What would YOU want in a job in trucking?

I stop at a Love’s etc only long enough in the early afternoon to squirt on enough fuel to get shower. Don’t stay there to have to deal with the rookie parking issues later. Thank god I don’t have to deal with the reset bs you guys do at a truck stop.

 

Late to the party, but reimbursed paid parking. I don’t agree with truck stops ideas of paid/reserved parking, but it’s not gonna change anytime soon.

There have been dozens of times that I’ve stopped 20-30 miles shorter. My productivity would go up if it was reimbursed. For me out of pocket, I can either A.) drive those 30 miles into a city or busy area and pay for parking (break even on those 30 miles) or I can B.) stop earlier for free and actually profit off of those miles the next morning.

Not sure on the numbers, but I’d think as long as it’s not abused, allowing an occasional parking reimbursement could actually be more profitable for the company. Where I’m at now reimburses it, and the peace of mind is awesome. I haven’t used it yet in the short time I’ve been here, but it really eases the stress for the last hour of my drive time.

 

If I lived in a perfect world, I would want a company that paid $.50 or better/mile, decent trucks with apu, inverter, fridge, etc, 70mph, quality insurance without a premium price, that offered my preferred runs consistently, i.e. Tx-Ca-Ut-Tx, preferably with drop/hook loads in TX and CA. (More specifically D/Fw-southeast Ca-ontario/ventura, etc-SLC-D/Fw), but would settle for anything thru the desert southwest with a bit of pnw sprinkled in, or some leg stretcher runs from Ca/wa-ga/nc-ish then back to tx. Oh, and no micromanaging, just let me do my job the best way I know how, and leave me alone.

...in a perfect world lol

 

Keep looking, you could probably find something like that. Perhaps not the routing but something close. You forgot driver facing camera lol.

 

Naturally everyone would want maximum monetary compensation but beyond that every driver has different ideas about what’s important to them.

This driver wants to run all 48, save for the 95 corridor north of Richmond. I’ve got no desire to go to NYC, Jersey, Philly, Baltimore or DC. Nope, too much traffic and congestion and hardly anyplace to park a truck. The northeast is about as trucker unfriendly as you can get. It’s a waste of my time going there, therefore I don’t.

This driver also doesn’t want to be managed by someone sitting in an office. You don’t need to question why I’ve decided to shut down with 3 hours left on my clock today. I’ve got a plan.

I realize some non driving individual sitting at a desk can pull my clock and GPS position up on their computerI and they don’t readily understand my decision to call it a day where I have. But it was part of my plan for more reasons than you can see on your computer.

I have all day, everyday to myself with nothing much else to do but crunch numbers in my head and think about a logistical plan and the best way to make it work. I know when the load needs to deliver and I’ll get it there on time. But there are more things to consider than merely how far I can move today.

Don’t try to manage our time for us, it’s insulting. You won’t find people in any other industry with better time management skills than truck drivers. You just won’t. We manage everything we do right down to the minute everyday and minutes mean everything to us.

We’ve got a plan that started from the minute we rolled out of our bunk and put ourselves on duty. We hustle all day long trying to cheat the clock and preserve every minute we can. While other people get paid by the hours they’re on the clock, we work well over 70 hours each week and we make efforts to hide our labor from the clock.

We redline our motors in an effort to make more money, for you and ourselves. Just let us do our thing and say thank you.

 

So I run a different type of trucking business and here’s what I offer.

- decently hourly wage ( not the highest but other stuff offsets it )
- full paid benefits after 6 months with super low co-pay
- your choice to work days / nights
- driver supplied MasterCard for trucking. Purchases
- paid PPE / Work clothes program
- partially pay your cell phone
- employee housing for certain jobs
- fully decked out, well maintained trucks
- shift work with 99% request days off actually given


As far as wage goes, it’s right in the middle but everything else makes it so much more worth it.

 

I also keep seeing posts on Volvos

Never really drove one or looked at them but why is it that every Volvo I pass has the side skirts blowing in the wind?

Is this a design flaw or drivers error?

 

I am about to transition from company driver to owner operator and am having terrible luck finding the perfect company to lease onto. Maybe we could talk about it more, the fact you are asking and care what people think is great imo.

 

So I run a different type of trucking business and here’s what I offer.
**When we hear "different" without a detailed description, drivers tend to get wary. It's a red flag for us.. too many "gimmick" recruiting gamers out there - no offense.

Well, I'm the boss and not a recruiter so no games when it comes from the head of the company.

- decently hourly wage ( not the highest but other stuff offsets it )
**Wages mean livability. We sacrifice most of the hours of our lives, out on these roads. Sometimes under extreme conditions. Compensation doesn't begin to match what we trade - but higher wages at least shows respect for that fact. JS.

$27-$30 an hour with OT after 40 hours is a very livable wage - especially when you're getting 70 hours / week

- full paid benefits after 6 months with super low co-pay
**Ouch. low co-pays attractive, 6 mos wait is really a bit much - especially w/ drivers wary of Covid or who have families

6 month wait it for full pay, 60 days for benefits to be active

- your choice to work days / nights
**nice perk

- driver supplied MasterCard for trucking. Purchases
**driver supplied?! The driver has to supply one? This would be a 'first' and definitely a red flag, if interpreted the way it's worded

I supply a driver with a MasterCard from my company with their name on it so they can buy items on the road

- paid PPE / Work clothes program
**meets standard requirements for employers who require such costumes or working conditions

95% of the companies in the oilfield do not provide any PPE ( what I mean is jeans, shirts, gloves, hard hats for the job )

- partially pay your cell phone
**Again, standard. Any employer who requires an employee to use their personal equiptment for work purposes, is required to pay partial operational costs / reimbursement - look into it.

- employee housing for certain jobs
**Personally, I never considered getting involved with "company town" setups. It makes one into an easy target for any power hungry & sadistic boss - not saying you are one, its just an "unknown" variable when considering new employers/ situations you don't know.

- fully decked out, well maintained trucks
**Again, nice perk - & it keeps us wanting to operate them.

- shift work with 99% request days off actually given
**nice double-down. Most companies that state this, rarely stick to it. We get lied to and defrauded during recruiting, ALOT.

As the boss it's my personal requirement to be able to work harder than you - I would rather lead then follow.

Not trying to be a pessimist. I've been through a few companies in my years out here & heard more recruiting lies then I care to recall. I'll probably write a book someday.. in the meantime, I wish you the Best Success w/your venture!


As far as wage goes, it’s right in the middle but everything else makes it so much more worth it.