Saia vs. r& l

Right, maybe I misunderstood your post, I thought you were under impression R&L pays OT. With the possible exception of Commifornia, they don’t

 

One has driver facing cameras, a third reich safety department and great benefits. The other has no overtime and company resorts that are frequented by other company drivers.

 

Sounds like a nightmare

 

I kind of giggle when I see people arguing about what company is better on some FB groups. I chuckle when the R+L guys start throwing in their resorts as a major perk to the company. Not for nothing, I don't have faith in my colleagues being clean or respectful to hotel properties and the like. Look at the amount of slobs that completely trash the inside of their tractors.

 

Safety usually trumps HR in this type of environment. Safety wants to have the eye in the cab, HR wants to fill the seat. Safety doesn't GAF about HR wanting to fill the seat. Safety tells the CEO that bad CSA scores cost the company beaucoup bucks. CEO tells HR "tough excrement".

 

SAIA Linehaul is $.705 cpm w/ hourly pay (drop and hook, training, safety meetings at $31.26 an hour. P&D is $31.96 an hour I believe, but not sure.
Most LH drivers are making $95K - $115K a year depending on the run/mileage. SAIA P&D Drivers make about $75K - $85K a year.

R&L is paid by the run. They have a set fee per run and their top drivers are making about $75K - $84K a year.

Nonsense. Nights is not that hard. You have to sacrifice a weekend to get on schedule and it sucks, then it takes about 7-10 days to get your body acclimated. The key is getting it dark enough to trick your body into thinking it's night time and time to sleep. I also take a melatonin supplement and advil pm. Instead of blacking out the room, I have an MZOO Sleep Mask ($15 on ebay) that I use and it's comfortable and blacks everything out in front of my eyes, no need to black a room out. I keep one in my overnight bag in the car as well. I've been getting 8 hours of sleep during the day and drive 8 pm - 6 am.

Driver facing camera while annoying isn't that bad. Keep the phone out of your hand and drive like you're supposed to and you won't have any issues. Buy a phone cradle that mounts on the dash, that way you can still change channel on your siriusxm app, or Apple Music on your phone, or fast forward a podcast. Keeping the phone out of your hand is the biggest thing with the cameras.

It's not the companies. The lawyers and all the mass tort lawsuits against truck drivers are fueling all of the cameras in trucks. The insurance companies are offering big discounts on insurance to trucking companies who run a driver and road facing camera. It won't be long until every trucking company has them and all owner/operators are required to run them. A DOT Mandate is coming. Count on it.

 

THE day Estes puts driver facing cameras in the truck is the day I go to Landstar to prepare for my own authority.