When I started driving in the 80s I had no idea about trucking or hardly anything else for that matter. I found out quickly that much of the time spent in trucking goes unpaid and I realized that made it very difficult to make a good living. My first OTR job was flatbed and it paid percentage. The problem was, empty miles paid 0%. I was making about $700 a week, though, I didn't think too much about it. That is the problem. Many new people come from very low paying jobs and trucking is a raise even though they are getting hosed. It took some time to understand that if I got paid for all of my time, I would be able to work less and make more. In the 90s I changed my perspective on pay. I get paid for most of my time now. Things like fueling time are not paid but other things like detention and breakdown are immediate and continue until the problem is resolved. Drivers should get paid for all of their time, like everyone else. Why does there have to be this 2 or 3 hours of free time? Do workers at fast food have free time? Some companies don't pay anything for detention. How is that possible in America today? How do you get paid for your time? You have to have a mindset shift and understand that your time is valuable. If you are willing to work for free companies have no incentive to ever pay for that time. Believe me, there are numerous companies out there paying a good wage and for your time. I get letters from people working at them every day. We can't just complain about working for free. We need to stand up and quit these companies that don't pay. It is really just that simple. A nationwide strike is never going to happen but you can have your own strike against these companies by refusing to work there. Be sure to tell them why you are quitting because once they start getting the message they will have to change their ways. If their trucks don't move they will figure out how to pay us. Detention pay has been a theme of the show since the beginning and will continue to be so. Does your company not pay detention? I want to know about it. Also, why do you stay?
See you on the road!
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AuthorHi! Welcome. I'm Mark and I've been a professional truck driver for over 33 years, the last 19 years at the same company. It is time that drivers got paid for every minute that we work and we are treated like the licensed professionals we are. Archives
February 2022
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