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Brett says

At the end of the year, I would look at the body of work and ask myself if it was worth it. I'd look at the risks, rewards, responsibilities, and sacrifices and ask myself if I was willing to do it again for another year.

That's it. It was that simple for me. I loved driving big rigs, and I felt they paid me fairly for what they asked me to do.

If you're happy with the money you're making for what they're asking you to do, then what else is there to worry about? If you're unhappy with the money you're making for what they're asking, then you should do something about it.

I'm confused by that statement because that's basically what Banks talked about in a discussion about unions and you were adamant that was the wrong way to live life.

..........I've got news for any men who think this way. It is not ok to allow another man to take advantage of you. It is not ok to allow another man to treat you unfairly. It's not ok for another man to steal the fruits of your labor and force your kids to grow up with very little. Men are meant to be fighters. We're providers and protectors. Stand up and be men and fight! (you too, ladies!)

So do we agree to NOT be compensated or do something about it????

Davy I have no experience running OTR or owning a business but I don't see how buying your own truck would be a better fit. There are companies out there that pay hub miles but most are not your standard OTR jobs. My current gig offers similar additional pay for extra duties in addition to my miles/stops like Banks earns. I've ran an additional 40 miles on a single run due to avoiding backs from construction and was compensated for running those miles no questions asked.

No guarantees things haven't changed but I was talking to a driver for Keane Thummel trucking a few weeks ago that was in a somewhat similar situation a couple years ago and said he'll never leave. They're a 180 truck operation pulling dry van and step decks, percentage pay, and a variety of petes mostly 18 speeds. I personally have not worked there so I can't vouch for how things are run but that driver seemed quite happy.

Keane Thummel careers page

If we are going to spout off "info" it better be correct.

I apologize for sharing information that I've seen discussed here fairly recently from Prime drivers here 🤷‍♂️

Also Prime inc. Website states,among other things,

STEP THREE RECEIVE INSTRUCTION Work 1-on-1 with an instructor while you learn how to drive a semi truck. You’ll get practice with the necessary components of your CDL exam along with experience hauling freight.

STEP FOUR PASS YOUR CDL EXAM Once your training is finished, you’ll return to a Prime training center to take your state CDL exam. Those who pass on their first try will receive a $250 bonus.

Are you really hauling freight if you're just on the pad? Why do you need to return to a training center if you never left?

James, the weekly pay guarantee is now $900/week if you're available for dispatch. Prime Inc also currently requires 50,000 team miles with a trainer during the 2nd phase.

Prime is an excellent company BUT you also go 3-ish weeks with a trainer on the road with your permit without pay. You can get an advance up to $200/week that gets repaid after you have your CDL. After you have your CDL you run teams with a trainer for 40 to 50,000 miles combined earning $700 to $800 a week. Just throwing that out there as you've mentioned your financial situation. Prime has perhaps the longest training programs in the industry and I believe Wilson modeled their program after Prime.

I see Werner also helps get your CDL from your area just be cautious of ANY carrier that mentions any type of DOLLAR account (tree/general/family dollar). CRST does still provide CDL Training at their Cedar Rapids yard. I had several store deliveries in the area Saturday and advertising for it was plentiful.

Did you look into distribution centers (warehouses) in your general vicinity? Often times companies that aren't trucking companies but use trucks to move their own products/goods consistently provide paid CDL training. Think grocery stores, Walmart, auto part stores (NAPA). It's slow for now but even working the dock at an LTL carrier would get your foot in the door

I can't say for certain what's legal, but both local companies I've driven for have paid you hourly for travel time to/from the clinic, and time spent providing the sample. We're sent in a company vehicle OR we can take our personal vehicle and be paid the mileage. DOT physicals however aren't compensated despite being paid for by the company.

Regulations state that every action taken by the employee/driver must lead to them immediately going to the clinic after notification. If your name gets pulled for a random but you're not working that day or otherwise not available the company can wait to notify you until you return to work. OR they under some circumstances even can pull another driver.

Apply everywhere and then compare your offers. It doesn't make sense to only focus on who's paying the most then not get an offer. Besides, you may hear that company XYZ pays a certain amount BUT you're offered more because your location allows you to get on a certain account that pays better. You can use this link to Apply For Truck Driving Jobs. You fill out an application and it's sent to multiple companies. There are many companies not included that hire inexperienced drivers such as Swift, Schneider, CFI, C.R. England, Trans Am and many many more.

At .40 cpm and 2800 miles, it would be a gross of 1,120 per week. Doesn’t sound too bad until you divide $1,120 by 70 hours per week. Then it’s $16 per hour. What does flipping burgers pay per hour?

