Percentage Pay Versus Mileage Pay

Topic 10485 | Page 1

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MY HIGHWAY OR NO WAY's Comment
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I'm trying to gain more insight on which is the better of pay out of percentage and mileage pay. Can anyone please help me out with this and also does anyone know which states I would be running if I were to join TMC transportation I live in Atlanta, Georgia.

Brett Aquila's Comment
member avatar

Here's a ton of information about TMC Transport including their hiring areas and operating areas.

I personally hate the idea of percentage pay because it's what I call a "black box" - you really don't know what's going on inside that box. They're going to tell you how much a load pays and then pay you a percentage of that. Talk about a huge conflict of interest, right? Sure would be easy for them to skim off the top and you'd have no way of knowing. So I always preferred mileage pay.

I know a lot of people at TMC use percentage pay because the company pushes it hard, for obvious reasons in my book. So people figure, "Oh, I'll make more if I take percentage pay." But how would that make any sense? Why would a company pay you more to do it one way than the other? Why would they prefer to pay you a percentage and then increase their own labor costs by doing so? Isn't one of their main goals to cut labor costs? Of course. So the idea that they'll pay you more using percentage makes no sense.

What I would do if given the choice is start out with mileage pay but ask dispatch to give me the percentage figure for each load and see how it works out. It should work out about the same. Ask them ahead of time what the requirements are for switching from one type of pay to another.

And if you get the chance, ask them why they would pay more using percentage than using mileage. I know they have a sales pitch for that but I haven't heard it. I'd like to know what they say.

OWI:

Operating While Intoxicated

MY HIGHWAY OR NO WAY's Comment
member avatar

Thanks for such great advice sir, that really makes a lot of sense to me. More than likely I will be attending CT Transport School in Springfield Missouri unless I go ahead and pay for my own CDL school training here in Atlanta, Georgia and just go with McElroy Truck Lines. Do you have any good advice on getting CDL permit? I'm studying for my CDL permit I just started studying my Georgia CDL manual last night. It just all seems like so much to memorize.

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Brett Aquila's Comment
member avatar

Oh my friend we're here to save the day! Use our High Road Training Program. It has the CDL manual built right in but breaks it down into small chunks with review questions at the end of each section. It will also keep recycling review questions throughout the program to help reinforce materials you learned in previous pages.

Here is how our High Road breaks down:

To Get Your CDL Permit:

  • Rules & Regulations
  • Driving Safely
  • Transporting Cargo Safely
  • Air Brakes
  • Combination Vehicles
  • Pre-Trip Inspection
  • Driving Exam

To get your CDL endorsements which are optional but highly recommend:

  • Transporting Passengers
  • Doubles And Triples
  • Tankers
  • Hazardous Materials

Two sections we've built ourselves with info you'll need for everyday life on the road:

  • Logbook
  • Weight & Balance

Two sections for anyone considering flatbed:

  • Cargo Securement
  • New York State Coil Endorsement

Pre-trip Inspection:

A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.

Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

Logbook:

A written or electronic record of a driver's duty status which must be maintained at all times. The driver records the amount of time spent driving, on-duty not driving, in the sleeper berth, or off duty. The enforcement of the Hours Of Service Rules (HOS) are based upon the entries put in a driver's logbook.

Combination Vehicle:

A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.

Doubles:

Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.

MY HIGHWAY OR NO WAY's Comment
member avatar

So I would be much better off reading this vs reading my Georgia CDL manual? Also do you think it will be hard for me to learn how to drive a 10 speed manual shift truck I have never driven anything manual shift.

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Brett Aquila's Comment
member avatar

So I would be much better off reading this vs reading my Georgia CDL manual?

Absolutely. Our program is based off the Illinois manual simply because it was the most thorough of all of the state manuals but 98% of the various state manuals are identical. So you can read through your Georgia manual if you like but it's not necessary. If you use nothing but The High Road you'll get awesome scores on your exams and you'll retain the information far better than simply reading through the manual.

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Brett Aquila's Comment
member avatar
Also do you think it will be hard for me to learn how to drive a 10 speed manual shift truck I have never driven anything manual shift.

Forgot to address this. Shifting is always a struggle for everyone in the beginning but you'll get it just fine. Having prior experience shifting a 4 wheeler is often times more of a burden than a help because shifting a big rig is quite a bit different than a 4 wheeler. So you normally have to drop some bad habits and learn new methods if you have prior shifting experience. You'll pick it up just fine.

MY HIGHWAY OR NO WAY's Comment
member avatar

I am definitely finished reading my Georgia CDL manual as of today. What advice would you give I'm going through a company sponsored training program?

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

Company Sponsored Training:

A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.

The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.

If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.

Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.

Errol V.'s Comment
member avatar

I am definitely finished reading my Georgia CDL manual as of today. What advice would you give I'm going through a company sponsored training program?

New Man, you can read manuals (usually as dry as dust) or work through the High Road Training Program. You didn't mention that you looked into the High Road system. The Program is interactive. If you have problems with a concept, the High Road program will work you through it with additional questions all the while bringing up review questions so you don't forget things.

Most people who study through the High Road program will ace the CDL test.

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

Company Sponsored Training:

A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.

The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.

If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.

Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.

Dave D. (Armyman)'s Comment
member avatar

Percentage Pay usually does NOT pay "dead head" miles, unless it is over a certain amount of miles.

Dave

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