This was half of the point of my first post where I touched on the situation with my father at Chrysler many years ago. It seems that many of these folks think low or no skilled workers should be earning more than double or triple the national average. They don't seem to understand (like the proponents of the minimum wage act) that if it was legislated that everybody made a million dollars a year that the price of everything would by necessity increase to cover the increase in labor cost and that million dollars would buy no more than the old minimum wage. When a union gains power and demands that its members be paid more than the free market would demand, they are screwing everybody else by causing the cost of the goods or services those union members provide or manufacture to increase.

 

I'll agree with the fact that line haul are probably paid by the mile, but here is the deal. I know they can't make you sleep in a daycab at the end of your 11 hours, nor will they. At the end of the day you can get that hotel room, whether it's nice or a roach motel. All those spaces at the rest areas, or truckstops, are areas that truck drivers that NEED them should be able to have to get a MANDATORY 10 hours. I don't cry if I see a union daycab with someone eating a meal, or even a union truck with a sleeper since they might be useing it to get a mandatory break but to see SO MANY daycabs, union or otherwise, parked and I'm at the end of my 11 hours makes me wanna blow a head gasket. This is why I hate driving in union dominated areas. Drive then find your hotel, save those spaces for those that legaly need to take a break or have to wait to be dispatched on loads, etc.

 

Well Kevin I think you have your answer. People like things the way they.


For the record. Yes all linehaul operations are paid mileage. Yes they sleep in either a motel or a bunkhouse at the terminal. Probably 80% of linehaul occurs at night. All night. Some of these drivers stay out all week. Some are up against their 14/70. Some run 3000+ miles a week. When you sleep days and work nights your body never does fully adjust. By 3-4 in the morning while in the middle of a 600 mile run a guy can be very tired and need a break. You know a little power nap. Perhaps he stopped to eat his lunch and get 40 winks. You guys are bashing unions just to bash unions and dont have a clue. Truth be told, my particular run involves dock work in the middle of it. Its hot in the summer and cold in the winter. My truck isnt very nice either, its a 850000 mile truck. When it was in the shop last week my "loaner" was 1.5 million mile clunker that most of you would never drive. But thats OK cuz when I get back I jump into my new diesel F250 and drive home to my own bed. On weekends I pull my camper out to party with friends and relatives. Its not always an easy job. Sometimes its an extremely hard job. And working nights makes it even harder. Alot of you wouldnt do it. I've seen several OTR guys come and go because they cant hack it. They dont want to work the dock, or the truck sucks, or they cant get to their destination on time because they cant stay awake all night and fall asleep. Union trucking jobs are good jobs and the employers know it so they wont hire deadbeats. They dont have to. The waiting list is very long. You also have to have a clean criminal and driving record. I realize thats a problem for some of you also. Most of the union stories you guys tell here dont even involve truck drivers. I'll concede unions arent perfect. Nothing is. But based on the number of people who want these jobs I'd say it must be pretty good. You dont see UPS, Holland, ABF, Yellow etc recruiting out of truck stops and brochures do you? This is primarily a OTR message board so I'm way outnumbered here. Kevin if you want good information on real jobs that pay well go to www.truckingboards.com. Peace out brothers. remember we're all just working men and women trying to earn a living to support our loved ones.

 

Amen.:thumbsup::clap:

 

I might not have worked truck union jobs but I have worked union jobs. The pay is good but one thing I have found prety common with most union jobs.

They comparmentalize a job. Don't even try and go outside that compartment, if you do your job is on the line. I've seen ppl get fired for "helping" thier fellow worker.

You might be trained for a job, or a route but always have to worry about someone with more seniority taking notice and booting you off the job you were trained for.

at the end of a contract you always have to worry about going on strike and most of the time the union does go on strike. They are shorter than they used to be and less common but they still do happen.

concerning sleep, I spent my 1st 16 years working night shift and then had to go days. It was a hard adjustment but you push your way through, if you have to pull over and walk around the truck a few times, or you just grab a light meal and something to snack on you can push your way past that tired time and get your second wind.

I enjoy working, not long ago I worked for a plant farm and enjoyed unloading, actually I found the work refeshing after driving for a long time. It actually prevented me from getting tired, lol.

I don't claim all unions are bad but I have seen to many go on strike when they are already makeing 2 to 3 times the average pay and excelent benifits. Not to mention many are just lazy. It'll take a lot to sway my opinions of unions.

 

Geeshock you saying union men are lazy is like me saying OTR guys are dirty filthy "dooshbags" who dont shower, pizz in bottles, and run around in pajama pants, wife beater tees and flip flops. But I didnt say you're all that way, just some of you. And you thinking a guy driving a day cab cant park in a rest area is as stupid as a guy pulling doubles saying that a van driver cant park at the fuel island unless they really need fuel. They should use a parking spot and leave the pull thru spots for guys with doubles. For now on, anybody who has to park his truck should announce on the CB what his intentions are and why and see if everyone else approves of his plan. Or if you guys dont like that idea what about if we just call Geeshock first and see if HE needs that spot? Geeshock whats your number bro? Post it up for us!

 

LOL. Thats funny right there.

 

This has always been a dick measuring contest.... cof

Lift up belly clear of belt....un-Zip... THUD ... kik ... un-Furl :smokin:


Beat that ...Union.

 

First you say it's okay when those daycab union guys need to take a power nap, but then you say a lot of OTR guys can't hack it because they can't stay up all night. You contradict yourself.

I said unions are bad in general for our society. I gave three examples of three different situations I have either been in myself, observed first hand or my loved ones have experienced. If you really want, I could give many more examples. I can also get into the economic harm these organizations do to the companies they extort money from with the help of their political co-conspirators.

I never said the jobs weren't great for those who have them. You think my father hated making $35k a year in 1980 to read books half the day? He loved it, but him and people like him also caused the price of the American made automobile to more than double because of inflated labor rates. Think about that when you get home and jump into your "new diesel F250" that you paid more than twice as much for than you should have so a UAW guy with a high school diploma (if he's lucky) and no real skills could make $80k a year.

Yes, and some of us believe in earning our money based on our own good job performance, work ethic and ability, and others are happy to be overpaid for less work at the expense of others by extorting money from their employers. Had I never seen the evils of unions from a firsthand viewpoint, I'd be happy to have one of those jobs myself, but I know better and wouldn't take a Teamsters or any other union job if it were offered to me on a silver platter. I know I can do better working on my own, so why settle for less? I really don't blame those who hold the union jobs for doing so. Some people get it and some people never will.

 

Musicman buy your self a clue buddy.

There is no way in hell a CAR doubles in price cuz of union labor. Look at what nissain , toyota and f-150 or chevy 1500 go for. The f-150 or Chevy 1500 are not even close to being double in price. They are all in the same ball park. :roll: