How much should an OTR driver earn? Here's my opinion!

1st you missed the point i was trying to make, you were trying to make it sound like its impossible


2nd thats because 1/3 of our fleet it home and park every weekend, and we have a decent sized FB devison which also brings down that average. And the last little bit of our fleet does allot of LTL as i said before so naturally less miles....




American Trucker

 

Wage vs education.

Miners here get at the very least $100K. These are guys who if they did almost anything else wouldn't last a week.

Then there is drillers. I know guys who won't get out of bed unless they are making $10K a month. Also, many of them are too rough to be a member of biker gang.

So, don't tell me education and wage are intrinsically linked. While it is likely a higher education will earn you a higher wage, it is not the only factor.

 

To some extent, I can agree with you when it comes to having a degree. On the other hand, someone who has spent the time, effort and sacrificed to earn a degree does deserve some respect. It may not earn you any more money in this business, but does show a determined effort to achieve a goal. To an extent it does define you as a person. Having a degree doesn't make you a better person, nor does it improve your intelligence. Having a college education won't make you a better driver, but could help make you a better businessman should you decide to buy a truck and become an owner operator or run your own authority. Earning a college degree will make you a more well rounded person and teach you how to learn. We should never forget how to learn.

I don't see how a driver could be considered as being in harms way, unless they are driving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Being away from home is not a sacrifice for many road warriors. Some still consider it as being an adventure.

According to your profile, you have not yet driven a truck so I don't see how you can draw conclusions without having experience the reality of driving otr. Before you spend the money on school, you should understand how this industry works and how drivers are compensated.

The over whelming number of drivers are paid mileage. The more miles you drive the bigger your paycheck. Most carriers will pay a higher rate as your level of experience grows. Pay while training is not very good, but the long term prospects for you to earn an above average income is good. The other way that most otr drivers are compensate is percentage. Most people earn more on percentage than mileage. Those who pay percentage tend to command higher freight rates which means that drivers who work for owner operators or carriers who pay percentage have the opportunity to earn more than those who run mileage. The last way drivers are normally compensated is by the hour. Those who are paid hourly usually do LTL and run locally.

For those carriers who pay mileage or percentage, they may earn additional pay if the shipper or consignee takes longer than the norm to load or unload them. We usually give them the first 2 hours. If the carrier collects detention from the shipper or consignee then part of that is usually passed along to the driver. Not all shippers pay detention. In a perfect world all shippers would pay detention from the time the truck hits the dock. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and shippers won't pay detention until they have the opportunity to unload the truck.

Before entering this business you should understand that you will be away from your home, family and friends for at least 2-3 weeks when you start out with a trainer. Some may stay out longer. Once you get into your own truck you can expect to be out 1-2 weeks with a day or two off in between. You can earn an above average income. A good driver who keeps his driving record clean and doesn't hop around to a different carrier every few months can always find a good job as long as he can pass the dot physical. You will be able to see this beautiful country and some will cross the northern border which also has it's own beauty.

This is a very demanding business. It seems that every time we turn around there are more regulations. We are a target of many states to help them balance their budget shortfalls.

This industry pays for performance. It does not typically pay drivers to sit, sleep or eat. Neither do most other professions. You will be away from home for probably 2 weeks at a time before being able to get by the house. You will miss ball games and other activities for your children. You will see the country. You will earn an above average income. Many will earn a much bigger paycheck in this business than anything else they might do. There is always a price to pay for anything we achieve. If you want the bigger paycheck you will give something in return. There are opportunities for those who are willing to put forth the effort and hone their skills. If you feel that the pay is not adequate for your time and effort, by all means don't waste your money and time to get your CDL. You won't change the way carriers compensate drivers. It is entirely up to you to improve your skills to the point where you are in the top earners in this business.

 

With all due respect, you are confused. Do you make a respectable living? How many drivers make what you are making?

Pay the driver for what he does, not "may get paid". Imagine if you had a job at McDonalds and they said, you may have to work overtime and we may pay you for it if it is busy enough. And the first two hours you are going to do for free. Your attitude is what is wrong with the pay system.

Driving truck is dangerous. I hear of more truck drivers dyeing in accidents than any other profession. You have road accidents, hi-jackings, dangers of loading and unloading certain freight.

And the best part, if you are not willing to work around the clock, make sacrifices to your personal life, then you are not cut out for it. Right! These are employees bud. They should not be expected to have skin in the game. That is the companies role, not their employees.

How is it that if you d a good job, keep your record clean your wage will rise above others? Does a 20 year vetran earn a different rate than 1 year driver at Swift? Or is it that you need to change jobs to get the higher rate. Then cut your teeth some more and quit and find another job that pays more. And we wonder why there is huge turnover rates in this industry with attitudes like that.

A employee in another profession who is required to travel for their job has their accommodations and meals paid for by their employer. They get to stay in hotels or motels that have running water, flush toilets and fresh air.

G/Man, I think yo are way off base here. Truck drivers need to be treated like every other job sector and there needs to be a new fairer pay system worked out.

 

You, me, and the rest of the forum are not going to change his mind, Canuck.

He is a small fleet owner that USED to drive. He has forgotten where he came from! All that matters to him now is the bottom line! Burying his true motives in romantic language about sacrifice and paying the price and fancy words.
Truth is he doesn't like truck drivers, thinks that they are overpriced crybabies that can't be trusted. We aren't worth a dime, and can be replaced easily. Nothing more than an expensive inconvenience at best or a necessary evil at worst. He has completely lost touch with his roots just like most people with money do.
Kinda sad! He is actually in a position to help make a difference in this rotten business but doesn't care anymore.

 

Driving a truck is not skilled labor, so don't expect to be paid as such.

 

What happens when someone breaks your trailer open at the T/S on your 10? Are you supposed to let them have what they want because you're off duty? And if someone backs into your truck, etc.?

Here's a thread by a driver who parked his loaded truck at a truck stop while on home time, it got stolen and he got fired. Maybe OTR drivers should be paid the the going rate for security guard while in the sleeper berth, as most companies are unwilling to pay for secure parking.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...474-arnold-us-xpress-truck-stolen-driver.html

The bottom line is that the pay system in OTR trucking benefits carriers and encourages drivers to break the law. EOBRs wouldn't be necessary if drivers were paid more fairly, but it ain't gonna change anytime soon because the ATA has way too much power in Washington.

 

I'd like to know how a driver got home time with a loaded truck. I didn't read the article, but that smells like abandonment.

 

A degree doesn't guarantee a higher wage, but it does open doors and offers opportunities that someone who is non degreed may not be offered. I don't know of any miners who earn $100M/year. When I was growing up I knew some miners. As I recall, they were paid a flat rate by the ton. The more coal they pulled out of the ground the bigger their paycheck. Some did very well. I would imagine that miners are still paid on performance where they are compensated by the ton. There are other trades which also pay as well as some degreed positions. Some plumbers and electricians do very well.

Most people with degrees will earn significantly more than someone with a high school education. But, it isn't guaranteed.

 

this happens all the time, why is going home for the weekend with a load on a big deal?