Too many horror stories. I need help finding a good trucking co.

Well I figured I was going to get some slack about this but I can take it. Sounds to me like all the current drivers need to band together, and I am not talking union, and start raising a little more hell about the way you guys are treated. What little I do get to drive trucks, I love it. But I will be ###### if I am going to work for beans and have to constantly worry about getting my mortgage paid, etc. Who needs the stress?

I think if drivers really wanted these kind of benefits, you guys could get them. It would take some standing up to some people but shut your trucks down for a day and see what happens. It would take all of you doing it though. Not just a handful.

You don't have to let people walk all over you.

 

If you were treated right you would not want to walk away. Why is there so much turn over in this industry? Because drivers are treated like $##*

 

I never said I make big money. I was just stating what I currently make working 2 jobs. So if I went into trucking I would have to make at least that much. I could not take a pay cut. At least not right now.

I am not sure what you mean by I don't know the math. I am pretty sure I do. If you looked at one of my other posts I stated I needed to make between 49-50k a year at a minimum. If you divide 49,000/52(weeks) = $942.31 per week. I used the lower number, 49k, and rounded the answer down.

If you thought I said I made that much per week towing then you misunderstood what I said. That is just a part time gig for me. I gross between $300-350 for two days of work when I am on that job. Even if I did work there full time I would still gross between $900-1000 for six days of work. Truth be known I would go work there full time if they had more affordable health insurance.

 

I don't know about other states but in Georgia, after taking the written exam, you are issued a cdl instructional permit for whatever class you took the test for that is good for a year. You can only drive with a licensed cdl holder. So when I say permanent, I mean the permanent cdl you obtain after taking the pre-trip and road test.

You have to take the pre-trip and road test within a year of getting your instructional permit or it will expire and I am not sure if you have to take the written part again or you just renew the permit before it expires. I plan on taking the pre-trip/road test before the year is up so no worry on that anyway.

 

That is the drawback to trucking. I realize there are down times. These large trucking companies know that and should budget for that, which I am sure they do. But why make the drivers suffer? Would it really kill the trucking companies to give you a guaranteed weekly check even if they were slow some weeks? I doubt it.

The sad truth is that I believe the industry has so much money and are able to lobby very well in Washington to make sure you guys only get paid by the mile. Funny how the trucking industry is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act? Hmmm...

I can tell you one thing and this is no lie. That towing company I work for has a transport division that hauls the large crane sections around the southeast and up the atlantic coast and their drivers are guaranteed $500 a week even if there is nothing to haul for the week. Obviously they are expected to do other things when not OTR but my point is that it is not bankrupting the company giving these guys guarenteed pay. And this is a small company with about 10 tractor/trailers.

If you just sit when driving with these trucking companies, you aren't making any money. It is ridiculous.