Comments on: The State of Trucking Video http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html Discussion and opinions about the trucking industry Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:39:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Bob Grantham http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html#comment-1098 Bob Grantham Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:09:40 +0000 http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html#comment-1098 Enjoyed the video and it was very well done. I spent 16 years OTR as a company driver and another 5 as an owner/operator leased to Clarksville Refrigerated, now Greatwide, working in a Walmart contract. I sold my trucks in December of 2006 after getting a publishing contract for a book. Now I teach in a truck driving school and write for a living. It is practically impossible to make a decent living as an o/o even under a good contract, such as the one with Walmart. I had an '03 Century that was very well maintained and that maintenance cost plenty. Freightliner shops are now charging in the neighborhood of $90.00 an hour for labor, tires are very high cost, and we don't need to mention fuel. The only answer is to run more miles and that means taking loads at all hours of the day and night, rested or not. I found it very difficult to turn down any kind of revenue because you never knew when the next load would be coming. It was all about money and I tried to make as much as I could, with a legal logbook or otherwise. Sadly, my taxable wages in 2006 came to a grand total of $26000 with a gross of $140000. The hours required to make that money were unbelievable. In all honesty, if my wife had not had a very good job with a large company we would not have survived the trucking industry financially in-tact. I knew a lot of men that simply cut their losses and let their trucks go back to the finance company. Finally, I have never understood the lease purchase aspect of this business. If it was profitable, the company would hang on to that truck and pay a driver a barely livable wage to drive it. I don't understand why anyone would want to foot the bill for a leased big truck and take on all that liability. Bob G Enjoyed the video and it was very well done. I spent 16 years OTR as a company driver and another 5 as an owner/operator leased to Clarksville Refrigerated, now Greatwide, working in a Walmart contract. I sold my trucks in December of 2006 after getting a publishing contract for a book. Now I teach in a truck driving school and write for a living.

It is practically impossible to make a decent living as an o/o even under a good contract, such as the one with Walmart. I had an ‘03 Century that was very well maintained and that maintenance cost plenty. Freightliner shops are now charging in the neighborhood of $90.00 an hour for labor, tires are very high cost, and we don’t need to mention fuel. The only answer is to run more miles and that means taking loads at all hours of the day and night, rested or not. I found it very difficult to turn down any kind of revenue because you never knew when the next load would be coming. It was all about money and I tried to make as much as I could, with a legal logbook or otherwise. Sadly, my taxable wages in 2006 came to a grand total of $26000 with a gross of $140000. The hours required to make that money were unbelievable. In all honesty, if my wife had not had a very good job with a large company we would not have survived the trucking industry financially in-tact. I knew a lot of men that simply cut their losses and let their trucks go back to the finance company. Finally, I have never understood the lease purchase aspect of this business. If it was profitable, the company would hang on to that truck and pay a driver a barely livable wage to drive it. I don’t understand why anyone would want to foot the bill for a leased big truck and take on all that liability.
Bob G

]]> By: Gene http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html#comment-907 Gene Thu, 27 Dec 2007 23:41:08 +0000 http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html#comment-907 I thought he did a good job. I enjoyed the history lesson, and the "seeing the country" part, was hilarious because it's almost true. You do see a lot of country but it's usually driving by from the interstate. I thought he did a good job. I enjoyed the history lesson, and the “seeing the country” part, was hilarious because it’s almost true. You do see a lot of country but it’s usually driving by from the interstate.

]]> By: Rex Hargrove http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html#comment-855 Rex Hargrove Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:24:32 +0000 http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html#comment-855 Hey there! I just wanted to say a quick "thank you" to Wayne for posting my video and also to all of the drivers who comment. Thanks! I am completing a study that will, hopefully, make the updated video a more accurate representation of the trucking industry. I would really appreciate input from current, and former, drivers. I think that a collaborative effort will help to avoid the spin factor! rexgrove@hotmail.com Thanks again, Rex Hargrove Hey there! I just wanted to say a quick “thank you” to Wayne for posting my video and also to all of the drivers who comment. Thanks!

I am completing a study that will, hopefully, make the updated video a more accurate representation of the trucking industry. I would really appreciate input from current, and former, drivers. I think that a collaborative effort will help to avoid the spin factor! rexgrove@hotmail.com

Thanks again,
Rex Hargrove

]]> By: Wayne Weisser http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html#comment-848 Wayne Weisser Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:58:29 +0000 http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html#comment-848 I thought it was really close to the truth, but after I saw that he had tried trucking and quit it did shed some light on his point of reference. And a couple of statements from one owner operator is there to prove his point. There will always be owners and drivers that can't make it for a myriad of reasons. You can't believe the recruiters and you have to be willing to stand up for yourself or move on to somewhere else or you won't survive. A lot of people think they can come out of school and drive local. Doesn't happen very often and just like in OTR trucking, it helps to know someone to get the best jobs. It's the truth, but it's exaggerated and spun a little, but the facts and the history are there. Companies do that and drivers do have problems and some owners don't or can't make money. But others do okay. I thought it was really close to the truth, but after I saw that he had tried trucking and quit it did shed some light on his point of reference. And a couple of statements from one owner operator is there to prove his point. There will always be owners and drivers that can’t make it for a myriad of reasons.

You can’t believe the recruiters and you have to be willing to stand up for yourself or move on to somewhere else or you won’t survive.

A lot of people think they can come out of school and drive local. Doesn’t happen very often and just like in OTR trucking, it helps to know someone to get the best jobs.

It’s the truth, but it’s exaggerated and spun a little, but the facts and the history are there. Companies do that and drivers do have problems and some owners don’t or can’t make money. But others do okay.

]]> By: Everitt Mickey http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html#comment-847 Everitt Mickey Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:56:56 +0000 http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html#comment-847 One thing he did get right though. Hollywood has done a fine job of making us look like a bunch of jerks. One thing he did get right though. Hollywood has done a fine job of making us look like a bunch of jerks.

]]> By: Dave http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html#comment-845 Dave Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:27:57 +0000 http://lifeontheroad.com/2007/12/16/the-state-of-trucking-video/475.html#comment-845 The industry isn't <em>that </em>bad. A lot of his facts and opinion is common from rookies that don't make it. Especially those that get in believing recruiters that they will get a quick and easy 30k salary the first year. The only difference is his are pretty well researched. If it was that bad there wouldn't be any owner operators or even any company drivers at all. The industry isn’t that bad. A lot of his facts and opinion is common from rookies that don’t make it. Especially those that get in believing recruiters that they will get a quick and easy 30k salary the first year. The only difference is his are pretty well researched.

If it was that bad there wouldn’t be any owner operators or even any company drivers at all.

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