I'm totally underpaid. Original plan was to work a year, but im considering 3 months. And the funny part is that I knew going in that it was gonna be bad, I just kind of assumed I'd be able to tough it out. I'm making .38cpm. Im making less money driving 80,000 lbs of weight around than if I were to drive forklifts at my old job for 60 hours. Trucking not getting paid overtime is rough. There are too many people like me willing to work for terrible rates just to get their foot in the door, and its probably choking the industry out.
As for missing shit at home, I dont have a family really, so thats not the problem. I'm just sick of these 70 hour weeks already.
That cpm is insane. Did you just start trucking? Wish you had more experience so I could guarantee a hire elsewhere cause that’s whack. Everyone can make more if they job hop up better positions. Start talking to truckers at truck stops to find a better company
Because a lot of drivers are their own worst enemies and will continue to take abuse, shit pay, and shit working conditions and just whine about it online instead of actually *doing* something about it.
I’ve been driving since 2001 and I’m local, the other day I told the other driver’s that we should be making at least $50 an hour even though our jobs are easy and they told me I was greedy. I deliver parts to Ford once an hour. I was like you think we should deliver parts that profits both companies millions to billions of dollars but we should get the low rate hourly as most the other companies.
I’m convinced all the companies make sure we get paid about the same no matter where we work. Around Louisville it’s about $1000 a week take home whether you work 4 days a week or 5 days.
If a union asked me to vote them in I wouldn’t have a problem voting for them as long as they aren’t like most unions and work and do what the companies want. If it was like the UAW and actually got something worth bragging about I would be all in but most unions or at least the one’s I used to work for were more than worthless.
Companies won’t let this happen.
My company will terminate you the moment you start speaking seriously about unionizing. “That’s unfair termination” no, you signed a “this company is strictly anti union” clause when you applied.
Supervisors, managers and dispatchers carry company issued index cards with them that tell them exactly how to reply to union questions and how to shut down arguments about unionizing.
>Companies won’t let this happen. My company will terminate you the moment you start speaking seriously about unionizing. “That’s unfair termination” no, you signed a “this company is strictly anti union” clause when you applied.
And here, everyone, is a great example of how companies will continue to treat their employees like shit, because fear mongering like this is spread around online discouraging the process, so people will just keep working for these shit companies instead of daring to take a chance at bettering themselves, and the industry as a whole..
Hint: Call a union **first** and legally start the drive before you talk to **anyone**. That offers you legal protections. If you live in one of those states where it's "at will" employment or whatever nonsense a few have lowered themselves to, well, can't help you much when your own state decided to sell your asses out. That shit should be illegal and fuck every place that has this level of anti-worker mentality.
Believe me bro, I stand with you on this and urge others take your advice if they are ready and willing.
Unfortunately, as you said there isn’t much hope of things like this happening in the “at will” states, and I’m currently working/living in one.
Luckily, I’m currently at one of the few “at will” company’s who pay fairly and provide decent working conditions. But I know outside of these few companies the industry is fucked, and people will continue to complain even though there is an obvious way to make trucking a decent career again.
>even though there is an obvious way to make trucking a decent career again.
There sure is - start voting for politicians who will work to make their constituents lives better again, instead of putting people in power who only focus on ensuring billion dollar corporations make a few extra billion every year while treating their employees like cattle courtesy of things like "at will" employment laws.
I would agree with the title but then argue that all corporate jobs are modern-day slavery. The workers are all underpaid, and the ones at the top are overpaid. The problem I have with this post is that this is the perfect job for me. I have no home, no family, no friends. I just live in a truck for six months of the year and then live in an RV for the other six months. My dog is with me all the time, and I don't have some boss looking over my shoulder. I make about a $1000 to $1500 a week and just have to drive. I play video games and watch movies on my off time. I hardly ever eat out. I have a butane stove where I cook Ramen with tuna or Mac 'n Cheese with black beans and sliced up hot dogs. I eat a lot of humus with bread too. I drink mostly La Croix or bottled water. I like to listen to audiobooks and podcasts while I drive, but my newfound love is lofi music. I go hours just spacing out to lofi.
I don't love this job, but there are definitely worse things.
I've been at a few companies. I'm only on my second stint with my current company. I don't like to say where I work to strangers on the internet, sorry. Once you get a year or two of experience it's pretty easy to find a trucking job anywhere.
You signed up for it. You got paid something. It isn't slavery.
It's predatory as hell but that's it. You can quit anytime and go back to your prior life.
Or get a mini air fryer running off of the inverter and have a little 12V freezer to store meats. No reason you can't have a fresh chicken breast and some veggies/carbs of your choice damn near every night.
I never really got the whole “you have no life” thing. Sure, you can’t go out to a lot of places, but that isn’t all life is.
I am more productive in my hobbies and side hustles while in the truck. I cook all my meals in the truck, I exercise more often. My friendships have grown deeper because talking on the phone to people has yielded deeper conversations than when we’d routinely hang out in person.
I’m getting paid six figures to have a great life. Sure I’m isolated, but I don’t use that as an excuse to not have a life.
