Mackman, I have driven a dump truck. My niece and her ex-husband owned several and I helped them out when they got in a tight. My Dad owned some dumps in addition to other types of trucks. I know about driving a dump truck and sometimes getting stuck in mud that is nearly up to the top of your tires. I have had to get a dozer, loader or pan to pull me out of the mud. That is the most boring job I have ever had driving a truck. Go to a construction site and load up with dirt. Drive to the other side of the construction site and dump your load. Go back to load at the same place and repeat, again, and again and again, etc., I have driven about everything there is out here. I know what it is like to drive local. I would not want to do that every day. To me it is very boring. If you like doing it, then fine. I want fault you for enjoying your job. There is a need for those who drive local. I don't put you down for driving local. I don't see why you feel the need to put me and others down who driver otr. You would have new people think that your pay is much greater than those of us who drive otr. That is simply NOT the truth. Some do earn a good paycheck driving local, but so do otr drivers. The main difference in your pay compared to the otr driver is that your pay is fixed whereas the otr driver can earn more by either getting more miles or hauling more specialized freight. His pay will usually go up with his experience level. I know of dump drivers who are paid by the hour, load or ton. Your income is still limited to some degree. You take exception to anyone questions your skills as a local driver, but put otr drivers down with every post. You make fun at the skills needed to bump a dock. I have had to get into some docks that you would have dirtied your pant getting into. I remember one many years ago where I had to jack the truck into a dock and the right tractor tire was on the edge of a long drop off. The trailer would rock everytime the forklift entered the trailer. If you think that backing into a tight dock without running into another trailer or truck doesn't require skills, then I would question whether you have ever backed into a dock. How about driving cars on or off of a moving ramp on a car hauler in an ice storm? How about knowing how to load and secure a paver, bulldozer or excavator so that you are legal. Do you know how to properly position and secure a 45,000 pound coil? Would you know how to route a 12' wide and 10' high load across the country with a lot of road construction? Perhaps you could explain the best way to load an elevator that will go on the outside of a new building in downtown Washington DC? How about pulling a 65' portable asphalt plant from Tennessee to Baltimore? Do you know how to load a 14 stop reefer load without having to unload and reload the trailer each time you make a drop? Do you know how to make a turn in a loaded full bore tankerfsd without turning over or how to easily stop one on an icy road without having a wreck or killing someone as the load pushes you through an intersection?

These are only a few of the different types of loads a otr driver must deal. Each requires different skills to get the job done, just like driving a dump truck. I have been driving trucks for over 35 years. I know how to do your job. I know what is involved. There is little that I have not done in this business over the last 3+ decades. If you can't take the heat then stay out of the kitchen.

 

You are not the author of this thread Belpre.
But even if you were, there is no ownership, so none of us has the right to make such a lame respectful :roll: suggestion, as you did to Bumper.

I have more regard for a troll, than I do an ass. But the two seem to go hand in hand.
With all due respect...wouldn't you agree? I think you would be the guy to ask.

I don't mind the pissing match locals and otr seem to enjoy, and I find it very entertaining.
Thanks for doing your part, however Belpre...you are making your fellow Local drivers appear to be losers.
That believe it or not...does not sit well with most of them.

I thought local drivers were more organized. :lol:

 

[quote="GMAN"]

Just trying keep newbies from getting into trucking and bringing your rates down big guy.


You never see a good business man bragging about his profit!!!!!!! No need for more competition

 

I have always been paid for the mile that I have driven when I was a company driver. It never occurred to me that I should have been paid to fuel my own truck. I would never have expected to be paid extra for the few minutes it usually takes to fill out my log book. It also never occurred to me that I should be paid to sit in a truck stop waiting for a shower, watching TV or playing a video game. Actually, when I started out as a company driver we didn't have the means to take a TV or video game with us. I don't think video games had even been invented. We did sit around and talk with one another. It never occurred to me to be paid for talking, either.

As far as newbies competing with me. Thanks for your concern, but I am not worried about newbies coming in and lowering my rates. It would be difficult for newbies to do some of the things that I do. As I have stated before, I rarely mention the rates for which I haul. I don't have anything to prove. The only reason I may mention my rates is to demonstrate that owner operators don't need to haul cheap freight. It isn't to boast. We usually get decent rates, but there are those who are getting higher rates than we get.

 

i am wondering what kind of company you work for that the truck has been broke down for 2 or more days...not real good equipment? who cares if they are paying you to sit in a hotel room. if you really took the job to be home then your POS truck is preventing you from doing that. you could have stayed otr and got paid for not being at home.

 

I'm not sure what he meant but I dont think he started at the new place yet? Did he? :?

 

Snowman7 wrote:
Evinrude wrote:
From earlier in the thread....looks like he hasnt left OTR yet.

 

OTR is a job of last resort. Good place to hobo around for awhile and duck payments...that's about it. Some 20-odd years ago, it was a respectable middle-class gig, but those days are long gone. Want to know the best way to ditch a blind date? Tell her you're an over-the road truckdriver.

$50k, huh? How many hours on the job to get that money? How much time away from home? How many weekends laid over (not getting laid) at the Carney Point Hook?

I know alot of guys who keep their CDL just in case their day-job doesn't pan out. If they get a pink slip, then it's back on the road until something better comes their way.

So many drivers out of work in this economy, it's hard to land a good local gig...but check out any free truckstop or rest-area magazine like Through The Gears, RPM, Trucking 2000 etc, and there's a whole slew of OTR jobs available. I wonder why that is?

 

Perhaps it isn't the job but the date. :roll:



Does it really matter? I would think sitting around doing nothing would appeal to you with all the discussion you have about it. You really have a fixation with Carney's Point. Is there something we should know? :?



Yes, this is a very secure job for those willing to work and apply themselves.



Most drivers are out of work because it is their choice. They choose to leave rather than work things out with their employer. There are exceptions, but an experienced driver with a good mvr and work history should not be out of work for very long. If he abandons a truck, has 20 jobs in 3 years or some other questionable infraction, then that is another issue. It was his choice to do what he did. This is a profession where one of the requirements is to be an adult. It is up to the individual as to whether they will be a responsible adult.

There are between 3-5 million truck drivers in this country. It is understandable that there would be a certain amount of turnover. EVERY business or industry has turnover. The easiest way to generate interest in any industry is through recruitment ads. This is usually done by targeting. The target audience in this case are the experienced drivers. Next are those interested in pursuing a career in trucking. Those are often more easily reached through industry magazines and newspapers such as you mentioned in your post.

Ah, kids....darned public education. :roll:

 

[quote]2008 Volvo


not getting paid sweet diddly, hard to pay the bills, very frustrating when your at work but not making any money, doesn't make sense to me.


I am taking the local job because I will make more money in a shorter period of time than cpm. I am paid 40hrs aweek, much easier to budget than cpm. I am still OTR until next month. But I fail to see being on the road for a 34 hour reset pays or any other none paid driving gives me any financial gain. But you seem happy with that kind of pay?