If it's taking you 70 hours to drive 2800 miles you have bigger problems in my opinion. Even if you only use 63 hours of your 70 for the drive line (giving 7 hours of pre/post, fueling, checking in etc. ) you're averaging 44 1/2 MPH. The last 2 weeks have been very well for me. Looking at my paysheet that I received for last week's check I grossed $2705 for 2292 miles, 33 stops and 5 hours of detention. All my time from when I show up until I go home is either on duty or driving but still only had 55 hours for the week. Last week (this week's check) I had 2610 miles with 33 stops hardly any detention time and still only was at work from 57 hours grossing just shy of $2800. This past week I had 2 days that were 600 mile routes on quite a bit of 2 lane 55 mph roads. These past 2 weeks are the exception and paid much better than normal but even on a normal week I'm over 2000 miles with somewhere around 20 stops around 50 hours off my 70. Due to the type of job I have though each stop is less than 30 minutes 99% of the time. BUT I also have far more time spent on city streets off the highways and by-ways. As a whole though, I agree many drivers aren't paid enough for the sacrifices that go into it. However the nature of the industry doesn't have much wiggle room to increase wages drastically because there will always be someone willing to do it cheaper.

Sharon the point is your husband made a choice to drive. We all have made similar choices and were fortunate nothing happened. With your husband's experienced he should've known that radar and 511 conditions aren't 100% accurate. In a time where getting hot food delivered directly to you, or having access to Uber/Lyft to get you somewhere with food it was just a poor decision to push it to York. Road conditions change all the time. There had to have been clues to the conditions changing that he ignored. So many accidents/incidents in a short time ESPECIALLY with his experience makes me suspect he's too suffering from complacent. From google AI when looking up complacency in Trucking:

Complacency is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies”. The unsafe acts (speeding, multiple lane changes, backing without looking, etc.) may be a result of drivers becoming complacent with their driving habits.

does that sound familiar? We're not dragging your husband for making a choice that he's likely made hundreds of times before to push it. What you're catching flak for trying to minimize the severity of the situations. Rather than taking responsibility you guys are trying to pass the blame. THAT is why he isn't able to land another job. Putting a truck on its side will always be a red flag. However, using excuses to pass the blame will be an even bigger red flag. It shows lack of concern and failure to learn from situations to prevent them from happening again. In his 33 years of experience he should know 511 apps aren't completely accurate all the time. His experience should've had him realize there's absolutely no reason to be doing 70 (or 75 if I remember orignal post correctly) when you're coming up on a storm. I live in Central IA and recall wind being a major problem with that storm in NE. Let's face it. He was going too fast for conditions and instead of ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY for that you guys are throwing all sorts of hail marys out there hoping something sticks. I understand the financial situation but it's the wrong way to go about it. I'm not sure what you suspect the FMCSA to do. Your husband laid a truck on its side. The company made a business decision to part ways. You can be fired at any time for any reason as long as it's not discrimination of a protected class. The ONLY way FMCSA would do anything is if your husband was FORCED to drive in those conditions and was ultimately fired for doing so, or refusing to drive in those conditions when they told him to.

Are you aware we have an excellent training course on flatbed securement? It's absolutely free too. You'll find it in our High Road CDL Training Program.

In addition to using the High Road, don't be afraid to ask other drivers at the shipper for advice. Even though some drivers will criticize your company, many drivers remember what it was like being new and will gladly help if you demonstrate professionalism with a desire to learn. Even if you had a flatbed trainer you'd still struggle initially as its impossible to cover all types of loads. Does W.E. have a number you can call for help with securing loads? I've heard of some doing so elsewhere. As you gain experience you'll see what does and does not work with securement and tarping. As long as your load is getting there intact safely you're doing great. The speed and efficiency will come with time. In regards to the overweight ticket do you understand why you received it or how to fix it in the future? Don't be afraid to jump in here with any questions regarding securement HOWEVER we have a much smaller community than you may find on Facebook or Reddit if you're into those groups. Overall I feel the information and advice provided in this forum are better, but with our smaller community it may take longer to get a response which isn't necessarily a good thing when trying to secure a load.

Have you looked at this thread about the Variety of freight our members have hauled? Don't be afraid to jump in!

What else will you do on your own time? Will you use your fuel card on your own time?

When you're logged off duty do you do anything work related? Do you scope out the shipper/receiver or read reviews? Do you look at your equipment? When you're broken down on the side of the road are you logged on duty the entire time? Those are work related activities.

Nearly all drivers are guilty of log falsification to an extent. Go to any large DC and you'll see drivers going the 2 mph crawl to stay off duty. Log the way you feel comfortable as you're ultimately responsible. My employer calls me daily while I'm off duty to choose my route for the following day. That's work related, yet DOT doesn't require us to log it on duty.

When I go to my primary doctor my blood pressure is good. However when I go for my DOT Physical it's frequently on the edge of what's acceptable. In the event it comes back too high they'll have you lay down for roughly 5 minutes with the lights off to relax. Unless it is very high you may be given either a 1 year card or a one time 3 month card.

I have sleep apnea and use CPAP so I'm stuck with yearly physicals but I still get anxious knowing that I may be told I can't drive anymore. Speaking of which, if you're a bigger guy you may get forced to do a sleep study for sleep apnea. Many doctors (and companies) screen drivers due to BMI or neck size. My advice is just relax. Worst case scenario you're told you need to get blood pressure meds to lower it which would be very beneficial for your health if your BP is too high.