Why I decided to leave the trucking business.

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Rasar

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I have been in the trucking business since I was nineteen since 1991. Then, in the Israeli army, I got a license for a truck up to 40 tons. Then I worked as a driving instructor in the army for many years, while in 2007 I left for Canada. Since 2007 I have been working as a trucker in Canada and the USA. I love my job and know my job. Thank God for all these years I did not make an accident.
But what is happening today makes me think about leaving this business. Salaries in this industry are not growing. Already 20 years stagnation. The quality of drivers fell to the level of complete idiots. We are no longer considered people.
The latest engine ban law killed me.
Someone decided that the driver can normally relax in the heat of 90 degrees and in cold weather. Moreover, in each state and city the laws are different, and fines reach up to $ 10,000 !!! Sorry, but I personally get out of this shit. Today, drivers earn less than the minimum per hour of work, if you count all the time that they spend on the job. By taxi, at a construction site, workers at the factory earn more in an hour. It’s better I’ll deliver packages on my minivan, without any risk in the winter and without the risk of getting a fine of $ 10,000, sleeping at home and relaxing after work at home !!! Of course I love my job, but I'm not an idiot ...

 
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I have been in the trucking business since I was nineteen since 1991. Then, in the Israeli army, I got a license for a truck up to 40 tons. Then I worked as a driving instructor in the army for many years, while in 2007 I left for Canada. Since 2007 I have been working as a trucker in Canada and the USA. I love my job and know my job. Thank God for all these years I did not make an accident.
But what is happening today makes me think about leaving this business. Salaries in this industry are not growing. Already 20 years stagnation. The quality of drivers fell to the level of complete idiots. We are no longer considered people.
The latest engine ban law killed me.
Someone decided that the driver can normally relax in the heat of 90 degrees and in cold weather. Moreover, in each state and city the laws are different, and fines reach up to $ 10,000 !!! Sorry, but I personally get out of this ****. Today, drivers earn less than the minimum per hour of work, if you count all the time that they spend on the job. By taxi, at a construction site, workers at the factory earn more in an hour. It’s better I’ll deliver packages on my minivan, without any risk in the winter and without the risk of getting a fine of $ 10,000, sleeping at home and relaxing after work at home !!! Of course I love my job, but I'm not an idiot ...

What is Israel like? As a country, the people, the culture, the food?
 
In most areas with idle laws you can idle in extreme heat or cold.

You can thank deregulation for the low wages. Deregulation opened up the window for drivers and brokers to underbid eachother. As long as there's people who think making $800 a week is good money, that's what you can expect.

If it wasn't for LTL, I would have left a while ago myself.
 
What is Israel like? As a country, the people, the culture, the food?
If a young man visits Israel, he does not want to leave. People are like the Spaniards. Very noisy and not shy. Feel free to tell you what they think about you. It’s easy with them. Everyone served in the army: three years men and two years women. Every year for a month men are called up for service, up to 52 years. Almost everyone in the house has weapons, since everyone serves in the army. On the streets of many, weapons hang on their shoulders. M16, M4, Tavor, Uzi ... And everyone is trained to shoot. There has never been a mass shooting in Israel, and armed robberies almost never occur. Because everyone is armed. The army in Israel is a family. The army rallies and educates. All friends are all from the army.
The country is super technological. You can get your medical analysis in a special vending machine on the street using a plastic card. Roads are better than in Germany. Everything is computerized.
Everywhere a lot of security. In any store there is an armed guard who has undergone special training, and always an army. Each school is guarded by special guards with combat experience. Each police officer is obliged to completely sue the army for three years. Criminals are not drafted into the army.
Very high taxes and prices. A very democratic country. Of the nine million people, one and a half million Muslims, who have several parties in parliament.
Muslims serve in the army voluntarily.10013E23-304E-4AF3-B696-FF8E4AA21B8B.jpeg2B21F77A-BEAB-4906-BDBD-9ABA70E49FA5.jpegA9CA3892-BB9F-4175-A0EB-E5CE071B5B93.jpeg
 
I have been in the trucking business since I was nineteen since 1991. Then, in the Israeli army, I got a license for a truck up to 40 tons. Then I worked as a driving instructor in the army for many years, while in 2007 I left for Canada. Since 2007 I have been working as a trucker in Canada and the USA. I love my job and know my job. Thank God for all these years I did not make an accident.
But what is happening today makes me think about leaving this business. Salaries in this industry are not growing. Already 20 years stagnation. The quality of drivers fell to the level of complete idiots. We are no longer considered people.
The latest engine ban law killed me.
Someone decided that the driver can normally relax in the heat of 90 degrees and in cold weather. Moreover, in each state and city the laws are different, and fines reach up to $ 10,000 !!! Sorry, but I personally get out of this ****. Today, drivers earn less than the minimum per hour of work, if you count all the time that they spend on the job. By taxi, at a construction site, workers at the factory earn more in an hour. It’s better I’ll deliver packages on my minivan, without any risk in the winter and without the risk of getting a fine of $ 10,000, sleeping at home and relaxing after work at home !!! Of course I love my job, but I'm not an idiot ...

