west coast produce haulers-compensation?

Discussion in 'Refrigerated Trucking Forum' started by longbedGTs, Jul 2, 2017.

  1. longbedGTs

    longbedGTs Heavy Load Member

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    For all the company drivers that load produce out of Cali and Yuma with multiple pickups, how are you compensated for your time spent waiting? How long of a wait you have on average and what do you get from your company? How are you doing this on electronic logs?

    I ask because, California runs will usually cost me a good 2 or more days of waiting. Waiting to unload meat(2 or 3 drops) and waiting to load produce(4 or 5 pickups) and I'm really getting tired of this. Not only that, but the traffic, split speed limit, and ignorant 4wheelers and truckers is wearing on me. It might not be so bad if I were paid well for enduring this, but I'm not. $25 for stops and mileage pay, but that doesn't make it worth my time when I lose 2 days out here anyway. No detention and very rarely will I get layover pay unless there's a royal scheduling mistake and I make a stink about it. Just curious as to how everyone else is doing and what better options there may be. Thanks.
     
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  3. Farmerbob1

    Farmerbob1 Road Train Member

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    You probably already do this, but there are a couple things I learned to do while driving for Stevens, who runs a lot of meat/produce in/out of CA.

    1) When I know my arrival time, I always call every receiver and shipper that I can manage to touch base with, to try to arrange better pickup/delivery times.

    2) Park as close to the shipper and receiver as you can manage. Always ask if you can park on site, so you can waste as little on duty time as possible.

    3) After you make a multi-stop run, ask your driver manager for a nice two-stop run. If you are on good terms with your driver manager, and take multi-stop runs without complaining too loudly about it, they are likely to be happy to alternate two stop loads with multi-stop loads.

    4) Be aggressive AND polite. Dont be afraid to ask for what you want, but don't curse or whine if you can't get it.

    5) If none of this works, then look for a different company. The company you work for might simply run a large percentage of multi-stop loads. Some drivers who live in their company trucks don't mind a lot of down time. Let one of that type driver have your old job as you move to greener pastures if you want more.
     
  4. Speed_Drums

    Speed_Drums Road Train Member

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    Did you communicate with your dispatcher about that?

    Do you have many multi-stop loads at Shaffer?
     
  5. Farmerbob1

    Farmerbob1 Road Train Member

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    Yes, I keep my dispatcher informed on all schedule changes. That way they can keep me under load. I also read the load notes. Some shippers and receivers DO NOT want drivers calling, and that will be noted. But that is an exception rather than the rule.

    No, OTR Shaffer loads have been almost entirely single pick, single drop. Significantly more than half in my experience are drop and hook.
     
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  6. longbedGTs

    longbedGTs Heavy Load Member

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    Thanks for the tips. I'm mainly looking for how much compensation drivers are getting for their time when dealing with these loads, so I can compare it to what I get(or don't get) so it'll give me a different perspective of what's attainable and what's not. The way I see it, time is money...period. I fully understand that there are long wait times in the produce business...and I have no problem waiting, but I want to be paid for my time. What a concept, eh?
     
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  7. RStewart

    RStewart Road Train Member

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    I never got compensated for it but I was doing it under the old HOS rules. Now days with the 14 he clock that never stops drivers really need to be compensated more than ever. But back in the day it was "just part of the game."
     
  8. White Dog

    White Dog Road Train Member

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    Sounds like what Florilli (West Liberty, IA.) did to me----SO much free time. My remedy was to say "bye-bye" to them, and move on.
     
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  9. Western flyer

    Western flyer Road Train Member

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    We quit pulling reefers and go back to dry van
    Or flatbed.
     
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  10. longbedGTs

    longbedGTs Heavy Load Member

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    Funny you mention getting away from reefer...just this morning I was reading a thread here about a a new driver from Corpus Christi, TX going to Service Transport hauling tanks and was thinking it'd be neat to learn a new sector of the industry. I already have tanker endorsement but would have to get hazmat added back on(let it lapse in 2012 when I renewed since the co. I was with didn't haul hazmat). The only problem is that I have nearly 0 experience with anything tanker related. In truck driving school, we pulled a food grade 1/2 loaded with water for a trip around town and that was it.

    Thought about going back to dry van but I'm bored with that. I want something a little more challenging.
     
  11. Western flyer

    Western flyer Road Train Member

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    Do you want to be bored going down the highway
    Making money or angry and pissed off all the time
    Because your constantly get crapped on by customers
    Who don't give rats ### if you sit in there parking lot
    For 8 hours waiting to get loaded. For 2 pallets.
    For free of course,cause that's just the way it is.

    The only challenge pulling that reefer is how creative
    You can be with that log book once you've spent
    Your day and a half getting loaded.
    And that's about to end in a couple more months.

    All the trip planning in the world and parking on
    There property and calling everybody on the phone
    Trying to make everything easier ain't gonna change
    One thing. There still gonna screw you and you
    Know it.

    I can't stress it enough,park that reefer and never
    Touch another one. It ain't worth the money.
    Too much of your free labor wrapped up in it.

    I done those produce death loads out there for 5 years.
    Tried every trick in the book to make it easier.
    The whole attitude is the drivers time is free so #### him.

    I finally broke, couldn't take the waiting anymore.
    I started taking out my anger on the shippers
    And the worthless fork lift drivers who would stop
    Loading your truck with one pallet to go and go to lunch for 45 minutes after I've been sitting in the parking
    Lot for 6 hours.

    Being with a smaller company I didn't want to
    Ruin the owners relationships with his customers
    By acting like a deranged lunatic trying to get loaded.

    That was 6 or 7 years ago and by reading your
    Complaints nothing has changed.

    Back in a dry van dropping and hooking rolling
    Along making money.
    Haven't touched one since.
     
    longbedGTs and augiedoggie41 Thank this.
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