If you could change one thing about the trucking industry, what would it be?

Mike

Well-Known Member
Let's face it. This is an industry that could use a large amount of improvement. Drivers are faced with a tough lifestyle, and rather than looking for ways to make it better on drivers, we are instead faced with constant proposals to make it harder on us.

Activist groups want stricter rules on our "hours of service", but where is there anybody pushing for us to be payed better for our time spent working? If you want drivers to quit falsifying logs, pay them better for their time. Othewise, we have to spend more time working to make a living.

The list goes on and on, but if you could change one thing, what would it be, and what would you do to make it better?
 
Being a dispatcher I would change that before the get a CDL they must learn English and be able to speak it somewhat fluently. I can not tell you how many truckers I have spoken to that can not speak English.
 
Being a dispatcher I would change that before the get a CDL they must learn English and be able to speak it somewhat fluently. I can not tell you how many truckers I have spoken to that can not speak English.

I was a dispatcher for a small company and boy let me tell you.. There are so many out there who can't even say "no English" ... I too agree. I actually quit my dispatching job because I felt so terrible for the truckers driving for the company. They were only paid 25% of the load pay... NO MUCH AT ALL!! So, I would say that I think that there should be a standard starting pay.. Say all truckers get at least 40% of the load.. and those who get paid by the mile.. my husband worked for a measly 28cents a mile... GEEZ considering how much the company is making off the driver I think that they should legally be bound to pay the driver MORE than what they make.. I mean they can't make the money without the driver so it only seems fair.. And, I point out again, I am only a driver's wife but I do believe that.. I mean I know that they have their expenses and what not but we all know that they could afford to pay all drivers more..and lets face it.. driver's work longer hours than any other profession! How many technicians etc. do you know that can work 28 days straight and not get a two day weekend?
 
I am split... I think making the HOS a 'law' not just regulations that CRASH and every other do-gooder group can sue about. Just when I got use to the new hours, now they may be changing again. Make it a law, whatever the rules end up being, and let us do our job. Stats show that we are at the safest per million miles since they started counting. And according to the NTSB's own figures, 75% of fatality accidents between passenger cars and commercial trucks are the fault of the passenger car. Changing the hours is like changing pilots rules because 75% of plane crashes are caused by mechanical failure.

The other side of being split is I think dispatchers and planners should have to ride along for a week or two with a driver to get a feel of what we have to go thru out here.

I can't make up my mind. Let me call my wife, she'll tell me which one to chose.:D
 
I am split... I think making the HOS a 'law' not just regulations that CRASH and every other do-gooder group can sue about. Just when I got use to the new hours, now they may be changing again. Make it a law, whatever the rules end up being, and let us do our job. Stats show that we are at the safest per million miles since they started counting. And according to the NTSB's own figures, 75% of fatality accidents between passenger cars and commercial trucks are the fault of the passenger car. Changing the hours is like changing pilots rules because 75% of plane crashes are caused by mechanical failure.

The other side of being split is I think dispatchers and planners should have to ride along for a week or two with a driver to get a feel of what we have to go thru out here.

I can't make up my mind. Let me call my wife, she'll tell me which one to chose.:D

Then propose to keep the HOS regs as they are now and build 4 wheeling inspection stations in every other state. All tourists and 4 wheeling motorists should have to keep a daily log of ALL their activities. And in an accident, they must provide this log and falsification could result in jail time and/or termination of their drivers license.

They should only be allowed to operate 10 hours of driving per day before taking a 10 hour break.

Surely this will never happen, but the last count I read, there was 3 million trucks on the road in the US. The Census in the US is currently 300 million +, So the volume of cars vs trucks is a huge difference. It's obvious to me that the regulations are aimed at the wrong type of vehicles. But what do I know, Im just an opinionated truck driver.
 
Let's face it. This is an industry that could use a large amount of improvement. Drivers are faced with a tough lifestyle, and rather than looking for ways to make it better on drivers, we are instead faced with constant proposals to make it harder on us.

Activist groups want stricter rules on our "hours of service", but where is there anybody pushing for us to be payed better for our time spent working? If you want drivers to quit falsifying logs, pay them better for their time. Othewise, we have to spend more time working to make a living.

