Teamster/ Union owner operator?

CL10473 · Aug 24, 2018

Ruthless said: ↑

Local union- for owner operators
$1,000 buy in to get the "book"
$72 a month for dues. This is the one covering the town I live in now.
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I know, I know, really old post. If you don't mind me asking what local.

I delivered a couple loads to NYU and spoke to a foreman from 282 who gave a quick run down on some options for joining so I just wanted to get an insiders option. I pull a flat under my own authority. Thanks

Brettj3876 · Aug 24, 2018

Ruthless said: ↑

i go to a lot of Union jobsites in nyc and Boston and philly. Never had an issue.
Talking with a new prospect and they need a union truck to deliver to sites in the city....... So while I never had a problem on site, it occurs to me the likelihood of many other guys having a union card and doing the kind of work they want done is slim to none.

Anyone been a union member while being an independent OO?

Please leave your opinions on unions to another thread-I have my own and don't need them.

Just want info on how that works...?
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I can't really help you on the independent side but I don't think it would be any different than being leased to a carrier that does a bit of teamster work.

Back in the 90s my dad and a few other O/O had cards out of the 282 NYC for one of the steel shippers. If they were busy all he did was union work and pulled general freight during winter. I dont see how it'd be different now

Brettj3876 · Aug 24, 2018

DougA said: ↑

Back in the 60's,70's,80's,probably half the O/O,s were teamster.Everything was still regulated,hard to get your own authority,and you really didn't need it,if you used your head.Only really full independents back then were the produce guys,bull haulers,ag,timber,etc.ICC exempt haul.
I was leased to some great Teamster operations back then.Allstates/PIE/Ranger,Consolidated Freightways,and TIME-DC.Retired at Landstar/Inway Heavy Haul.Back then you would find a good agent you got along with,who moved the kind of freight you wanted to haul,and then get him to lease you on with his company.When I leased to CF,the agent had to recommend you,and then CF would do a back ground and finanicial check.If it worked out,you were hired, bonded and fingerprinted.Some Teamster locals also required lower back xrays.As a Teamster O/O you were actually a company employee,just like a CF linehaul driver,except you owned the truck and trailer,leased it back to the company.You were paid a weekly 2 check system,roughly 40% truck pay,10% trailer pay,and roughly 25%driver pay.usually around 75% total linehaul,but you also received Teamster benefits,health and welfare.Dispatch was a non forced board system,first in,first out.CF was very picky about putting trucks on,not like todays carriers,who lease a 1000 trucks on with freight for only 500. CF was the opposite,a couple of hundred O/O,s,lots of good freight.CF was huge,good reputation,and had freight everywhere,There wasn't a freight office you would go in that didn't have a CF calendar hanging on the wall,and a CF Tariff book on their shelf.They had a hell of a sales force,they didn't get huge by accident.
Back in the day when steel was king in the Midwest/East,most of the iron haulers were teamster too.But,as we know it's all changed,don't think for the better,but that's just my opinion.But,I know I made way more bottom line money back then,with rates that were higher then,than what I see guys hauling for today.In 1980,35 years ago,CF's cheapest truckload minmum flatbed rate,was $1.40 per mile,stepdeck $1.68,but most everything we hauled was still class rated,and paid much better.Good bit of the time you had at the least two truckload pays on,plus a ltl,or three.Or at the least,one truckload,and two ltl's.Some guys would just load up with all ltl's,lots of money but lots of work.Our cheapest per mile ltl rate was in the .80 cent range,dont remember exactly,but then again,most ltl shipments were class rated,that's where you could really make money.Just a more relaxed time back then,too,not like today.Glad I'm retired.
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Great info on the rates from back then. My dad started in 82 being a gypsy hauling produce. 1990 to 2002 he had a card from the 282. Back then if you didn't have a card you didn't cross the gw with a load of steel, that was asking for trouble. You dropped it on the jersey and a teamster brought it to the job site. That's how my dad and a few other guys ended up joining

Edit: and to those talking corruption when my dad left the 282 it was under govt. Trusteeship it was so bad

Ruthless · Aug 24, 2018

CL10473 said: ↑

I know, I know, really old post. If you don't mind me asking what local.

I delivered a couple loads to NYU and spoke to a foreman from 282 who gave a quick run down on some options for joining so I just wanted to get an insiders option. I pull a flat under my own authority. Thanks
Click to expand...

Call the hall for 282, describe the situation and what you're looking to do.

I had asked these questions because i had a prospective customer that wanted a union driver to deliver to union sites in the city (well, what they really wanted was someone that don't know how to do math, but that's besides the point).
I googled which teamsters local covered my town, got the phone number off their webpage n called.
Guy in charge was dumb as ####, kept talking about how he could get dump trucks into the biggest construction company before the fleets they been using 40 years that are married into the owners family......
I don't have dump trucks. I ain't gonna have dump trucks. And his story sounded like total ######## to me.

Unless you have a customer that needs a union driver and is gonna pay considerably more to both cover the cost of you getting membership, the monthly dues and being more profitable on those loads vs every other load you take- it won't be worth it.

Plenty of places want a lot and aren't willing to pay a premium for it.

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