Thoughts On Overtime Pay

Turtle mentioned Walmart also uses some sort of average daily pay for vacation hours.

Yes, they go back over your previous 6 months and average out your daily gross pay. Paid time off is paid at that average daily pay.

Once again Kerry you have no idea what the heck you're talking about. Some companies DO pay OT after 8 hours a day. Many local jobs DO pay OT. I love that you think it needs to be approved. I'm typically over 40 hours within 3 days as an hourly driver. It's cheaper for trucking companies to pay the OT than it is to buy additional equipment to keep drivers under 40 hours. Trucking is nothing like any other industry you've worked before. Personally I won't work for an outfit that pays hourly but won't pay me overtime unless that flat rate is quite generous. My current job had an option to make a flat $30 an hour for all hours or like $23 an hour with OT after 40 when i started. Made more money with the $30 but now with raises I'm at $27 and make more on OT as long as i get around 52 hours a week or so.

If you don't know what you're talking about please just refrain from commenting.

It does have to be approved, whether it is approved by written company policy or approved each shift, an employee can't decide on their own to work OT and be paid for it. Obviously policy on OT is going to vary from one company to the next.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/19-flsa-motor-carrier

Years back when I was a mechanic, I went to Fontana Ca.for an interview @ Western Express, for a diesel tech position. The supervisor interviewing me was going over my resume~ then he mentions work hours...60 hrs per week,every other Saturdays. What grabbed my attention, was when he states pay is $18.50 hour, and they DO NOT pay O.T. I say anything about the NO OT. So he says he has others to talk to they'll call me maybe later, Ok, fine...I Wasnt going to take the job anyways.

1 week later, he calls me to return for another interview. Goes over the same speil, now he takes me around to the shop. Mentions I'd be doing tire repairs/changes, and road calls and batteries. Uh NO I ain't doing tire work, most places I worked before had tire guys and that's ALL they did. Anyway he again mentions the pay rate, hours, and NO OT.

Now I speak up on no OT and tell him, "Dude we are in Calif, the labor laws for ANY mechanics are paid OT after 8, and triple time over 12 hours. He say's well, "I'm just saying what corporate says in Tennessee" lol No thanks buddy, pays way too low and working 60 hrs at straight time ain't working for me, maybe corporate in Tennessee, needs to learn Calif's labor laws...

I'm not scared to work, but pay me properly for it.... I did 93 hours, in 1 week, Mon-Fri at HazMat tanker place in LA ,I worked for, and got OT/Dbl Time pay, plus I was sole mechanic keeping the 20 tractors, and tankers rollin'

Thanks for the input. The way I’m paid is split. My weeks consist of both reefer and tanker. When I’m tanker I’m paid by the load. Hourly for reefer. So even though I’m working 60 plus hours a week. My hourly come out to only 30 hours a week. That was why I mentioned the ot over 8. I’m paying through the roof for health insurance. And I only get 40 hours of paid vacation at my hourly rate. Doesn’t matter how long I’ve been there. So outside looking in compared to places like odfl and FedEx it’s not a terribly attractive place to work. But I enjoy working here for the most part. But was curious if I’d be out of line asking to get ot after 8 hours? Been here almost 3 and a half years.

Thanks for the input. The way I’m paid is split. My weeks consist of both reefer and tanker. When I’m tanker I’m paid by the load. Hourly for reefer. So even though I’m working 60 plus hours a week. My hourly come out to only 30 hours a week. That was why I mentioned the ot over 8. I’m paying through the roof for health insurance. And I only get 40 hours of paid vacation at my hourly rate. Doesn’t matter how long I’ve been there. So outside looking in compared to places like odfl and FedEx it’s not a terribly attractive place to work. But I enjoy working here for the most part. But was curious if I’d be out of line asking to get ot after 8 hours? Been here almost 3 and a half years.

Thanks for the input. The way I’m paid is split. My weeks consist of both reefer and tanker. When I’m tanker I’m paid by the load. Hourly for reefer. So even though I’m working 60 plus hours a week. My hourly come out to only 30 hours a week. That was why I mentioned the ot over 8. I’m paying through the roof for health insurance. And I only get 40 hours of paid vacation at my hourly rate. Doesn’t matter how long I’ve been there. So outside looking in compared to places like odfl and FedEx it’s not a terribly attractive place to work. But I enjoy working here for the most part. But was curious if I’d be out of line asking to get ot after 8 hours? Been here almost 3 and a half years.

I don't care what the industry is, if a worker has put in 3+ years with a company and in those 3+ years the worker has been reliable, dependable, a team-player, and generally a proven asset, said worker is not out of line for asking for anything that is within reason.

I know that you said you enjoy working there, but don't let that be a reason not to leverage your good work on your behalf. Tell your employer that you really feel that OT after 8 hours in a day is deserved and that if this request can't be met, you might have to look at going elsewhere to support your family. You then find out real quick how much your current company values your work.

I know from reading your posts that you are not going to burn a bridge, so you won't put yourself in a position where you leave a company without being eligible for rehire. My personal opinion (obviously not based on any knowledge of trucking) is that you would do well to be your own negotiating agent by making known what you believe you deserve and that you are willing to pursue other options for the sake of increasing income potential. If this company is worth anything at all, it will recognize that you are worth the increase in pay. Dependable, safe drivers are hard to find.

I don't care HOW they calculate their pay, I care about what the average annual pay is for a driver driving that truck on that run. Everything else is jive.

I don't care HOW they calculate their pay, I care about what the average annual pay is for a driver driving that truck on that run. Everything else is jive.

Isn't the time invested to earn that pay important?

Isn't the time invested to earn that pay important?

That's about knowing what you're worth and making the pay match the work. Both important topics, but this thread is about calculating pay.

Isn't the time invested to earn that pay important?

That's about knowing what you're worth and making the pay match the work. Both important topics, but this thread is about calculating pay.

Alright, I see your point. Touché.