Time to Quit

[pete379]

I USED to love my trucking life, now its just a cash filtering system for the goverment,fuel companies and shops. Is anyone else experiencing this? where did the days go when you could make a decent living, provide for your family and possibly a drivers family with the income from your truck?Now it seems as the rates stay the same, everything goes up,when fuel alone is 30% of your profits,and all the other day to day expenses take the other 50% my pie is left with 2 slices and I go hungry.
Just wondering when will be the day when all O/O's say enough is enough and stand up to all this bs!!!!!




By the way i have 2 10 wheeled filters (trucks) for sale, think its time to quit the job i used to love!!!!!

[ratfink]

I know what you mean.

But I'm not sure what others in this forum will tell you.

I've been saying exactly that and time and times again older guys like liner for example, (and his bunch of croonies) who like it just the way it is, told me that if I didnt like it... to just leave.
Nobody's holding me in a truck blablabla.

They dont seem to see what's going on or what changed in trucking.

I'm curious to see if they will tell you the same thing they told me.

You dont like it? get out! dont ask to change anything YOU knew what YOU were getting into. blablabla.........

Same ol BS. and meanwhile, we dig a little deeper.

Sorry about it buddy, good luck.

[RodeoJoe]

Yup, the business, she ain't what it used to be. I got out when the best company I ever worked for started installing electronic log books in the trucks. That was in January of 2009 and I sure miss not going down to the yard on a Sunday afternoon and hooking up and going for a nice leisurely drive to California and back.

[JReid]

That's why I have my own customers.I did my own sales calls,no middle man,my own ins., plates,their trls.I don't think I could put my truck on with a company and make them rich and only take home maybe a $1000.00 after all the deductions, as long as nothing breaks and be gone all week.I can make that in a company truck and with no headaches.Some of my run's pay up to $3.00 a mile and some only pay $2.00 (fsc on top) but in the end it's all mine and 1 pay's in 14 day's and the other 2 pay in 20.I read some of the ad's in the paper and I don't know how or why some guy's are doing it for $1.10 a mile and they think they're doing you a favor.We need to start naming our price instead of taking what they're giving.NOT MORE MILE'S. MORE MONEY FOR THE MILE'S I'M DOING!

[JReid]

Don't get me started, to many driver's are settling for what their offering, this is a touchy subject for me.I know what I'm worth and I won't settle for what most company's are paying.:8_4_53[1]:

[ralph]

Now it seems as the rates stay the same, everything goes up,when fuel alone is 30% of your profits,and all the other day to day expenses take the other 50%

Seems to me you have $$$ left unless new math calculates differently than old math. 30 plus 50 equals 80. If you subtract 80 from 100 you get 20.

[ratfink]

Don't get me started, to many driver's are settling for what their offering, this is a touchy subject for me.I know what I'm worth and I won't settle for what most company's are paying.:8_4_53[1]:


Ok now another one thats saying what I said a lot of times in challenger's thread.

where are the croonies who will tell him (or anybody whos complaining) that they knew what they were getting into when they started trucking?????????

Where are the gurus, the ex truckers who worked sooooo hard, the consultants, the broker who did well and doesnt have much time to go in trucking anyway who told me that if I didnt like how things were in trucking that I should get out and find another way to make a living???

[pete379]

Hey I am not saying that I am ungreatful for the 20% that is left for me, what I am saying is the pieces get smaller and smaller, that 20% would have been a good thing if my cost of living had'nt gone up too! I have been in this industry for 23years raised 5 kids and helped them with their education, there used to be the money to do this, now however, its just not there, the wife and I have noticed our retirement fund slowing decreasing, going back into the business that was set up to help us out in retirement. I agree we need to tell them what we are worth not the reverse, thats what I am saying. And to the person that tells me to get out,.........I would love too, you want my trucks, probably not , cause you already know, the money is not there like it used to be!
I guess I came into this world with nothing, I will leave with nothing! Well one thing, the memory of the few years when the ride was fun and profitable! I feel for the young ones just starting out in this business, may God Bless them.

