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Rising Grocery Prices
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<p>I had three log books, one for DOT, one for the company (They get destroyed after 6 months.. oh well) and one for me for hash figuring. </p><p>I should have been prosecuted badly if I got caught running off the books like that. But the sad state of truck enforcment, apathy in the logging and precise set points and trip-points made it possible to really work the system. All of that needs to be torn up and thrown away. It's rather easy when that state owned scale inspection site has rusted shut for 10 years on the "Closed" sign. Pilots will never get away with that with the oversight from thier company and FAA.</p><p>That was years ago, If confronted with that situation today I would have laughed at dispatch and hung up on them taking my required time off.</p><p>Ed, no offense taken. WHen I got out of trucking school I started on the docks, learned the rough ways fast and went to the markets next up there. Im one of the few drivers wanting to go TO the markets while the rest of the drivers waiting on dispatch want to run AWAY from there. Just more money that's all.</p><p>Now out west means keeping food, water and power in the truck for two people sufficient for 8 days. You leave out in the morning into a winter storm on the divide and dont know if you are going to spend 4 days in the ditch waiting for a tow while the storm progresses. For the locals who grew up in that area it's not a problem but for us it was something to behold.</p><p>And the pay? If that load of apples paid me 1.00 a mile from Yakima to Little Rock, the resulting prices on those apples at the food store will be way too much to pay despite my taste for 5 apples a week.</p><p>What kills me is that company drivers dont get the pay they deserve. I think the freight rate on those apples is about 1.70 a mile or so and the company sucker gets paid .32 of that. The rest vanishes into the pit of the trucking company's pockets and shareholders. They proclaim profitibility in a tight business known for bankrupcy while the trucks are given just enough shop time to keep running.</p><p>No I see nothing good in the increase of freight. Say you increase my GVW from 80K to 120K They will simply stack the beef boxes a little thicker in that 48' trailer possibly breaking the floor unless the company went out and bought one with a third axle or one with a 10 foot spread and threw the old one away. Under the current weights charts I cannot see running 120K across 75 feet. It just wont bridge out properly on 5 axles.</p><p>Let's say that they did put 120K gross on that beef load. It will take longer to load (Already several days using migrant labor 24/7) and longer to unload. Two people throwing 550 boxes of beef (About 80-95 pounds each) will need about 6-10 hours to do the work and demand 120 dollars in lumping fees possibly twice to replace tired people with another two or three rested and strong lumpers ready to finish the load. The reciever's responsibility began when the forklift actually lifts the beef and takes it away.</p><p>Oh those lumper fees? Your cost. Now tell me how many dollars 1100 miles times .32 cents a mile again before taxes? That is about 352 dollars pay to the driver gross. Assuming 40 dollars every one hundred is for required taxes you probably will net about 212 dollars not including any company benefits you signed up for. You will probably not get paid for about 10 days for that load and you already ate 2 days going on three for that run.</p><p>Little wonder drivers sweat in the trailer for 12-16 hours shoving that beef while dispatch buries them with threats of ternimation if they fail to pick up another load already schedule for that day. Little wonder our Orientations bulge with dozens of motivated wanna-be's ready to go on Wedensday and impatient to get into a big truck and make lots of money. They dont see the reality that will sink in 3 months later. The ones that survive thier first 6 months to a year will be our future trainers, company officials and dispatchers. Once they get out of that cab they are NOT going back in it.</p><p>So much for no touch loads. They do exist but for companies like McKesson and running 1+ million dollars value on two pallets on the nose.... that is the ultimate in no touch for me. Once you get to that level, there is no worries about pay or supervisory oversight there are many people tracking you and your truck in real time with dedicated runs. All you have to do is eat enough to drive well and stay awake long enough to cross Illinios with thier killjoy 55 mph speed sleep-inducing limits.</p>
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