What should my son do????? Help, please!

He's been taking the crappy loads without complaining, some that I think other driver's didn't want; and it MIGHT be starting to pay off. He got the best-paying load two days ago that they've ever given him, although it meant he couldn't come home for the weekend....which he didn't complain about. The dispatcher that gave him this good load said he'd get my son home early this coming week. Maybe his luck is changing. Maybe the dispatcher finally believes my son is going to stay with the job. Thanks for all the advice that everybody has given. I'm passing it all along to my son.

 

Welcome to the trucking industry as I said to another lady about trying to get into it without 10 year's work history. Trying to talk to the company about the problem in pay is like talking to a brick wall. I wouldn't even bother. My step dad has been driving around about 8 year's now and he's still getting screwed over any where he goes being he's pulled flatbed, dry van and refrigerated. If it were me, I would join a union like the "UAW" which is a very strong union that will fight with the company about this problem. Another way if it's really bad is the labor board, but he's still a rookie and most rookies are lowest on the totem pole. One bad thing that even a rookie should know is to not go with a company that pay's by the load. You'll get screwed every time whether it be a little or a lot. Another good word of advice is to log everything in number's and add it up yourself.
I worked for a bushhogging company making $13.80/hr. A little over time here and there and the people thought I wouldn't pay no attention but I caught it in the number crunching that they owed me exactly 25 hours over time over a months time and I threatened them after walking in the office and showing them the number's thinking I was dumb enough not to notice but I did and told them to either pay me what they owed me in full or I would have the labor board crawling all up their ##* especially when we were working on military grounds. They knew they were in the wrong when I brought it to their attention with a threat to back it up and at the end of that week I had two check's a $200.00 check for what I worked that week (small because of rain out's most of that week) plus a $613.00 check for the time and a half they owed me so I brought home the bacon that week and my girlfriend loved it lol. Instead of paying bill's and all that crap I took her out to a really nice restaurant and a night on the town. Point being, keep up with those number's because they can help you in the long run if you know how to play the card's right. Being these people were contracted to cut an airforce base, it would have been triple the trouble because of it being military pay they owed but wasn't paying me. Hope this help's. Good luck.

 

If your son only has 5 mths experience I think it's a bad idea to look for another job. Take the advice and try to get the company to understand the problem. Then give it sometime, if after that does'nt help then I might consider looking for something else. Alot of companies will not hire with less than 1 or 2 yrs. experience, usually with the same company. I personally don't think $600 a week is too bad for someone starting out in this business. The best way to get with the good companies is to have a solid work history. Most companies frown on "Job Jumpin" espically when you don't have that much experience. Hope this helps and tell him to hang in there it will get better for him within time. Remember as with anything you have to pay your dues, and the truckin industry is no different. Good Luck.

 

give it a year then consider your options.

You really want to make yourself look good on the longer routes by getting max mpg and min out-of-route miles. Pad the stats in your favor.

Big companies like swift are going flatbed now also. Eventually you will want to work for john Deere or another company that pulls the oversize stuff = specialization is where the big bucks are = a 100' long 100 ton windmill tower?
it takes big balls and money and talent to pull stuff like that and those guys have my respect.

 

OTR trucking exist today because exploitation is its nature. Without your son's low slave-labor earnings, his company would have to charge higher freight fees. Until your son establishes his 1+ year of safe verifiable driving, he's stuck with his condition. Once he had gone over 1 year (with clean MV record), he can start submitting applications for hourly-paying jobs. This is where the $$ is at, and the reason OTR companies can't hang on to their drivers.

The federal government supports exploitation and low pay of OTR drivers. Evidence of this is the passage of NAFTA. Under the guise of “free trade,” the feds are bringing in Mexican truckers who can haul the freight cheaper. They're also giving out H6 working visas to immigrants from 3rd-world nations, to come to USA and drive OTR trucking.

When your son secures an hourly-paying trucking job, he'll never look back at OTR again. Myself, I earn $18 an hour, and get time and ½ over 8 hours, and double-time pay over 12 hours (double time pay mandated by California state labor law).

For now, just tell your son to hang tough and just concentrate on maintaining his safe driving record (he does have a clean MVR I hope). Don't pick up any alcohol-related offenses (like open container); any alcohol-related charges will preclude him from getting hired by a good-paying company. To insurance companies, alcohol-related charges means a driver may have a drinking problem.

 

Also "Hoosier" find out if he's being paid percentage off the top or after truck expense is deducted. If it's the latter I would recommend that he quit immediately, their just taking advantage of him being a newer driver that don't know any better. I really hate to see these companies take advantage of these kids trying to do a good job for a descent days pay. I would also have him talk to whom ever is in charge, they may not even be aware of what dispatch is doing to him. I hope he gets this worked out. Good Luck.

 

Hoosier, Thing is, he's an adult and, like it or not, HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER HIS LIFE. That's what I told my 20yro girl when she was having problems with her job. ONLY YOU CAN MAKE A CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE. Give him the best advice you can and cut the STRING!!!!

 

If He Want's To Ride That Horse, Give Him The Rope!