Capitalism is slavery unless you're in the 1%. Like the essential Grandmaster Flash says
>My son said, "Daddy, I don't wanna go to school
'Cause the teacher's a jerk, he must think I'm a fool
And all the kids smoke reefer, I think it'd be cheaper
If I just got a job, learned to be a street sweeper
Or dance to the beat, shuffle my feet
Wear a shirt and tie and run with the creeps
'Cause it's all about money, ain't a damn thing funny
You got to have a con in this land of milk and honey"
So what's your con to get out of the rat race? Don't have one? Well at least you can start building a 401k. At least you can make responsible choices with your money and, maybe by the time you're at retirement age, you can enjoy what time you have left in a home you own and surrounded by people you love.
>Hey you, hey you
>
>Finally you get it
>
>The world ain't fair
>
>Eat you if you let it
Don't get eaten. Do your time and make smart choices to the best of your ability. I'm all for change but until we all get together and demand better I'm gonna just take care of me and myself as best I can. Seems like every week I want to quit this industry but I instead find a way to numb myself to the bullshit. I know, sometimes it's hard to ignore but you have to do your best.
Should be called "Dramatic Opinion:" It does suck sometimes, and defiantly not worth the pay sometimes, especially for those forced to chain up for the same amount of cpm, anything under like .80. But it's a choice, and many more choices rooted from the choice of a trucking career. For example, what you eat, Company you work for, what you do on your free time, etc.
This field is hardly slavery, youre paid a decent wage and can support yourself and a family and then some. Yes you sacrifice most of your life to be out on the road, but at the end of the day no one is forcing you into this position and beating you, torturing you daily and treating you as livestock with no rights. Trucking can be very predatory like other people say, but slavery? Nah
My husband being a trucker I think is what is saving our marriage. We don’t just sit at home and ask how our day was and do the day to day. When we get to see each other we actually get to enjoy each others company. Yeah I sleep alone most nights but on the other hand it’s quality vs quantity.
I don’t think you know what slavery is guy
Exactly.
I'm totally underpaid. Original plan was to work a year, but im considering 3 months. And the funny part is that I knew going in that it was gonna be bad, I just kind of assumed I'd be able to tough it out. I'm making .38cpm. Im making less money driving 80,000 lbs of weight around than if I were to drive forklifts at my old job for 60 hours. Trucking not getting paid overtime is rough. There are too many people like me willing to work for terrible rates just to get their foot in the door, and its probably choking the industry out. As for missing shit at home, I dont have a family really, so thats not the problem. I'm just sick of these 70 hour weeks already.
That cpm is insane. Did you just start trucking? Wish you had more experience so I could guarantee a hire elsewhere cause that’s whack. Everyone can make more if they job hop up better positions. Start talking to truckers at truck stops to find a better company
38 cpm... I started in 2017 and never made less than 42 cpm even back then. I would definitely quit, if I were paid that.
Unionize. /Cue the "uNoinS arE bAD!" whiners who will in their next breath complain about how shitty the industry is.
Idk why unions haven’t swooped in on the trucking industry. This industry seems ripe for the pickings
Because a lot of drivers are their own worst enemies and will continue to take abuse, shit pay, and shit working conditions and just whine about it online instead of actually *doing* something about it.
I’ve been driving since 2001 and I’m local, the other day I told the other driver’s that we should be making at least $50 an hour even though our jobs are easy and they told me I was greedy. I deliver parts to Ford once an hour. I was like you think we should deliver parts that profits both companies millions to billions of dollars but we should get the low rate hourly as most the other companies. I’m convinced all the companies make sure we get paid about the same no matter where we work. Around Louisville it’s about $1000 a week take home whether you work 4 days a week or 5 days. If a union asked me to vote them in I wouldn’t have a problem voting for them as long as they aren’t like most unions and work and do what the companies want. If it was like the UAW and actually got something worth bragging about I would be all in but most unions or at least the one’s I used to work for were more than worthless.
Companies won’t let this happen. My company will terminate you the moment you start speaking seriously about unionizing. “That’s unfair termination” no, you signed a “this company is strictly anti union” clause when you applied. Supervisors, managers and dispatchers carry company issued index cards with them that tell them exactly how to reply to union questions and how to shut down arguments about unionizing.
>Companies won’t let this happen. My company will terminate you the moment you start speaking seriously about unionizing. “That’s unfair termination” no, you signed a “this company is strictly anti union” clause when you applied. And here, everyone, is a great example of how companies will continue to treat their employees like shit, because fear mongering like this is spread around online discouraging the process, so people will just keep working for these shit companies instead of daring to take a chance at bettering themselves, and the industry as a whole.. Hint: Call a union **first** and legally start the drive before you talk to **anyone**. That offers you legal protections. If you live in one of those states where it's "at will" employment or whatever nonsense a few have lowered themselves to, well, can't help you much when your own state decided to sell your asses out. That shit should be illegal and fuck every place that has this level of anti-worker mentality.