The list goes on and on, but if you could change one thing, what would it be, and what would you do to make it better?

Sorry, I have to disagree. Some drivers would not change no matter how much you pay them. In fact I think it they got more per hour/mile they would even cheat more on their logs.

If you make a okay living now and you cheat some, wouldn't you like more money? Sure, now you make a good living... Then they think well, I could fudge my logs a bit more and make a great income, wouldn't they do it? Sure most people in any job would.

I think areas away from pay should be changed. I know most local companies have crap for health insurance. They could upgrade that. Too many of my friends go diabetic and have heart attacks from the unhealthly lifestlye and bad insurance. I mean who wants to run hard all week and then spend it all on a couple of doctor visits?
 
I would change, as I have posted elsewhere, the minimum wage laws. I would insist on a base pay and then miles. Many truckers get no delay time, breakdown pay etc. When you break it down, many are working for far less than minimum wage.
 
Drivers worked way less than minimum wage. Baby sitters making more money. Shame on truck driver, that can`t get along. My truck sitter base on long haul is about $ 4.00 /hour. Don't tell me you are making money. I wish government pay me back for my licence. Parking problem is another story.
 
Drivers should get pay by the hour + overtime(not mileage) get pay for meals not from own pocket(long haul). Extra for weekend(overtime). Owner operator should paid, like heavy equip. by the hour too. I know you think I`m crazy, but this is only way to get
normal job. Check this, I was broke down in Bakersfield, CA-EGR valve. Called all services, and guess what Cummins West in Bakersfield just to look it my truck Friday night 740.00 dollars service call. So tell me where is sense. Who is making money. Fuel surcharge for drivers 200/300 dollars from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL with
rates for loads from 1990, but I paid for diesel in 1990-- $ 420.00 today $ 1550.00.
 
going on salary would be a good idea. i have done that and i liked it. i think every driver should have weekends off and holidays with family. :cool:
 
Yeah! Drivers should be on salary!!! So should garbage truck drivers, every McDonalds employee, the girls at the fuel desk, truck washers, and every other person who did not think it was important to finish school, get their degree, or go into a skilled profession! I mean really, it's not fair that just because someone else chose to delay going into the workforce to get educated so they could excel in a specific job should get paid a salary, is it?

People who get put on salary are usually the ones you want to make sure stay working for you. If you bitch about not getting paid for the ten extra miles you drove or going to get washed out and didn't get paid for it, you're not going to get put on salary. If you whine about that kind of thing, what will you say when you are on salary and your boss expects you to stay late and not get paid, come in on Sunday to fix someone else's mistake, etc. and not get paid.

Bitching about not getting paid for everything you do, and then saying you should be on salary is like saying "It's hot in here, you should turn up the heat."
 
If truck drivers were put on salary, that would virtually eliminate the pressure to falsify logs. Interesting concept.
 
Hej! Payroll dept you think you`re only one educated. Go and check drivers files, and you will be surprise. Computer science deg. engineers etc. We talking here about job not education.
 
Payroll dept! do you know in Europe there is no truck on the road from FRIDAY 6:00 PM until SUNDAY MIDNIGHT.
 
Yeah! Drivers should be on salary!!! So should garbage truck drivers, every McDonalds employee, the girls at the fuel desk, truck washers, and every other person who did not think it was important to finish school, get their degree, or go into a skilled profession! I mean really, it's not fair that just because someone else chose to delay going into the workforce to get educated so they could excel in a specific job should get paid a salary, is it?

People who get put on salary are usually the ones you want to make sure stay working for you. If you bitch about not getting paid for the ten extra miles you drove or going to get washed out and didn't get paid for it, you're not going to get put on salary. If you whine about that kind of thing, what will you say when you are on salary and your boss expects you to stay late and not get paid, come in on Sunday to fix someone else's mistake, etc. and not get paid.

Bitching about not getting paid for everything you do, and then saying you should be on salary is like saying "It's hot in here, you should turn up the heat."


sounds like another whiney person who knows everything about nothing. until you walk/drive in a drivers life don't judge. the most unintelligent people i have met in my life are the one's who try to sound/act smart and talk about things they have no clue. your sitting behind a desk, pushing a pencil and you have no clue what driving really is. according to you drivers are nothing but stupid monkeys behind the wheel. :cool:
 
Hej! Payroll dept you think you`re only one educated. Go and check drivers files, and you will be surprise. Computer science deg. engineers etc. We talking here about job not education.

