schneider question

As far as I know, Schneider bought the 'stupid people' trucks. Ie...at least it is in my truck, and Im sure with most others...that when you drain the power down to a certain point, the truck shuts off power to all the accessories. This gives it enough power to start the truck. However, the Webasto will drain the batteries completely...but everything else running will just drain the batteries to the trucks shut off point.

I noticed this after a while because Id have the truck shut off while making a delivery and I would have some lights and do dads on in the truck...Id come back and they were off. Id fire up the truck and after about 20-30 seconds, they came back on without me touching a switch.

 

My bro is with Sni. says they make you run 30 instead of paying toll on I 80. (or any other toll rd.) They are cheap and you can't make money because you can't make miles. If they cut the trucks to 60 who gets the $? NOT YOU! You get a $15,000/yr paycut. Good training ground but I'd jump ship at the 18 mo. if I could find a better paying job.

 

OK Children...in this paragraph, how many things wrong can you find?

First, they DO pay for tolls and have a list in the drivers manual of the tolls they pay for. They just don't pay for all of the tolls, meaning...one might have to plan their trip accordingly. Good thing Schneider provides directions which take care of that little issue.

Second, their driver pay is comparable to most other trucking companies out there. Im a new driver and Im making more than I did last year as a teacher.

Thirdeth, the speed reduction shouldn't affect your overall pay much, if at all. Just don't stop 14 times a day at each truck stop you come across.
Lol 15k? WHy not just say 234k reduction instead? Basically, you would lose about 55 miles or so a day. Take less pit stops, food stops...etc, and one should easily be able to make that up. Besides...completely ignore the simple FACT that the average truck speed when you factor in stops and other stuff
averages out to be 55mph anyways.

Fourth, I rarely hear of drivers not getting good miles. Even with the turndown in the economy. Freight has slowed down but thats as a whole across the industry...but I've heard of very few complaints from drivers not getting loads to haul.

Sixth: ANd ya think the Great Pumpkin is the ONLY company slowing their fleet down? Uh, think again.

Fifth. Not everyone drives max allowable speed. I pass fellow Schneider drivers all the time, along with swift, werner and covenant.

 

My real-world responses to this:

1. They make you run US-30 because you really only lose 30min to 1 hour of time, and it is WAY cheaper! I-80 through IN was over $20 last time I ran it. Ohio is $32.25 I believe. US-30 in Ohio is interstate quality running for free.
2. You can make miles, you just can't expect 3k miles aweek every single week. Learn to trip-plan better, and don't be affraid of a 14hr day. You will make more money actually USING the 34's once a week than only running 8.75 hours a day.
3. You're right, you don't get the money in your pocket for the speed reduction. It's their truck, not yours. Wanna run 85 with SNI? Buy a truck and sign on as an IC.
4. More like $1000-$2000/year loss... That may even be a bit high, not many drivers get the truly "HOT" loads, especially not many solos. 60 from 63 will not affect most of your loads, just some of the timing of them.

Is the slow-down enough to make me want to find a new job? Yes, but I simply would feel very unsafe being a rolling road-block out west at 15-20mph under the speed limit. My decision has nothing to do with pay.

Consider this:

• Teachers in Wisconsin average $30,000/year, after years of schooling
• I made $30,000 last year. No college to pay for.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a better paying carreer with no college loans to pay off, especially in today's labor market. It pays beter than a lot of jobs requiring a Bachelor's degree.

 

We don't exactly get our summers off or a nice pension when we retire though.

 

Ahh, lol. Ok let me regain my composure after I spit water out of my nose.

Teachers get summers off, because they are NOT employed by the districts during the summer. They only work for the 9 months. Their pay is for the 180ish contract days each year. Most districts spread out the pay over the summer months so its an equal paycheck year round.

Also, many teachers still do work, teaching summer school, organizing their rooms, researching, planning, going to college...etc. Just to name a slight few. slight.

As far as pensions...that depends on who you ask. My mom is at the top of her pay scale and will be taking a fairly decent sized pay cut when she retires. Most school districts also are trying to negotiate with the unions about issues with retirement health costs and healthcare. Some districts have completely taken away coverage, while others raise costs each year and so on.

Districts are also providing for teachers retirements starting after they have been there for a few years as Im sure it helps lower their costs. When I was in Vegas, you were enrolled in their retirement after 3 or five years...and then it depended on how long you taught there. Many other districts do the same thing, and some teachers can actually buy years of retirement.

 

I went to Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa for 18 mo. Got me an Air Frame a dn Powerplant Technician Liscence. I worked for McDonell Douglas Flight test as a Engineering Flight Test Tech, made $100,000 a year and retired at 48. Bought a Peterbilt with all the bells and whistles and a hood this long ____________. GOSH!! You made $30,000 last year? A beginning Mechanic on Aircraft makes more working 40 hrs. You have your priorities mixed up or something. It only takes an hr. more to get across 30? That would be $23.50 in losses plus you lose another hor for the week because you can't work it, another $23.30. Now they cut your truck back and I know they do 65, not 63. I've followed them. 5 MPH x 10 hr/day x 7 day /wk x .36 = 126.00 x 50 wk/yr = $6300.00 and the fact that you run the 2 lane and off the toll roads and you lose 10000 a year probably. Give it up for Schneider. They are making money. Stay in you're $30000 a year job. I made $30,000 in 1974 hauling refrigerated meat from Oklahoma witha 270 Cummins and a 10 spd.

 

I meant no disrespect towards teachers if that is how you took my comment. Three of my best friends are teachers. All three teach in WI. They all make something in the 40-50k range depending on district and experience. I think teachers should make more. But its really not too bad considering they work 180ish days. One paints houses during the summer. Another coaches to supplement his income. The third is a cheap SOB but takes his masters classes during the summer. He still manages to fish in Alaska for a month in summer every other year. Anyways trucking and teaching are pretty close in incomes. The difference is that in trucking you work 300 days a year, teaching 180. The benefits are usually better also. The teacher pensions might be small and getting smaller. What does Schneider or any other OTR company offer? A 3% 401k match. Woopdee flippin' doo. To each their own but if I had a teaching degree I wouldn't be driving a truck. Right now I make more than my teacher buddies but my salary is topped out. It won't be long before they catch me and pass me. Good jobs are hard to find. I tried for years to get on a fire department. They really have a nice work schedule and a great pension. I could have had a job a couple of times but didn't want to be a paramedic. There is a reason truck driving jobs are easy to get.

 

Lol...you can play with a calculator all you want. Now you say by losing 3-5mph, that we will lose ten grand? And I bet you are assuming that Schneider is the ONLY company to slow their trucks down? Have you NOT been paying attention?

And who said Schneider drivers make 30k a year? Thats just plain ol sad right there. Sad.

Yep...still sad.

Bucks,
Trust me, you would NOT want to be a teacher. I was. Of course, I also miss not using my degree in teaching (and the one in broadcasting, lol)...and Id hate to see it go to waste.

 

The guy who posted the fact he made 30000 last year for Sni. I don't really care. I have a small farm and drive horses for a small stipend andI have fun doing it.