Our profession is doomed unless drivers organize

Yep

How you going to support your 3 children and the other 4 that came with your live in girlfriend and still make the trailer and lot payment.


Save your money kiddies. Best freedom you can have is financial independence

 

2700 in 1980 is 8228 in today's money. Lots of driving jobs pay that today.

 

Miller transfer and rigging.
Your turn.

 

Under a stadium or a expressway??

 

Truthfully, I got burned out after 10 months or so. Chicago 4 days a week, around 2000 average miles a week in a daycab, 330AM starts, not getting home til 6 or later most days, took it's toll. He paid 30% of the load, paid on a W2. had insurance (expensive), etc . Borchardt trucking was the company, I don't know if he's still around. This was 2004 I think.

edit: still has an active DOT number.
Borchardt Trucking Inc USDOT 560206 - Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Trucking Company

 

I don't have one. Can't even think of one. And judging by this forum, haven't seen one. Not even the company I work for either. I just happen to be represented by the Teamsters which guarantees what my wages and benefits are. The company simply can't change that on a whim. Sadly, all at will employees can have their pay and benefits changed at any time and for any reason.

 

I believe we are a long way off from self-driving trucks, even for long haul. In the next 10 years there might be some running back on forth on turnpikes (with driver in cab), but I think we are 30 years out and longer from having fully self driving trucks.

And when you talk about going over mountains, throwing chains, wind, and everything else, I think over 50 years is probably a more accurate guess for getting self driving trucks. And even then, you probably still need a driver to put on chains. And then there's the local work that will still need humans.

But about trucker's being treated so bad, I think the real reason is that just about anybody can drive a truck. I know there are good drivers and bad drivers, etc. But the system has all but eliminated the need for customer service skills and professionalism in trucking. And just about anybody can drive a truck. People from poor countries can put in a lot more hours, eat less, and often work on their trucks. So we'll see more of them.

So I agree, it will never happen. Just try to do the best for yourself. Try to learn additional skills and trades. Make yourself valuable. There's a lot you can learn listening to audio classes and content while driving. Just being able to drive a truck is not saying much. There are hordes of new drivers everyday coming along to make a buck so companies don't care that you want a little extra sleep or want to get home.

 

I always wondered who was going to park in the dock, open the doors, slide the tandems and then do the reverse when the receiver is done. I doubt if the forklift driver is going to want to do all of that for every load.
Now if you believe The Trucking God Kevin Rutherford, it is going to happen in five years or less.

 

I didnt ask you for a clean honest company. Yhe conversation was someone saying we need a clean honest union which got the following reply:

To which you responded this:

So i gave you one. Now we are waiting for you to name that mythical clean honest union you know will fix all of truckings problems and save us poor drivers from the evil companies exploiting us.

 

I couldn't give you the name of an honest union. Because like trucking companies, they don't exist. I will however put my company driver wages and benefits up against any non union company truck driver.

Make no mistake, if you are a company driver, especially if you're OTR, you are being exploited. I can give you many examples if that's what you need.