how common is it to not have benefits in this industry??

so im pretty happy with where i work except for one thing that has come up. i asked one of the other drivers today if i will get benefits after 90 days. the unfortunate answer is no benefits, no paid holidays, no paid vacations.... apparently there is a 401K available and health insurance that they pretty much just let you foot the entire bill for. my wife covers the health insurance so that's not that big of a deal, not having any paid time off is a little disappointing. overall it's not a bad place to work, the equipment is well maintained and the people are decent, i get rate work often enough so the money is not too bad either. are most people driving trucks in the same boat with benefits?

 

401k and health insurance at a discount is pretty normal, what other benefits were you talking about?

 

Was wondering how long it would take for the honeymoon to be over. Actually figured mid next month when the work started to dry up.

Also, how can one not ask this before getting hired?

 

Not being a smart ### but isn't holiday pay mandatory? I think here it's 4% of your gross income. Some places pay it in time and l think you can get it in money too.

 

Yet one more thing Canada does right that the powers that be in your southern neighbor have not gotten around to.

 

OTR drivers don't get holiday pay unless it comes as a bonus for working during a certain time period.
My vacation pay is an extra pay check, but no extra time off. Although I could take that time off if I wanted to, and it would come at a cost.

But the health insurance is mostly paid by the company. I'm not sure of the percentage, but it is much more than I pay.

But paid time off?
That does not exist. And why should it?

 

at the time i got hired i was so fed up with where i was coming from i really didn't care, it was a danger to work there and i wanted out. is it still better? yes. i still don't dislike working there, but IF i get laid off perhaps i will look for something with benefits. this other driver also said to watch my paychecks because she has been shorted rate pay, which eventually my boss gets audited and will have to pay the drivers money owed.

i still don't dislike the job and better then any other trucking job i have had so far. i have almost a year of driving in which does open more doors for places that offer benefits like buffalo biodiesel and waste management.

the woman that i was working yesterday said she was under the impression that she was going to get paid holidays but found out that was not the case.

im not hating where i am at and im not really complaining, i just dont know if i should make a long term career out of a job that has no benefits, perhaps put some time in for a while and find something with benefits?

 

so far i have not been shorted rate, but i guess if that happens.... she gets fined, she has been fined for it in the past. this is how rate works, she get's paid a higher rate for having trucks on a rate job. by law she's required to pass a higher rate of pay onto her dump truck operators.