Weve had self driving trucks on US 33 and the Ohio Turnpike since December.
When I got out of the Air Force I looked at being a commercial pilot, but didnt because the pay was so low. I found it much more profitable to operate our own small local charter service with a partner to get businessmen and recreationists to airports not served by scheduled flights. Even that was just a part time venture as I made more doing paint and body on high end and classic cars. It is great I guess for someone with no ties and likes to travel. I will admit airlines (at least Delta) had great retirement. I have 2 uncles that are retired Delta captains, and they get nearly $90K a year. A friend started out flying checks for banks, and didnt make $500 a week for 5/6 day work weeks. Didnt make much more when she went into airline. Over the road truckers Ive known in the past made a LOT of money...cant say about right now though. I knew most of them from working on their car collections. Every one of them had a barn full of collector or high end cars, boats, cycles, other toys and huge houses...usually on large acreages.
All those pilots getting out of the military have the desire to sit in another cockpit. But there are only so many cockpit seats to be filled so, they don't have to pay much to get someone in that seat.
I'd like to add my 2 cents here on this. When I worked for the Miami Dolphins, they originally brought me in pretty low... basically a lateral move from my other job. Only reason I took that job was because I wanted to move into different languages / skills. But... like with what you said, there's only so many seats. There were probably at least 1,000,000 people who would have killed to have my job, and the Miami Dolphins knew that. So... they paid what they needed to get someone respectable, but they got a discount. I worked really hard... I mean... REALLY hard. 620 hours in less than two months. I ate, slept, showered, etc... there for two months before training camp writing new software for them. I had actually started hallucinating. In any case, by the time I left, I was making a decent pay (comparatively speaking).
There are jobs in what many would consider the middle of no where, working for companies writing software that no one really cares about... and those people make tons of money because no one wants to do it. But jobs that people like doing... the demand shifts to the worker, and the supplier has to pay less. :/
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Originally posted by dennis_6:
I have in my life, gained a degree in electronics engineering, did that for a number of years, never made more than 13 dollars a hour, while writing code for microprocessors. drover otr, made 32k a year.
It's funny because every single Electrical Engineer I know... ends up becoming a computer programmer. I was originally going to college for an EE degree, and after I realized that I'd just be writing code anyway, I decided to just get my Software Engineering degree instead for my bachelors.
But... I'm assuming that at the time, that was probably the early 1980s or something, right? The demand just wasn't there back then. An EE... writing software for many of the companies now, especially with a security twist... pays a LOT of money in most of the metropolitan areas.
Was late 90s, nafta really hitting the market. ATM repair guys made 16 a hour when I went in, and only required tv shop experience at most. 12 a hour when I had my degree, and required a degree. Anyhow, I was just writing code for PIC micros, and a lil C++. Nothing super complicated. Was working on automatic testing apparatus to test circuit boards. Got tired of the can't afford to use relays, change the design and this should be moving along at factory production speed. Sat down with a few professors at a state university and discussed a Masters in Computer Science, but decided I had enough student loan to pay for, and nothing to show for it. Paid the loan off driving truck.
Went in to corrections to see the kids more, asked to do something unethical, went back to driving truck.
Pay in trucking has increased, since the last time i drove. It is however still below 1980s levels of income. Trucking companies have slightly raised pay because of the "shortage".
It would be more accurately described as a shortage of qualified drivers.
There is no end of people who jump in the drivers seat to quit the industry 3 months later, after they find its real work.
But is the 80's levels of income skewed.. but the lack of limited hours you drive straight.. and that most were coke heads.. or on speed to stay up for 24+ hours..
Over the road truckers Ive known in the past made a LOT of money...
There are only 3 ways a trucker has ever made "a LOT of money". 1) They were into specialized hauling (currency, overweight/overdimensional, nuclear, shows, etc). 2) They worked for decades OTR with a perfect record and were finally able to get that elusive local job with FedEx, UPS, Chrysler, etc. Or 3) they ran illegally. Number 3 is generally how most made bucks back in the day. No electronic logs, just good old paper ones. Most drivers had at least 2, some had 3. Nothing to backing up a log book or "fixing" one. If you were blessed, you didn't fall asleep after running 5000 miles a week by yourself. Plenty of drivers who ended up in a ditch (or worse). Back in the day, I'd turn a coast to coast to coast run in a week and still find time to get 1/2 a day at home. Not only was that illegal but that was stupid as heck. These days, with the DOT cracking down (as well they should) and electronic logs, that's nearly impossible to do. (Thank GOD!)
get real.. 60mph would be 24.00 an hour.. if you did 60mph avg.. not likely.. you might want to start asking do you want fries with that.. As clearly, either your leaving things like base pay then .40 a mile.. as no one would drive a rig in rush hour traffic making 5 bucks an hour crawling along. but Cool story bro.
[This message has been edited by E.Furgal (edited 05-24-2017).]
get real.. 60mph would be 24.00 an hour.. if you did 60mph avg.. not likely.. you might want to start asking do you want fries with that.. As clearly, either your leaving things like base pay then .40 a mile.. as no one would drive a rig in rush hour traffic making 5 bucks an hour crawling along. but Cool story bro.
Most trucks are limited speed wise, you have hours of service also. Dispatch doesn't effectively utilize your hours so 100k miles is avg for someone who may go home two days a month for 40 thousand dollars.
Why is it so hard for you to accept that most drivers are paid fast food wages? We don't even get paid actual miles. They use the furniture movers guide which means you do 20k a year for free.
[This message has been edited by dennis_6 (edited 05-24-2017).]
oh look a poster from a pro trucking group.. looks just like a pro union type poster.. I'll leave it at this.. If driving a truck is so low paying in your area as you claim.. then I have some wise words for you.. Start driving for a sub and/or pizza shop.. As you'll clear 40.oo an hour + if you are good.. and fast.. next you'll claim truckers are driving for min wage.. oh wait, a post of 0.40cpm is claiming that.. when you factor in time at dock and traffic..
