The Trucker News Paper

Broompilot

Veteran Expediter
I read this article over and over, if you care to comment on it..

BETTER PAY FOR THE GOOD DRIVERS NOW

I will quote two paragraphs March 15-31 2006 fron the perspective:

If you want exceptional employees, all you have to do is give them enough pay to keep them alive. They will drive your shiny new truck and probably live in it because they cannot afford rent.

As for pay:

I am talking about pay checks of over $3,000 a week for an average week. Thats take-home pay. That is not out of line if you consider cost of training, hiring and firing a lot of people who were not meant to be behind the wheel of a big rig, not counting the enormous cost to the truckig industry keeping up with more and more government invervention in our job.
 

highway star

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
3k a week? PLEASE SIGN ME UP NOW!! If that were possible would there be anyone left in expediting? I guess there would, but I shudder to think of what the quality of the drivers would be like.
 

ConfusedMuse

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
We're with Highway Star... show us the money. Oh wait the drivers are never @ home, for that matter home is the truck. For that alone it had better be really nice.
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
You get what you pay for. I don't see $3k a week as realistic unless that's a best week but not as an average. If they paid $1500 a week they could be extremely selective and have the best fleet of drivers on the road. It's all about the companies (shipper and carrier) wanting something for nothing and getting a lot of the nothing in return.

Leo Bricker, owner trucks 3034, 4958
OOIDA 677319
73's K5LDB
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
 

redytrk

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
I recently spent some time with my filthy rich brother-in-law in Chicago. (He retired at age 46 with his millions)

He said one of the things most discussed at the daily Country Club golf round is how difficult it is to get and keep OTR drivers.

The best and most experienced are grabbing those jobs that get them home every night.

Many of these shippers are using rail to combat this lack of OTR.

Should make more opportunity's`s for us expeditor's.
You know how the railroads like to let your shipment set on a siding somewhere
 

younglobo

Expert Expediter
Sign me up for the 3,000/wk too as a Co. Owner i will tell ya it is gettin increasingly harder to find a good quality driver, with the limits DOT and INS. put on your ability to hire a driver , not that the restrictions are a bad thing either. I would say i have to turn away about 9 out of 10 calls on the phone due to driver record or DWI and/or drug convictions. We have a power unit that has set empty for 1 1/2 months. Awhile back to the wheel.
 
Top