Trucker wages...decreasing as time goes by.

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by snowlauncher, Aug 1, 2021.

  1. VA CDL Holder

    VA CDL Holder Medium Load Member

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    I'm not good enough to drive for Knight Refrigerated out of Phoenix at a rate of 43 CPM, as per their safety dept. says. Clean record and no points or accidents on my CDL. Cumulatively, I have over 39 months experience and have worked for them about 5 times in the past, but this time they balked at my application. So you tell me what they expect for a crummy 43 CPM and a 70 hour workweek? Whatever it is, it ain't gonna be me doing it there.

    I have played the "you gotta pay your dues" game in trucking long enough to know that it's a race to the bottom. You are literally being exposed to a myriad of potential problems for in reality,what is not a lot of money. Just you wait until they have "undocumented workers" driving out there at some point. The way things have been going, it's not that far fetched of an idea. It's like everyday there is a new "I can't believe it" moment in something you see or read.

    At this point, if I survive the "Delta variant", I have to get back to the USA to renew my CDL early next year or not. I'd be a shame if I couldn't do that. I'd hate to miss out on all the fun and travel I experience on my driving adventure.
     
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  3. Rubber duck kw

    Rubber duck kw Road Train Member

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    39 months experience and you've hired on and quit the same company 5 times? There's no way I'm understanding that correctly or I can see why they won't hire you back, your driving record has nothing to do with it.
     
  4. Moosetek13

    Moosetek13 Road Train Member

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    I find it funny that with over 3 years experience someone is actually stating it in how many months.
     
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  5. Rubber duck kw

    Rubber duck kw Road Train Member

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    My guess is they're not continous or even remotely months. Reads like somebody who works for 6 months and then gets squirrel brain and needs a good long vacation, not necessarily a bad thing but can make finding a job difficult.
     
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  6. bentstrider83

    bentstrider83 Road Train Member

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    Maybe it's time to really consider that wind turbine tech thing I've been going on about for the past decade. Not a million dollar job, but the pay seems to be consistent and the work is steady enough.
     
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  7. Rubber duck kw

    Rubber duck kw Road Train Member

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    That sort of work is only going to increase. There's going to be a #### pile of them needing blades and turbines replaced and they're building more and more of the things.
     
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  8. VA CDL Holder

    VA CDL Holder Medium Load Member

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    What's not to understand? I apply, they hire me, I drive until I get tired of rigors of the road and then I quit. Apparently, I was good enough of a driver for them to do that, or they were desperate for drivers, who knows for sure? All I can say is there is more to life than work. We now live in a "gig" economy and truck driving is a gig in my book. You can take your CDL and offer your services to any company you want to, if they hire you, that's great, if not, on to the next company.

    When I went through the Swift "Driving" Academy in Phoenix, back in 2013, there was an older guy there, a classroom instructor by the name of Jerry. I remember him saying one time in class that only about 10 percent of you are going to be doing this a year from now. So yeah, I have to step away from it and take a vacation after 4 months or so, it keeps me sharp when I do so.

    I've tried applying to companies like Marten and Werner in the past and they both said that they need a solid 6 months of continuous driving history to consider me, OK whatever, I guess you're not desperate enough. The thing about it is this, "there is always someone who is desperate for a driver", you just have to find them in a timely manner, as in when you need a job ASAP.
     
  9. VA CDL Holder

    VA CDL Holder Medium Load Member

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    Every month matters for those pesky insurance companies that make the premiums go up or down based on a drivers current experience. Those 39 months are not consecutive months, but cumulative months since 2013. You know what though, I earned that experience and no one can take it away from me, right?

    If I can ever fly back to the USA without a vaccine, which looks increasingly like a remote possibility, I'll find another job, with another company willing to, "take a chance on me" because of my clean record and experience. If not, whatever man, life goes on you know, until it just doesn't.
     
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  10. Rubber duck kw

    Rubber duck kw Road Train Member

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    You're finding out it doesn't work that way in trucking. Is there more to life than working, absolutely. There aren't many places going to keep hiring you back every 8 months, why do you think Knight won't take you back no matter how clean your record? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with how you're doing it, I'm saying how you're doing it is why they won't hire you.
     
  11. VA CDL Holder

    VA CDL Holder Medium Load Member

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    I can only guess why Knight will not take me back, but the recruiter said this, "safety has decided to pass on your application". I'm thinking I have a few SmartDrive videos on file that they are using to base their decision. That's the only thing I can come up with, as I don't have any tickets or accidents, hell just before i turned the truck in I was pulled in for a Level 1 inspection as I entered Utah, northbound I-15 and they didn't find anything wrong. Knight was good enough to pay me $25 for the clean inspection report.

    So if there is such a "driver shortage" and there always is, I should in theory be able to find a job driving for some one. I'm in my 50's and I enjoy driving, for no more than 4 months, and then I gotta bail. I'll never be able to do the job longer than that, as I feel like I'm attached to the truck and just a useful tool of the company and not getting paid enough. That's just the honest truth and if I never drive again because of this scamdemic situation going on, and me being overseas, I can't do anything about it.
     
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