My Experience as a Line Haul Driver

If you can stay away from general freight, Unions encompass so much more than that. That's why people are limited. Like some have said, UPS freight is becoming a union shop. Good for them!

 

American trucker,

I'm going to sleep early so that the wife an I can take off for a four day weekend in Laughlin, NV.

I will look at this thread from time to time from the hotel.

little vacations are great!

 

And don't look out the mirror too much. You'll see the pup wagging and start chasing it to line it up. It don't work...... just relax and drive.

 

Here, let me help....... was rolling south on 45 one evening bout 2am yankin my tank and I heard a couple of freight drivers yakkin on the communicator.....as I got closer I could hear one telling the other how to "break them down".

I finally come across a Fedex green on the shoulder.......and the other was overhead on a partially dismantled bridge.....trapped on the approach with pups trying to figure out how to get down. ( smirk )

The helper told him he would have to bring the pups down one at a time but 'ole wrong way wasn't having any of it....he was gonna back them down.....c'mon , and I left radio range.

Happens to the best of us ya know....

 

all that excess money doesnt come out of thin air, it gets passed down to the consumers, and less money to pay the carriers and everyone else. i cant even afford to shop at the stores we supply haha.
quite frankly if truck drivers cant be cost feasibly union then no one else deserves to be. in a perfect world we all could make fantastic money, but when you make more than like teachers and police officers and truck drivers scooting around in a little fork truck, something is a little off. i mean i wouldnt be complaining if i was overpaid either, but i have worked hard enough to appreciate what i do get. i make 20k less a year than the union guys where i am now, but i still make more than i did driving.

 

As I see it, unions reward mediocrity while discouraging exceptional performance. At least they protect the worst, not reward the best.

 

And non-union companies advertise pay on goals that are seldom achievable no matter your performance because of the many obstacles of trucking and unpaid responsibilities of the job as conditions of employment with the company. Do free work or loose your job. The management of union companies are run very efficiently because they have to. Non-union companies can slack and in turn let a driver take the beating for it.

 

Most non union ltl drivers might not get paid for everything but they work every day and pay no dues.

 

So much ignorance on unions in one thread.......

And I mean ignorance from both sides.....

If you aren't knowledgeable or informed on a topic, better to not try and act like an expert.