which was actually very common up until the 1930's. Piece work pay basically means that someone working in a widget factory would get paid per widget they assembled so they only get paid while engaged in activities that bring direct profits to the company. This practice was abolished by the fair labor standards act. However truck drivers fought hard to be exempt from the FLSA because it would put a cap on their pay potential. At the time they were right. Back in the 1930's there was no weigh stations, logbooks or any of the regulations that we have today. There also wasn't any drug screening. That 1930's truck driver could snort a few lines off of his dash and drive all night until sun up encountering very little traffic along the way. With today's regulations, long waits at shippers/receivers, traffic, construction, etc one has to ask if the industry exemption is still relevant. Unfortunately the drivers have no real voice in Washington DC. The big carriers have a voice in government via the ATA. So a voice that lobbies on behalf of drivers like the ATA that lobbies on behalf of the CEO's is needed. For years I've been listening to truck drivers talking about going on strike but that first requires truck drivers to organize. It's crazy because I'm a Ron Paul libertarian, a huge Milton Friedman fan and strong advocate for free markets. Just how bad does an industry really have to get for me of all people to start calling for more government? How can anyone in America claim moral superiority as they ridicule Chinese Sweatshops while allowing this industry to continue to function as it does?

 

If that's how it worked then sure. If that CPM driver takes an 11 hour break instead of a 10 hour break he/she will get a call from dispatch wondering why and reminding that driver of the delivery time. Since there's no set schedule you're expected to start driving at whatever oddball hour your 10 is up.

Now back to reality, driver A works a job delivering fuel. He gets paid $30hr with OT after 40 hours. A 60hr work week gets him a $2,200 paycheck for the week. Driver B gets 50 cents per mile. He hasn't seen home in weeks and is lucky to get a $1200 paycheck.