The truth about trucking....

That I get..I just don't understand WHY People DO IT...

 

Because not all companies are dishonest. People can and do complete a lease purchase, own their truck and become established and then can buy/lease any truck they can afford, lease to a company of their choice or get their own authority. I personally found operating under my own authority, having to do billing/collection, deal with companies that are slow to pay etc was too much for me to do and operate my truck efficiently. I never wanted to be a desk jockey. Leasing to an honest company worked best or me. I did enjoy owning my own truck right up to the last day before I retired.

 

That, and a lot of unscrupulous companies that will try to **** over a driver the first chance they get. Nowadays a lot of truck driving companies are exploiting the "fleece/ purchase" racket, suckering drivers into"being their own business/ boss" with supposedly good terms on the payments but when loads start coming far and few in between to make the payments the company will terminate the agreement, essentially repoing the truck, and starting the game all over again with another driver all the while the truck is getting paid down,at drivers' expense.

 

Their are significant differences in say Walmart and a trucking job and unfortunate many trucking companies use that to their advantage.

Say for example Walmart screws you over. You run to the manger that day get things straightened out or hit the bricks. Chances are in trucking not only is the manager 1000s of miles away but he doesn't answer his phone after he screwed you. You will want to hit the bricks but chances are you are 1000s of miles from home and you have a truckload of stuff to offload. This make resolving problems or transferring jobs tough.

A lot of OTR trucking pays piece work. When your paycheck is screwed by Walmart and you cannot get resolution from the manager, you run to the labor department and they understand and have procedures to make sure Walmart pays. Try to explain getting paid CPM to some college drop out at the labor department. Try to explain how you were promised detention but did't get paid for sitting their even though it reduced your paycheck.

When working a Walmart you have no problem continuing searching for a better job. You can answer you phone. You can make interviews. Their is no wait a month for you to get home to make a interview just to find out they hired someone the first day the add was out.

Not rocket science, but their are some sever differences. Obviously I can go on but if you think about it you get the point.

Many trucking companies, like the ones the OP worked for, make a habit about promising one thing and delivering another. Common deal in trucking, and they only get away with it because their are significant differences in a trucking job vs any other job like Walmart.

Some companies are just better to avoid as a driver. Some companies make it their business model to promise one thing and then fall far short of delivering what they promised. Many, take advantage of the very real differences in a trucking job vs any other job that you go home every night. Nothing wrong with sharing that information with everyone. I appreciate those that do.

 

Have you heard or seen the advertisements. For the guys that want to own or think you're only a real driver if you own but they don't have any money so they get lured in with the lease purchase advertisements.

 

That's one reason you DOCUMENT everything. They promise that you will make .08 a mile? GET IT IN WRITING. They tell you your layover pay of $2.00 a day starts after 4 days? GET IT IN WRITING. That you will make .10 a ton to unload? GET IT IN WRITING.

That way, when Company X screws up your check, you have ammunition for the Labor Board.

 

it's simple... Just stay away from OTR trucking outfits
Truth is : there's no money in it !

 

I know it's been gone over extensively here, however, being a lease operator, leasing someone else's truck and trailer, running only their freight, is not the same as being an owner operator.

I'm not knocking guys who are, I just want to emphasize there is a distinct difference. The reality is you can lose your arse being either a lease op or an owner op. The difference for me as an owner operator is that I'm not placing control and decisions for my living and well being into someone else's control.

As far as going back to being an employee, if I wanted to, I could go to work tomorrow as a company driver and average a grand a week, even more as a trainer.

There a lots of opportunities out there.