Profile For Suicide Jockey

Many folks are getting a bit starstruck by that $170k number, and overlooking the words accompanying it.

"Full-time drivers will make around $170,000 in annual pay and benefits by the end of the five year contract."

That does not mean they are being paid $170k at all. Their total compensation and benefits package will total around $170k. And that's by the end of a five year contract.

Last year was my first full year with my company. My total compensation including pay and benefits totaled $166k. I made $101k with $5k in unused vacation time paid out to total $106k pay. Health and Retirement benefits made up the rest.

So using those numbers as a rough comparison, I'd expect full-time UPS drivers to make in the realm of $100k-$110k after 5 years. Their Health and Retirement benefits value pushing total compensation up around the $170k mark.

Hope you got this looked at.

I also drive a 2023 Mack Anthem daycab. It too had steer axle alignment issues causing it to pull left and right. My slip seater and I insisted it be sent out for an alignment, and the alignment solved the pulling issue.

Now if only the dealer could solve the persistent ABS system errors...

As reported it seems the driver took an exit to fast and rolled over. The remains have not been positively identified, but are believed to be the driver.

Excerpt from another article below:

The tanker truck, carrying 8,500 of gasoline, attempted to navigate a left-hand turn after exiting at the Cottman Avenue offramp of I-95, according to officials. Losing control through its turn, the tanker fell on its side and ruptured its own tank, according to Carroll. Once ignited, the fuel burned at a high enough heat to structurally compromise the concrete and steel I-beans of the overpass.

Have seen plenty of instances where they have. Topics like that generally have high engagement for a while, but eventually traffic slows and the topic sinks into obscurity.

Fuel hauling in my area hasn't slowed. If anything we are getting busier thanks to the warmer weather and increased traffic at our beach stores.

We also have some new guys in training and have a couple more about to be hired.

I'm a bit rusty on PC regs since my current job doesn't permit PC usage at all. But I don't believe using PC while still trying to get to the receiver was the proper choice. Your in a lose / lose situation since you ran out of hours in traffic, but I would have remained in on duty driving status as you are still currently moving the load to it's destination.

Once delivery complete I would have completely disregarded the need for a washout, as moving towards a washout should be done on duty driving, not on PC. Instead I would only concern myself with finding safe parking. That truck stop in Kearny never has parking, so I'd suggest the Vince Lombardi travel plaza a short distance north as the closest and best bet for parking.

Normally after I delivered in North Bergen and didn't have a preplan I would always PC to the Petro in Bordentown to rest. I never failed to find parking and they have a Blue Beacon on site once I had completed my rest break.

I am local as well. To add to Bobcats post, real truckers pull 2 trailers, sometimes 3😁😁😁.

But seriously, going local as a rookie is tough, I know cause I’m doing it. You will be on tight roads with lots of stop and go traffic and also have to back the trailer many times per day into some pretty tight docks and off the street sometimes. I had 25+ years of driving with and backing utility and dump trailers in the landscaping field before getting my CDL. I truly believe that my prior experience and understanding of how trailers react and move in reverse is what made it possible

Harumph I say! Real truckers fully load and unload their own trailers multiple time a day. They also pull tankers full of liquids that go kaboom when mishandled!

Of course I'm just playing.

I started out OTR and now haul fuel "locally". (I drive more miles locally than I did OTR...)

Most people start out OTR but there are drivers from many parts of the industry here to answer questions and give perspective.

First full year in fuel hauling. Working nights and weekends. Had a couple weeks unpaid time off. Finished the year grossing $106,437.

As a former OTR driver and current local driver I can confirm most of what Kearsy says. I'm home every day, but I don't see much of my wife and kids on workdays. Since I work nights I end up sleeping away half on my first day off. But I'm also home every day to help my wife with things she can't handle on her own, whereas OTR whenever she really needed my help I was usually 2000 miles away.

OTR it was often a shock how much my kids had changed in the month or two I was away, and I felt like I was missing so much. Now as a local driver I may not see them that much, but I usually see them briefly every day. The flip side to that is as an OTR driver I was able to take many longer stints of time off and turn them into family trips. I can't do that nearly as often as a local driver.

I've never worked a 6th workday as a local driver. By the end of my 5th day I usually only have 5 hours remaining on my 70, not worth coming in another day for that. But I did very well even without working any extra. I grossed 106k this my first full year hauling fuel, and thats considerably more than I was making OTR, but I worked my tail off to earn it.

I think the "quality" time versus "quantity" time is something to truly consider. Many of my friends say they felt like they had more time with family as OTR than home weekends/daily.

Already at work before kids go to school, just getting home as they are headed to bed. Working a 6th day to make up more money, then wanting to sleep on the 7th. Or home on Fri night and exhausted after driving 600 miles. Go to bed, then stay up all day Saturday and and Saturday night so you can sleep late Sunday to leave at 3pm Sunday. Not much quality time. As OTR your entire home time is concentrated on family.

One thing to consider with Roehl, the home time offers sound great, but you need to take the $ into account. The more home time, the less pay. One of Roehl's drivers came in here complaining he only made $35,000 his first year. BUT... He did 7 days on 7 days off. So if he actually worked a whole year, rather than 6 months of the year, he would have made $70,000. But somehow Roehl was evil for his "low pay". 😂

Anyone remember that guy?

Amarillo one of the easier cities in the country to find a cat scale.

This was a couple seconds on the Trucker Path app. Most truck gps and even the Cat scale app would locate the just as quickly.