What are we not paid for at Schneider?

When I first started with Schneider I had to do the three week course. One of the things we had to learn is the truck inspections that take forever to do. Don't think they realize when they make these inspections longer and longer is that we are not paid for doing them. This is why my pre-trip lasts only about five to ten minutes. Not going to spend ten hours a week doing this drawn out inspection.

Other things we are not paid for:

1) Driving slowly saves fuel..... yes, but this means it takes longer to do our daily work and we are not compensated for it. The quarterly bonus doesn't beat what you would earn going 70 mph. We are just brainwashed into thinking it's good for the company even though it's bad for us.

2) Doing live loads and unloads. All companies knows that they get two hours for free so they purposely wait 90 minutes and then do the work. Meanwhile we the drivers get nothing for this delay.

3) Most truck repairs are on us. Remember sitting in the express line for an hour or more. That got you nothing, but a fixed truck. Pulled into an OC to drop a relay. Mentioned to the mechanics that there was something wrong with the trailer. Always remember to tell them "after" you drop the trailer. I made the mistake of telling them beforehand and it cost me two hours of my time for a trailer that I would never see again.

4) Waiting for a pre-assignment. Sometimes this takes several hours. Does this mean you can go to a movie theatre or do some shopping? No, because if you are in that theatre when the assignment comes in and has to be picked up right away, you miss the rest of the movie and you are not paid for anything. It's like we our on call 24/7 and there's no guaranteed income involved. Utility workers or paramedics are paid salary to do this. We are only paid when we finally get to drive.

5) Anything else?

 

Even though Schneider does pay you for every mile driven, they do pay you much less for deadhead miles. One day I dropped off a trailer and the empties were right there for the taking. Schneider changed their mind and told me not to pick up an empty and to bobtail (deadhead) to my house 200 miles away (we are not paid one penny when driving home actually). After a day at home they wanted me to drive to a location up north that was 250 miles away. But first I had to deadhead 200 miles south to pick up that empty trailer. I had a place for the trailer and they know it, but still had to deadhead the same 200 miles and then haul an empty trailer for 450 miles.

Some weeks my take home is less than $200 for working 6 days a week. I know why.