Raise Driver Pay

HAHA!! Thanks for the belly laugh! This is why I prefer the safety card on an airplane (its all pictures!) rather than listen to some underpaid flight attendant who hates life explain that I should save myself first rather than the person next to me.....Hey, kinda reminds me of trucking.....

 

Not sure what OTR folks make that run 1-3 months out at a time. I know that running regional with Schneider at .29 CPM (.27 per diem) and 22-2400+ miles a week plus misc pay such as detention, safety bonus, etc, I grossed +/- $700 weekly (Approximately $36k yr).

I was home almost every weekend and ran every place they dispatched me. I ran safe, legal, and smart. If I was not happy with my performance on something I asked a more experienced driver or my DBL (A veteran driver of 6 years) how they did it. When I would get frustrated, as we all do, and my DBL said "Shut up and listen": I did. I kept my ego out of it and remembered that if I am not at home, I AM OUT THERE TO MAKE MONEY.

There are others that make more than myself. There are also those that cost themselves money because they want to be right instead of rolling and earning. Positive attitude effects a drivers earnings positively and a negative attitude effects a drivers earnings negatively. My dad always told me that PMA=OPM; he was a wise man.

I HAVE NEVER HAD A DOT, log book violation, ticket of any type, or incident while running. I never run over 11/14/70. I averaged around 65 hours a week. I do not let myself get bogged down with negative BS at pick ups or delivery locations; and as everyone knows there is plenty of opportunity to, as some shippers just do not respect a drivers time. I follow the "Get it and go" philosophy.

I avoid sight seeing the vast majority of the time; though I have seen some pretty country still. I try to never do 34 hour restarts on the road and have occurred very few times; spring break in Hilton head I admit to

I do know drivers that make in the $20,000 a year range as well. Some people are just not good at managing themselves; this does not make me better than them, though it does make me more money. Everyone is different as are their earnings.

Just my .02

 

All I know is that I am very thankful to be hourly....My assigned truck breaks down so much I spend more time at Penske checking out a rental than I do actually working.....I still don't know if thats a positive or negative just yet.....

 

If it breaks down, it's a positive for sure.

 

we need to get rid of the scumbags out there first.its their trash that the general public see.until thats gone there will be no such thing as respect.think about it you want to be paid as a profesional right?u want to be known as a profesional right?heres my question, how clean is your truck? how clean are you?how clean are you clothes? I take great pride in my job, my truck, my trailer,and after 15 years out here i have earned alot of money because of that.im not trying to brag here im just saying usually the people who think they are under paid there is a reason for it.try cleaning things up and then see what happens!

 

AMEN!

I was issued a truck that looked as though it had been used in a demolition derby; EVERY skirt panel broken, right windshield cracked all the way across, interior had grease and cigarette smoke film everywhere, WHEELS WERE NEAR BLACK - You can see what it looked like when I was done as there is a pic in my albums in my profile.

Look professional, act professional, feel professional, get treated as a professional.

 

hey skip thats great i hope you dont mind if i borrow that last line for my profile...i love it"Look professional, Act professional,Feel professional,Get treated professional!"

 

As much as I like being settled in, getting a brand new Cascadia with that new truck smell gets me everytime.....

 

Hey if you always get a clean, new smelling truck, AND you get paid, sounds like a win-win. lol

 

Well, the white one in the signature had 58K. And I got the typical run of the mill Penske yellow one last night that had 22K. And once, not too long ago I got a Prostar (Avatar pic) with 17K....And they fuel and wash it for me....I just take all the credit hahaha like you said win-win!