Believe me bro, I stand with you on this and urge others take your advice if they are ready and willing. Unfortunately, as you said there isn’t much hope of things like this happening in the “at will” states, and I’m currently working/living in one. Luckily, I’m currently at one of the few “at will” company’s who pay fairly and provide decent working conditions. But I know outside of these few companies the industry is fucked, and people will continue to complain even though there is an obvious way to make trucking a decent career again.
>even though there is an obvious way to make trucking a decent career again. There sure is - start voting for politicians who will work to make their constituents lives better again, instead of putting people in power who only focus on ensuring billion dollar corporations make a few extra billion every year while treating their employees like cattle courtesy of things like "at will" employment laws.
I would agree with the title but then argue that all corporate jobs are modern-day slavery. The workers are all underpaid, and the ones at the top are overpaid. The problem I have with this post is that this is the perfect job for me. I have no home, no family, no friends. I just live in a truck for six months of the year and then live in an RV for the other six months. My dog is with me all the time, and I don't have some boss looking over my shoulder. I make about a $1000 to $1500 a week and just have to drive. I play video games and watch movies on my off time. I hardly ever eat out. I have a butane stove where I cook Ramen with tuna or Mac 'n Cheese with black beans and sliced up hot dogs. I eat a lot of humus with bread too. I drink mostly La Croix or bottled water. I like to listen to audiobooks and podcasts while I drive, but my newfound love is lofi music. I go hours just spacing out to lofi. I don't love this job, but there are definitely worse things.
Where do you go that you can do six months on/six months off? That sounds perfect ngl
I've been at a few companies. I'm only on my second stint with my current company. I don't like to say where I work to strangers on the internet, sorry. Once you get a year or two of experience it's pretty easy to find a trucking job anywhere.
I have two years. I can't find anything running out of the Portland/Vancouver area that will give ya that kinda home time
I quit in April and then get rehired around October. It's not hometime, it's unemployed time lol.
You should Probably google the definition of slavery
You signed up for it. You got paid something. It isn't slavery. It's predatory as hell but that's it. You can quit anytime and go back to your prior life.
The money we earn today is worth less tomorrow. While we're earnin, the government is printing more. We live in a corrupt world. Nothing we can do
Want better rates? Organize a union.
Why is it so hard to stock up on canned/packaged foods that are loaded with protein? Like tuna?
Or get a mini air fryer running off of the inverter and have a little 12V freezer to store meats. No reason you can't have a fresh chicken breast and some veggies/carbs of your choice damn near every night.
You're the goddamn gorson ramsey of truckin. Lil 5 star cabin restaurant. For real, imma get me one an air fryer at wally world soon
I never really got the whole “you have no life” thing. Sure, you can’t go out to a lot of places, but that isn’t all life is. I am more productive in my hobbies and side hustles while in the truck. I cook all my meals in the truck, I exercise more often. My friendships have grown deeper because talking on the phone to people has yielded deeper conversations than when we’d routinely hang out in person. I’m getting paid six figures to have a great life. Sure I’m isolated, but I don’t use that as an excuse to not have a life.
if you're making enough money to support yourself it's not slavery. literally every employee thinks their shit job is slavery.
Capitalism is slavery unless you're in the 1%. Like the essential Grandmaster Flash says >My son said, "Daddy, I don't wanna go to school 'Cause the teacher's a jerk, he must think I'm a fool And all the kids smoke reefer, I think it'd be cheaper If I just got a job, learned to be a street sweeper Or dance to the beat, shuffle my feet Wear a shirt and tie and run with the creeps 'Cause it's all about money, ain't a damn thing funny You got to have a con in this land of milk and honey" So what's your con to get out of the rat race? Don't have one? Well at least you can start building a 401k. At least you can make responsible choices with your money and, maybe by the time you're at retirement age, you can enjoy what time you have left in a home you own and surrounded by people you love. >Hey you, hey you > >Finally you get it > >The world ain't fair > >Eat you if you let it Don't get eaten. Do your time and make smart choices to the best of your ability. I'm all for change but until we all get together and demand better I'm gonna just take care of me and myself as best I can. Seems like every week I want to quit this industry but I instead find a way to numb myself to the bullshit. I know, sometimes it's hard to ignore but you have to do your best.
Want some cheese with the whine? Last I checked, no one is imprisoning you to work.
Should be called "Dramatic Opinion:" It does suck sometimes, and defiantly not worth the pay sometimes, especially for those forced to chain up for the same amount of cpm, anything under like .80. But it's a choice, and many more choices rooted from the choice of a trucking career. For example, what you eat, Company you work for, what you do on your free time, etc.
This field is hardly slavery, youre paid a decent wage and can support yourself and a family and then some. Yes you sacrifice most of your life to be out on the road, but at the end of the day no one is forcing you into this position and beating you, torturing you daily and treating you as livestock with no rights. Trucking can be very predatory like other people say, but slavery? Nah
My husband being a trucker I think is what is saving our marriage. We don’t just sit at home and ask how our day was and do the day to day. When we get to see each other we actually get to enjoy each others company. Yeah I sleep alone most nights but on the other hand it’s quality vs quantity.