High Turnover on new drivers?

Moose,

I've done my time in a truck. Staying out 5-6 months at a time.

I've worked for companies who used every excuse to convince a driver to sit. While they hope to make an extra .05 a mile on a load.

Logistics should be first and foremost with any company.

My current company gets me home religiously. Because that's what I require at this point in my life.

I don't drive 18 hours a day. I make 30-40% less than I did in my hayday.

But that's my choice.

BUT as long as I am away from my home. I drive for my money. And I require a company that can actuall keep my truck moving. So I can make money.

I work 14 on 7 off. So sitting is NOT an option I want with a company.

 

Trucking is A vocation with dozens of variables. A perpetual array of issues that impact upon you, that you have no control over. It reminds me of an algebraic equation that you are not permitted to simplify to reduce the number of calculations necessary to solve. Weather, construction , accidents , detours, bad directions , roadside inspections , loading dock personnel , equipment failures and the list goes on. The trucking company is insulated from damage, monetarily , caused by the unpredictable chain of events that that A driver deals with daily. They always get theirs, you get BOHICA.....You eat their screw-ups , and one " awww #### " eradicates 1000 ata boys Company's hire more o/o than than they cam provide freight for, but it lets them grab whatever is out there. The icing on the cake is the trucking outfits slashing rates to grab some new business. I hauled steel for Roadstar some years ago. Our logo on the #### house wall was " no hill's too steep, no rate is too cheap for " Roadscum " . So much for deregulation !

 

Trucking in general has a huge turn over rate but its really to your advantage. First off, If your piss test is clean, you dont do drugs, have no fellonies and no DUI's you will be fine because you will be above the percantage of drivers that fall in those catagories. Secound off, if you are a safe driver on the job, show up to work on time and do your job right and dont cuss out your dispatcher you will be above the percentage of drivers that fall in those catagories. So trucking is what you make of it and the high turn over rate is to your advantage.

Now you can understand why some of the turn over rate is to a good drivers advantage. So trucking is what you make of it.

 

Stick with a reasonably good company & the high turnover rate will move you up the seniority list very quickly.
Lots of drivers will leave a job for another that pays .02 cents a mile more; it's not worth it to lose seniority and start over with the wait time to get into the 401K & health insurance. Some scoff at the 401K, but when you start getting lots of gray hair, you think, "if I had stuck with such&such company, I'd be in good shape now."

 

I was at one good company, $21.87 Hr 70hrs weekly, I said, I need more MUNEY, no luck, so, Found another company, Mucho More MUNEY.

 

I understand the "My Front Porch", it's great.

 

That 2 cents thing really annoys me. Most folks don't think about that enough.

.02 a mile extra for the year, translates into "about" $1500 after taxes...if you're lucky.

Seniority ?? WTH is that? Most companies are pushing the older and higher paid drivers out. Or finding ways to cut their earnings. I could give a dozen examples. But why bother.

 

When a driver changes from one company to another he will lose at least 1-2 weeks pay. That can easily offset any gains on a penny or two per mile. Most carriers will raise the pay of good drivers. I think that it is very shortsighted when it comes to compensation and changing jobs. They don't consider how much they will lose when they move to another carrier. You might also lose the opportunity to get a good dedicated run by leaving. Some do offer a 401k once you have been with them for a certain period of time. Some are completely vested after a time.

 

Trucking is much easier when you accept the reality that its not a vocation... Its a vacation.

 

Drivers leave for a mountain of reasons. Better pay, equipment, home time, and sometimes just because they are bored.

The companies that seem to hang on to their drivers have good programs for the drivers that cover all the reasons one would want to leave.

My personal belief is that a good company is one that understands it's business is moving freight and no-one in the office has the ability to do that. It takes a Truck Driver to do that and they are the most important part of the whole operation. But...

More and more companies just seem to have the "drivers will leave" attitude built into their business plan.

I've had 3 GREAT jobs in my 30+ years. I stayed at all of them till they closed their doors. Now-a-days most seem the same to me and I give them the same loyalty they give me. I look at my pay-check on Friday and if it's do-able. I'll be working for you next week. If not, I leave.