[JReid]

I think the money's there but the companies are not sharing it with anybody.They would rather buy themselves some toys or a cottage or a $200,000.00 show truck or a fancy building to park a lot of driverless trucks.As far as getting out of the business,where you gonna go that isn't already being undercut.

[pete379]

I think the money's there but the companies are not sharing it with anybody.They would rather buy themselves some toys or a cottage or a $200,000.00 show truck or a fancy building to park a lot of driverless trucks.As far as getting out of the business,where you gonna go that isn't already being undercut.

Yes I agree with you , the money is still there if we fight for it and stay unified. The problem I have encountered is once you fight to get a rate up someone will come in and undercut you to get the work. The way I see it , we have done this to ourselves over the years, me included, thinking we could get by with a few dollars less our worth, just to have the work, but in the long run,shorted ourselves by giving away our power to the smater business man willing to pay us less while he takes more for his pocket.
Maybe this forum can help out some of the younger ones just getting in , willing to fight for thier worth, willing to get this industry unified!!!! or at least get the independant operators some kind of industry regulation on rates, now that the goverment has stepped in and reguated our hours of service , maybe we should all step up to the plate and regulate the rate, no less than so much a hour to every truck , here in Alberta I have seen as much as 500/hr and as low as 67/hr. Don't know whats happening in other parts of the country but it would be interesting to find out what we are willing to let our trucks , skills and knowlege go for these days????
I know some will laugh at this post, but been here long enough to see where this is headed for O/O's , the small independant ones will they even get a chance to remain solvant?
It takes a very special breed of people to be in this industry, we are brothers and sisters out there on the road, joined together by a love for doing what we do. We need to get unified.Fight as ONE.

[ratfink]

Yes I agree with you , the money is still there if we fight for it and stay unified. The problem I have encountered is once you fight to get a rate up someone will come in and undercut you to get the work. The way I see it , we have done this to ourselves over the years, me included, thinking we could get by with a few dollars less our worth, just to have the work, but in the long run,shorted ourselves by giving away our power to the smater business man willing to pay us less while he takes more for his pocket.
Maybe this forum can help out some of the younger ones just getting in , willing to fight for thier worth, willing to get this industry unified!!!! or at least get the independant operators some kind of industry regulation on rates, now that the goverment has stepped in and reguated our hours of service , maybe we should all step up to the plate and regulate the rate, no less than so much a hour to every truck , here in Alberta I have seen as much as 500/hr and as low as 67/hr. Don't know whats happening in other parts of the country but it would be interesting to find out what we are willing to let our trucks , skills and knowlege go for these days????
I know some will laugh at this post, but been here long enough to see where this is headed for O/O's , the small independant ones will they even get a chance to remain solvant?
It takes a very special breed of people to be in this industry, we are brothers and sisters out there on the road, joined together by a love for doing what we do. We need to get unified.Fight as ONE.


Wow , I got to tell you sir, I agree with you all the way.

The first thing to do is to admmit that we did this to ourselves.

I'm not going to laugh at your post, I've been saying the same thing over and over, but was flamed.

[chixdiggit]

The money is still there if we fight for it and stay unified. The problem I have encountered is once you fight to get a rate up someone will come in and undercut you to get the work.

So TRUE!!! Always some company out there that will work for less and same goes for the drivers.

[Drifter]

Well, I don`t know if I qulify as a "croonie" but Iwill be out of work soon and have been looking around, nothing interesting yet, I know my worth and what I will accept. In the event that I don`t find it I will move into another field.

Maybe the way I am doing this will contribute to the to the shortage of good drivers out there and help the wages go up if enough people do this. I am seeing more drivers getting out.

Shortage of "good" jobs helps to make these decisions.

[ratfink]

Well, I don`t know if I qulify as a "croonie" but Iwill be out of work soon and have been looking around, nothing interesting yet, I know my worth and what I will accept. In the event that I don`t find it I will move into another field.