Good post. I know pizza delivery drivers making more than some long time truckers. Funny what many people will settle for, at least some truck drivers have a brain.
 
In most areas with idle laws you can idle in extreme heat or cold.

You can thank deregulation for the low wages. Deregulation opened up the window for drivers and brokers to underbid eachother. As long as there's people who think making $800 a week is good money, that's what you can expect.

If it wasn't for LTL, I would have left a while ago myself.
Idle? Has no one heard of an apu? Last person I saw asking for apu jobs only got ragged by the old time drivers. My first job had no apu, I'll never go back to that. And I said that 100x on the 800.00, from day 1 as a driver I said 1200.00 is the minimum I will work for take home. Met 10 year drivers settling for 800 a week.
 
Idle? Has no one heard of an apu? Last person I saw asking for apu jobs only got ragged by the old time drivers. My first job had no apu, I'll never go back to that. And I said that 100x on the 800.00, from day 1 as a driver I said 1200.00 is the minimum I will work for take home. Met 10 year drivers settling for 800 a week.
Today, APU costs about $ 20,000. And it often breaks. And repairs are very expensive.
 
Idle? Has no one heard of an apu? Last person I saw asking for apu jobs only got ragged by the old time drivers. My first job had no apu, I'll never go back to that. And I said that 100x on the 800.00, from day 1 as a driver I said 1200.00 is the minimum I will work for take home. Met 10 year drivers settling for 800 a week.
$ 1200 ?! This is normal?
If I earned less than $ 300 a day, this is a bad day. But 300/24 = $ 12.5 per hour. Are you glad about this ?! I still meet experienced drivers who do not count their time.
They get $ 1,200 a week, and they think they earn more than Walmart saleswomen. But a week is 70 hours of work! And it's six nights to sleep in a doghouse. Only working hours is 1200/70 = $ 17 per hour.
 
$ 1200 ?! This is normal?
If I earned less than $ 300 a day, this is a bad day. But 300/24 = $ 12.5 per hour. Are you glad about this ?! I still meet experienced drivers who do not count their time.
They get $ 1,200 a week, and they think they earn more than Walmart saleswomen. But a week is 70 hours of work! And it's six nights to sleep in a doghouse. Only working hours is 1200/70 = $ 17 per hour.
it's not even that really! If I work 70 at a factory, 30 of that is 1 1/2 maybe even x2 depending on the day, factory, if its union ect. That's what I told my planners, if you don't keep me moving, I might as well work at walmart. Fortunately my min guaranteed pay now is 1400.00. It's now in Their best interest to keep me moving.
 
it's not even that really! If I work 70 at a factory, 30 of that is 1 1/2 maybe even x2 depending on the day, factory, if its union ect. That's what I told my planners, if you don't keep me moving, I might as well work at walmart. Fortunately my min guaranteed pay now is 1400.00. It's now in Their best interest to keep me moving.
You are away from home for about 160 hours. So calculate your real value)) It's good to be young ... optimism and maximalism allow you to look past the crap.
 
APU's are extremely costly and not that many carriers want to retrofit a truck with an APU for that reason.
 
You gotta buy the APU too, so.....
Have you actually gone and priced one?


Brand New, with an auxillary shore power power inverter, fully installed thermoking tripac or carrier comfort pro is $13,000 out the door.

You can get low hour used units from them for under $8000 out the door.


And here you knuckleheads are out here spouting shit so far from the truth, it makes one want to puke.

Talk about "unreliable" and breaks down? Please. My bunk heater has been in the truck since January 2014. Since I learned how to properly use it, it's got over 3000 hours on it. When I talked to thermoking about moving it from my 2007 century to the 2016 Volvo I'm buying, they said that's unheard of.


The problem with apu's isn't the unit itself, it's how people operate them.

People wonder why the lack of people posting is so low.

Go back and look at what you post. Like to see anyone who claims they have to actually pay $20,000 for an apu has actually gone into a dealer and actually written a check for that amount or is it coming from joker's sitting at liars counter in a truck stop.
 
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