Help Me Help A Friend

I went through training with a man I became good friends with. Frankly, he was the top student in our class that started out with 12 students but graduated only 4. We’ve kept in touch but he’s really struggling with his pay. He has a family and he hasn’t made what he was told to expect so he’s having a hard time supporting his family.

I just talked to him tonight. He had no accidents and a top rating on the company metrics. He is doing much better than me, yet I’ve received a pay raise and he hasn’t. He’s been driving solo on a regional account since January but is thinking about jumping ship to another company. Any ideas on how I can encourage him?

If he's driving for Schneider, I became friends with two guys during orientation that is having similar experiences driving regional. Not entirely sure if it's their fault or something else since my experience is completely different.

Unless the regional position is giving you a guaranteed salary if you meet the "quota"? You're gonna make squat. Even meeting the quota can be a problem. You're not likely to get enough miles to make it worthwhile earning whatever cents per mile.

You've read plenty on here to guide him. But remember it's his choice to make. Don't want to give someone advise that ends up aggravating the situation & you'll be the scapegoat at the end.

Unless the regional position is giving you a guaranteed salary if you meet the "quota"? You're gonna make squat. Even meeting the quota can be a problem. You're not likely to get enough miles to make it worthwhile earning whatever cents per mile.

I cannot understand what you guys are talking about. Regional jobs can really be great. What is the problem you guys have with them? Understanding how to be productive is always key to your success out here. We've got another thread going where people are whining about not making enough money because they're stuck in the Northeast. I make way more money than the "average" driver, and I spend most of my time in the Northeast!

The key to making money in trucking has very little to do with your job, your company, or your area. You've got to figure out how to be above average - you've got to be productive. You can't lay the blame for below average performance on anybody else - you are in charge of your productivity, not your dispatcher , not your company. I wish I had more time to deal with this subject, but I've got to get on the road. Hopefully some of you will respond and I can jump back in here later.

Unless the regional position is giving you a guaranteed salary if you meet the "quota"? You're gonna make squat. Even meeting the quota can be a problem. You're not likely to get enough miles to make it worthwhile earning whatever cents per mile.

I cannot understand what you guys are talking about. Regional jobs can really be great. What is the problem you guys have with them? Understanding how to be productive is always key to your success out here. We've got another thread going where people are whining about not making enough money because they're stuck in the Northeast. I make way more money than the "average" driver, and I spend most of my time in the Northeast!

The key to making money in trucking has very little to do with your job, your company, or your area. You've got to figure out how to be above average - you've got to be productive. You can't lay the blame for below average performance on anybody else - you are in charge of your productivity, not your dispatcher , not your company. I wish I had more time to deal with this subject, but I've got to get on the road. Hopefully some of you will respond and I can jump back in here later.

Old School, I'm specifically referring to Prime's SE regional & what I was told by my FM. If you're a L/O or O/O & you get high paying loads then you can do great. As a company driver, you're just not going to get enough miles to make the kind of money we make OTR.

Also, being a seasoned pro like yourself will allow one certain insights & privilege that a solid relationship with a FM brings & avoiding delays that I'm still learning to avoid. A shipper or receiver that you interact with regularly is more accommodating than ones you see once, maybe twice your whole life out here.

That said, Knight's sliding scale pay structure helps when getting lots of shorties. Maybe Knight has many more accounts in certain areas than Prime. We just lost a huge account in the SE. Maybe that's why Prime suspended hiring in CA, GA & FL.

Totally concur with Old School’s reply.

I love this quote from Bruce...

Frankly, he was the top student in our class that started out with 12 students but graduated only 4.

...because it has no relevance. “Frankly” his top ranking enabled him to get a CDL , exact same one as you have. Same value, it’s a ticket to the show...that’s all it is.

Like Old School, Jeremy and probably a few others, I thrive in the NorthEast. I am always busy because there is an incredible amount of commerce transacted in this geography. It’s there for the taking...

A professional driver learns to play the hand they are dealt and perform. Your friend has very little experience and like so many hold the company responsible for their performance. Way more to this job than driving Bruce...you’ve only experienced the tip of the iceberg.

If you want to really help your friend and he actually wants the help; suggest he join the forum. There are plenty of resources in Trucking Truth he can leverage to eventually Become a Top Tier Driver.

Bruce there is a ton of information relevant to this very subject in the blog section of Trucking Truth. The link I provided is just one such article that should be required reading for every rookie driver. Once a driver has the CDL and is solo, that’s when the real learning begins. And it will never end.

Encourage your friend to join. It will do him a world of good.

Truth Bomb INCOMING!!!!

The key to making money in trucking has very little to do with your job, your company, or your area. You've got to figure out how to be above average - you've got to be productive. You can't lay the blame for below average performance on anybody else - you are in charge of your productivity, not your dispatcher , not your company. I wish I had more time to deal with this subject, but I've got to get on the road. Hopefully some of you will respond and I can jump back in here later.

Is Old School a LeaseOp Driver? or O/O now?

Maybe I missed something, but I was pretty sure he's a company driver...

Unless the regional position is giving you a guaranteed salary if you meet the "quota"? You're gonna make squat. Even meeting the quota can be a problem. You're not likely to get enough miles to make it worthwhile earning whatever cents per mile.

Old School, I'm specifically referring to Prime's SE regional & what I was told by my FM. If you're a L/O or O/O & you get high paying loads then you can do great. As a company driver, you're just not going to get enough miles to make the kind of money we make OTR.

Also, being a seasoned pro like yourself will allow one certain insights & privilege that a solid relationship with a FM brings & avoiding delays that I'm still learning to avoid. A shipper or receiver that you interact with regularly is more accommodating than ones you see once, maybe twice your whole life out here.

That said, Knight's sliding scale pay structure helps when getting lots of shorties. Maybe Knight has many more accounts in certain areas than Prime. We just lost a huge account in the SE. Maybe that's why Prime suspended hiring in CA, GA & FL.

Is Old School a LeaseOp Driver? or O/O now?

No, he's not an owner operator or lease driver.

Splitter was just trying to explain his theories about why a regional driver can't make a lot of money. Of course G-Town stays within a very small region of the country, and he's in the Northeast and makes about as much as any driver you'll find anywhere. Old School runs the Northeast all the time and makes a killing. We have drivers getting home every night running LTL that probably make more than anyone out there, period. And, in fact, the most money I ever made driving a truck was with a regional job on the Dollar Tree account for US Xpress where I was home every single weekend without fail and spent all of my time in the Northeast.

This industry is full of theories about who makes money, and who doesn't, but none of them hold water. You can make a killing in any type of job if you're a top tier driver and it helps tremendously if you stick with the same company for several years. If you're not a top tier driver or you're job hopping you're not going to make nearly as much money, but you'll have plenty of free time to come up with excuses why others are doing so well and you're not.

In the end it always comes down to driver performance. Only the top performing drivers seem to believe this, though.

Jrod asked:

Is Old School a LeaseOp Driver? or O/O now?

Maybe I missed something, but I was pretty sure he's a company driver...

With zero hesitation...

he** no!

OS is a Knight Transportation Company flatbed driver dedicated to Sapa.