Maybe the way I am doing this will contribute to the to the shortage of good drivers out there and help the wages go up if enough people do this. I am seeing more drivers getting out.

Shortage of "good" jobs helps to make these decisions.

Well you will be one of the 400000 or 500000 drivers who got out of trucking disgusted by the people who are controling this industry.

Problem is, as long as they can find newbies to fill the seats, things wont change.

I posted an article about the supposed "driver shortage" this came from a US coast to coast magazine.
nailed it pretty much BUT her it seems that nobody has the balls to talk like that. (our medias)

As an example, you wont read this in the media around here, hell you will be flamed by the trucking mafia if you just talk about it.

"deregulation brought about the new phenomenon of the national truck carrier from the formerly largely regionalized, unionized trucking world. “The rising stars rejected the mold that trucking had evolved to,” Spencer says. “Everyone was going to be a national carrier, and they weren’t interested in hiring drivers who only wanted to work in regional areas with good pay. They brought in a lot of untrained or poorly trained people who didn’t expect to make a lot of money — the other requirement was that you had to be willing to be away from home” for long periods of time."

I seen people lose their jobs because they exppressed their opinion that way.

and about he shortage,

The term “driver shortage” is inaccurate. “If someone cannot find a driver to deliver a load at the rate they want it delivered at they whine ‘driver shortage,’” he said, it’s analogous to this: “I want to buy a new Cadillac for $10,000. They would not sell it to me. Hmmm, must be a Cadillac shortage.”

but then again, our leaders are spreading all over that "drivers are settling with whatever they give them"

Same ol BS all over, by the same BS'ers.


http://www.truckersnews.com/does-less-equal-more/

[ratfink]

And by the way, I'm about to quit too. tired of all this crap.

not sure I will shut up tho!

[Drifter]

J. Reid, you and I are on parallel tracks, you know your way around as an o/o and know your worth, kudos.

Ratfink, 400000-500000 drivers who got out or second career people and newbies who found out this was not the life the wanted. (numbers out of your hat???)

As far as quitting, not for some time you see I did look after "myself" and set up for retirement early on choose at this time not to. Like JReid tho I know my worth and what I bring to the table in an interview.


As far as organising all the drivers 6 out off 16 is a failure and you are beating a horse that died 40 or 50 years ago.
Check defination of insanity!! Still do not care what happens in the toilet east of my home province.

[ratfink]

Ratfink, 400000-500000 drivers who got out or second career people and newbies who found out this was not the life the wanted. (numbers out of your hat???)

As far as quitting, not for some time you see I did look after "myself" and set up for retirement early on choose at this time not to. Like JReid tho I know my worth and what I bring to the table in an interview.


As far as organising all the drivers 6 out off 16 is a failure and you are beating a horse that died 40 or 50 years ago.
Check defination of insanity!! Still do not care what happens in the toilet east of my home province.


Oh well My comments had nothing to do with union (confusing things again, do you know that theres medication for that?)

I see that you still want to be an *** even if I try to be nice.
by the way I didnt take that number out of my hat, Pipeman provided them in another post. + not all were second carrers and newbies. Where did you read that?
I read a few reports about it.

Sure our ******* (thats v a m p i r e s) wants us to think that but reality is that theres a lot of experienced drivers who left.


Oh yes the dead horse, well maybe you guys killed it 40 or 50 years ago and look where the industry is today.... thanks a lot.

Great job boys.

[kevin_sidey]

I think too many people point their fingers at the wrong criminals here. Here is my example: Carrier "A" commits driver churn day and day out for years and years because the line of work they are in pays "X" amount per mile, far less than the carrier down the block, Carrier "B" who chose to work in a differnt non-competing line of work, let's say something specialized like hauling "mined widgits" out of the ground, versus the crappy non-paying freight carrier "A" pulls.

I'll talk company rates here, point is the same:

Carrier "A" pays .38/mile, Carrier "B" pays .44/mile.