No, I do not think I am the only educated one, nor did I say that. I know there are drivers who ARE educated and could be doing something else for a living. Difference is, those people typically aren't the whiners. It's the drivers who are not qualified to do anything else that whine about their jobs.

If truck drivers were put on salary, that would virtually eliminate the pressure to falsify logs. Interesting concept.

Yes it would. It would also create the need for more drivers because there would be no incentive to drive more miles. This would lower driver pay, because the companies would need more drivers to accomplish the same amount of freight movements, and we all know companies aren't going to pay more wages to get the same amount of revenue for loads.

Payroll dept! do you know in Europe there is no truck on the road from FRIDAY 6:00 PM until SUNDAY MIDNIGHT.

So what. Is Europe better than the U.S.? I don't think so. But if you do, maybe you should look into moving there.

sounds like another whiney person who knows everything about nothing. until you walk/drive in a drivers life don't judge. the most unintelligent people i have met in my life are the one's who try to sound/act smart and talk about things they have no clue. your sitting behind a desk, pushing a pencil and you have no clue what driving really is. according to you drivers are nothing but stupid monkeys behind the wheel. :cool:

First, I never claimed to know everything.
Second, you wrongly assume I have never driven.
Third, you say the most "unintelligent people" you "have met", and then you start your next next sentence without capitalizing the first word of the sentence, and you misspelled "your". It should be "You're", as in the contraction for YOU ARE. At least spell and punctuate correctly before you go telling someone else they are "unintelligent."
Fourth, I never said drivers are "stupid monkeys behind the wheel."

I appreciate the sacrifices drivers make once they become drivers. Long days, sitting for hours, being away from family and home. My point is that most drivers would not be drivers if they were qualified to do something else and still make the money they make. But THEY did not help themselves by foregoing college or training in a field that requires it. Instead, they took the EASY road, started driving as soon as they could, and started making money right away. That put them ahead (money-wise) of people who chose to spend more time in school or training, who were making no money. Then, the further trained/educated person finishes school or training and gets their job, and immediately makes a higher rate of pay then a driver, and that difference continues to grow as time passes. Then the guy who took the easy path (the driver) complains that it's not fair. This is America and we all have the same opportunities. The whiners will continue to whine while those who TRY will eventually succeed and become successful.

No one is making any of you be truck drivers. If it's that bad, change industries. But you won't. You'll keep hopping from job to job in the hopes that you'll find a place that pays more money for less work with more home time and cheap benefits. I'll save you all some time; it's not out there. McDonald's is the same as Burger King and Swift is the same as JB Hunt. DRIVERS are what make the difference at a company and until you each individually CHOOSE to change how you operate, we're all stuck in the same boat you're on here complaining about.
 
If I could change one thing.....

I would get rid of company trucks completely, and go to an industry fully comprised of owner operators.

More profit for the driver and their small business, and no need for HR and PAYROLL people to make money off of the work that I do out here.
 
Changes??

How about root changes. We used to somewhat stick together. Now u can't get three truckers to agree about the weather while standing in the rain. Just suppose we stuck together for once....... Maybe we could be truckers not loader and unloaders. Maybe if we divided our gross pay into our 70 hrs in 8 days it would come out to more than 14 dollars an hour. Maybe a 130 Percent turnover wouldn't be the norm. I think things have changed for the better. The tractors are more user friendly. Companys have increased benefits (Health and Life). And Entry level drivers are getting at least some training. Mine was OJT. Sure loved my first night drive down Mont Eagle in a COE. How about letting the "Old Farts" help with advice. While we all fight with each other some-one is getting rich off our hard work. The last time I came down thru the "windy" and tried to give a driver some directions for his delivery, my CB rang with "Shut up stupid". So I have. But...I now train new drivers and I am straight up with them. Lots of hard lonely work with rewards the driver has to rate. Is it all worth it? Was to me. The change we need is Team Work. This includes Dispatch, Fleet Maint.,Terminal Mgrs, Safety Dept. and Payroll.
Most of all the individuals behind the wheel.
 

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