ABF_FREIGHTHAULER
Well-Known Member
Before I start I'd like to put forward that I'm a member of the Teamsters union. I'm not trying to push my opinions on anybody. Also I'm not in total agreement with everything that is in our contract. As a matter of fact I probably give up close to a thousand dollars a year by not charging my employer for all that I could, just because I don't agree with certain work rules.
Where I see that being a member of a union helps, is with driver pay. Not only the typical mileage pay but pay for all work performed. Also employees of other companies that aren't union benefit by their employers keeping wages at or near union scale. This is evident by the fact that more than a couple non union ltl companies cut their workers pay and retirement contributions after the largest union ltl carrier asked for and recieved wage concessions by their workers.
Where I see that a union presence could help the industry is in the TL segment. I talk to drivers and have read comments from drivers on this forum about the way they're treated and compensated that makes me feel this way. Also I've dealt with similar treatment at one of my previous employers. The wages that a lot of these large carriers are paying are unacceptable to me. The treatment of drivers by these companies is disturbing also. Promises are being broken when it comes to home time and delay pay among many other things. Too many companies are forcing drivers to break the law when it come to the HOS regulations. And maybe the most disturbing thing to me, is the pay and treatment of new drivers to the industry.
Now on to the changes that I think that more of a union presence could help bring. First is the mileage pay for drivers. No driver should be behind the wheel for less than .35 per mile. If carriers would just stop trying to cut each others throat buy slashing their rates and hauling freight for almost nothing it could help a lot with getting pay up for drivers. Drivers should be compensated for all on the job duties performed. There is no reason a driver couldn't be paid a flat amount for fueling the employers truck, somewhere between $5 & $7 dollars sounds fair to me. Drivers should be given hourly compensation for break down pay, and not have to give up an hour or two before being paid. After all it's not the drivers truck that broke down its the employers. Drivers should be paid for all delay time spent at the shipper or receiver if they make their appointment time. When I pulled flat bed I'd spend hours on end waiting to get loaded or unloaded with out a nickel of delay pay and that would frustrate me to no end. Any tarping, chaining or load securement duties performed, a driver should be compensated for. And any time spent laying over waiting for dispatch instructions should be paid unless the driver is on his ten hour break. Also if a company makes home time promises there should be a penalty paid if those promises are broken.
It isn't that I'm just all about being pro union (I'm really not) its just that I don't see these types of changes getting made in the industry without the assistance of a union. Im pretty sure that my employer wouldn't be paying the same wages if they weren't collectively bargained and I doubt the non union companies would be paying what they are in the ltl segment if there wasn't the possibility of their employees voting a union in. I think if just one major trucking company voted for union representation it would drive up compensation for all the others too.
I know there are plenty of people with strong opinions about this topic and I look forward to hearing your responses. All I ask is that we try and keep it civil. My goal posting this isn't necessarily to promote unions it's to try and get ideas on how to make the industry better for all drivers, I just think that unions may be the answer for trucking specifically.
Where I see that being a member of a union helps, is with driver pay. Not only the typical mileage pay but pay for all work performed. Also employees of other companies that aren't union benefit by their employers keeping wages at or near union scale. This is evident by the fact that more than a couple non union ltl companies cut their workers pay and retirement contributions after the largest union ltl carrier asked for and recieved wage concessions by their workers.
Where I see that a union presence could help the industry is in the TL segment. I talk to drivers and have read comments from drivers on this forum about the way they're treated and compensated that makes me feel this way. Also I've dealt with similar treatment at one of my previous employers. The wages that a lot of these large carriers are paying are unacceptable to me. The treatment of drivers by these companies is disturbing also. Promises are being broken when it comes to home time and delay pay among many other things. Too many companies are forcing drivers to break the law when it come to the HOS regulations. And maybe the most disturbing thing to me, is the pay and treatment of new drivers to the industry.
Now on to the changes that I think that more of a union presence could help bring. First is the mileage pay for drivers. No driver should be behind the wheel for less than .35 per mile. If carriers would just stop trying to cut each others throat buy slashing their rates and hauling freight for almost nothing it could help a lot with getting pay up for drivers. Drivers should be compensated for all on the job duties performed. There is no reason a driver couldn't be paid a flat amount for fueling the employers truck, somewhere between $5 & $7 dollars sounds fair to me. Drivers should be given hourly compensation for break down pay, and not have to give up an hour or two before being paid. After all it's not the drivers truck that broke down its the employers. Drivers should be paid for all delay time spent at the shipper or receiver if they make their appointment time. When I pulled flat bed I'd spend hours on end waiting to get loaded or unloaded with out a nickel of delay pay and that would frustrate me to no end. Any tarping, chaining or load securement duties performed, a driver should be compensated for. And any time spent laying over waiting for dispatch instructions should be paid unless the driver is on his ten hour break. Also if a company makes home time promises there should be a penalty paid if those promises are broken.
It isn't that I'm just all about being pro union (I'm really not) its just that I don't see these types of changes getting made in the industry without the assistance of a union. Im pretty sure that my employer wouldn't be paying the same wages if they weren't collectively bargained and I doubt the non union companies would be paying what they are in the ltl segment if there wasn't the possibility of their employees voting a union in. I think if just one major trucking company voted for union representation it would drive up compensation for all the others too.
I know there are plenty of people with strong opinions about this topic and I look forward to hearing your responses. All I ask is that we try and keep it civil. My goal posting this isn't necessarily to promote unions it's to try and get ideas on how to make the industry better for all drivers, I just think that unions may be the answer for trucking specifically.