There are exceptions in all parts of the country, but the median wage earnings of a truck driver (as an occupation--not as any given individual) is still around $40k. For $40K to be the median, there has to be (and is) some who make more, some who make less, but the median is still around $40K.
That, is according to DoL data and 3 different independent survey websites. People rarely fudge downward how much they make when answering one of these independent surveys, no matter what the occupation. They only fudge downwards to the IRS.
If you can prove otherwise E.Furgal, provide the data please, not just some 2nd hand "Well, I know a guy that said..." That's not data...it's not even testimony or information. It's rhetoric.
oh look a poster from a pro trucking group.. looks just like a pro union type poster.. I'll leave it at this.. If driving a truck is so low paying in your area as you claim.. then I have some wise words for you.. Start driving for a sub and/or pizza shop.. As you'll clear 40.oo an hour + if you are good.. and fast.. next you'll claim truckers are driving for min wage.. oh wait, a post of 0.40cpm is claiming that.. when you factor in time at dock and traffic..
Start calling carriers ask avg miles a week and what they pay a mile. Do the math. Even though recruiters will give you a optomistic amount on miles a week it is gonna be a much smaller dollar amountbthan you are willing to accept.
Btw in ohio pizza and sub delivery pays 15 a hour tip included if you are good.
There are exceptions in all parts of the country, but the median wage earnings of a truck driver (as an occupation--not as any given individual) is still around $40k. For $40K to be the median, there has to be (and is) some who make more, some who make less, but the median is still around $40K.
That, is according to DoL data and 3 different independent survey websites. People rarely fudge downward how much they make when answering one of these independent surveys, no matter what the occupation. They only fudge downwards to the IRS.
If you can prove otherwise E.Furgal, provide the data please, not just some 2nd hand "Well, I know a guy that said..." That's not data...it's not even testimony or information. It's rhetoric.
Problem again is your data isn't only rig truck drivers.. it is all .. from the auto parts guys in a p/u or van.. to the box truck to the 18 wheeler.. now.. if it was only big rig driver data.. you might have something. but it isn't..
Fact is in areas that are not farm land that have traffic all day every day.. no one would drive at .40cpm as they crawl along at 5-10-15mph.. 50% of the time.. and back roads at 30-40mph and time parked at loading docks.. it be under min wage.. the math doesn't add up.. even at 5 days a week and 8 hour days.. and we all know that isn't the normal big rig drivers work week hours.. No idea where he got his .40cpm data.. but those companies must be paying a base pay then the .40cpm on top of that.. or every truck would be parked and the drivers would go on welfare instead of making 5 bucks an hour..
[This message has been edited by E.Furgal (edited 05-24-2017).]
Problem again is your data isn't only rig truck drivers.. it is all .. from the auto parts guys in a p/u or van.. to the box truck to the 18 wheeler.. now.. if it was only big rig driver data.. you might have something. but it isn't..
Fact is in areas that are not farm land that have traffic all day every day.. no one would drive at .40cpm as they crawl along at 5-10-15mph.. 50% of the time.. and back roads at 30-40mph and time parked at loading docks.. it be under min wage.. the math doesn't add up.. No idea where he got his .40cpm data.. but those companies must be paying a base pay then the .40cpm on top of that.. or every truck would be parked and the drivers would go on welfare instead of making 5 bucks an hour..
I'm not calling anyone.. You want better pay, you call.. your b/s isn't gonna fly.. as your cpm pay puts drivers under min wage per hours worked.. And they'd all park the trucks and jump on welfare.. first..
[This message has been edited by E.Furgal (edited 05-24-2017).]
It's incumbent upon you to prove your assertion, not other people's job to disprove or prove it for you. You've offered nothing more than "I said it so it must be true". You may as well have said "I saw a flying saucer land in my back yard last night".
I understand he is upset about rude drivers. I think that is never excusable. However, I was hoping he would see whyba 4 hour unload may cause a drivernto be upset. Too many of those and you don't make the rent payment.
It's incumbent upon you to prove your assertion, not other people's job to disprove or prove it for you. You've offered nothing more than "I said it so it must be true". You may as well have said "I saw a flying saucer land in my back yard last night".
Welp, because it is common sense.. not the "I think it it must be true" hour limits, traffic speed limits, rush hour traffic, loading dock time, and the claimed cpm = under min wage.. Sorry.. All the trucks would be parked as no one would fill the seat.. At that 0.40cpm if you avg 60mph it's 24.00 an hour, and no one is avg that they be lucky to avg 25-30mph or less as traffic and the truck sitting idle drops the avg.. now your at 12 bucks an hour.. now add in back roads and that speed, and highway traffic that moves at 5-10mph and you might get 1/8 mile of running room to get to 15mph.. and now you are under the min wage.. Come on.. nothing would move.. as no one would fill the seats.. They sit at home and collect a check first.. as it pay twice as much.. It's not the same as a 40k a year 40 hour work week. as that isn't what a truck driver put in a week.. the hourly rate don't add up..
I started my "career" if you will in computers in 1997. I lost my job in 2000 after the .COM crash.
I know FULL-WELL what it feels like to be a Coal Miner under the Obama Administration, or a Real Estate Agent during the Housing Market Crash.
I went from having a career where you were treated like the awesomest person in the world because you could program, to suddenly not having a skill that anyone gave two shits about.
Me and several other million unemployed programmers were scrounging for jobs back in late 2000. I can't remember how exactly it coincided with the Y2K end of the world bug fixes for the date issue (which wasn't even an issue in Delphi / C++). But I know I got laid off after the year 2000.