Carrier "A" is suffering driver shortage becuase his crappy customers choose to pay him $1.10/mile, and Carrier "B" is flush with drivers becuase his loads pay $2.75/mile. Carrier "B" gets the better quality long term driver becuase he can pay more. Why? Because he gets more, from the customer. Down side is that Carrier "B"'s freight is a lot harder work, than "A"'s, call "A"'s low hanging fruit.

Both are essential loads.

Carrier "B" is smiling because he secured the freight, Carrier "A" missed that boat.

So who is the bad guy here????

Carrier "A" would LOVE to never ever have to recruit. All long term drivers. How? By paying them SO well, that a driver wouldn't dare think about leaving. After all, how would they replace the income? Not to mention think of the cost savings by paying more and attracting better drivers and squeezing out the ones that make professionals look bad. The carrier would save on accidents, fuel, lower insurance costs, no turnover costs, low WCB costs. But if carrier "A" pays 6 cents a mile more time 20 drivers time 12,000 miles, thats nearly additional costs of $15,000 / month. That's a catch-22.

Blame NAFTA and deregulation.

If lanes were regulated, then all that remains is the quality of the company. Not the rates. But then again, you would never ever be able to negotiate your own rate, ever again.

There's my two cents. The same two cents I will make today sitting on my rump. :)

[Pipeman]

The fugures that I fot go back to 2005 and were provided to me by the Federal Government. And the number was 610,000 that sill held a CDL were no longer driving for a living.

[poorboy]

Got to stick to your guns we run two tractor units father and son operation and have never pulled a load for less than 2.50/mi rounder or less than $100/hr as long as there are guys working for $65/hr or taking loads $1.60/mi we will alway be in trouble
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[brolarter]

I think the money is there, its just tied up in back door deals. company A wants x number of power units and trailers to move there product, so they go with a company that has it vs the independent. company A pays well for that service. now driving company A has the contract and is paid well for it say $3.00 per mile. so now driving company A has to get their equipment back up.. if they run empty back they break even or lose money. so they get a contact from company b to haul goods back up.. Company B was paying $2.50 per mile. But Driving Company A said we do it for $1.30 mile. they get the contract cut the rate so independents can't compete on the rate. and Driving Company A puts company drivers on it at $0.32 per mile
and if the company driver has to wait day or two big deal. they are making money. while the O/O or independs lose another run.. now this goes over and over again with companies.. So there is no wonder rates suck.
Its supply and demand.. If there were fewer trucks and companies then prices would jump up.. because all of a sudden companies would be able to move there product. put a better haul rate to get drivers to haul it.
Thats why the trucking companies and the goverment bring in people from other counties to drive truck to keep the volume of trucks up to keep the rates low.
Look at US even with there econemy in the sink. goverment still allowing Mexican trucks up and DOT told to leave them alone. why.. cheaper rates, more trucks...

[CNDTRUCKMAN]

....................The way I see it , we have done this to ourselves over the years, me included, thinking we could get by with a few dollars less our worth, just to have the work, but in the long run,shorted ourselves by giving away our power to the smater business man willing to pay us less while he takes more for his pocket.
Maybe this forum can help out some of the younger ones just getting in , willing to fight for thier worth, willing to get this industry unified!!!!.............

Good point~!!!

[Paul]

I've been quitting for 8 years now. Is there AA for truckers?

Hi everyone, my name is Paul and for some reason i cant stop trucking.

[BlueRaven]

I hear ya. You quit but then you see a truck on the highway and you start to wonder where they are going and wishing you were the one driving. I was gonna take the couple of months off as my job is only seasonal i believe this will be my last week on the road but today i have a day off and found myself missing driving already.

[mc94xr7]

I don't mean to bash you but 1st you guys need to agree on what colour the sky is. there really isn't anything you can do except give up being an o/o. you guys are a dying breed while the big companies you are competing with smother you all out with cheep labour. no point in running to government either- they'll make matters worse.