Say NO TO FREE WAITING TIME

One of the biggest crimes in the trucking industry, is all of the free labour truckers do, as it's expected of them by the trucking company and the shipper.
In fact, it's just so-called 'industry norm' to wait, load, unload and be delayed without any compensation.
In order to change this pattern, drivers need to say 'NO' to waiting for free. If your company isn't paying you for any delays, it may be time to find a trucking company that does compensate you for the work you do.
This industry is not going to change, unless the drivers change it on an individual basis.... not just waiting for this pay issue to change on it's own.
Stand up and speak up.... we need to start somewhere as individuals.
www.smart-truck...
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[@paulhartnell4671]

You are absolutely right and there is one case filed in federal court that the drivers won the judge ruled that drivers where doing work at the companies behest and therefore were entitled to be paid for all time they were away from home . That case should be used as it set legal persistence

[@SmartTrucking]

Paul Hartnell Hello Paul. Is this in Canada or US? I'd like to research the case. Thanks for the note.

[@paulhartnell4671]

Tacoma Washington,, the case was against praxair

[@SmartTrucking]

Paul Hartnell thanks, so far all I've been able to find is that the company did have to rehire them. Haven't yet been able to find the decision showing they had to be paid for the time. dave

[@paulhartnell4671]

The case was filed originally for pay stemming from unpaid overtime due to milage pay as a result the courts ruling found that the driver's were not only entitled to overtime but for pay for all time spent on the run as they were away from home at the company's behest this affected approximately 30 drivers and included 3 year's back pay for losses incurred times 3 plus interest do not recall any terminations of driver's involved. Though there have been other cases involving terminations hope this helps. P.s the case decision was in 2003 no appeals were filed.

[@5FaLlEn5]

Everyone hates to bite the hands that feeds them but sometimes you gotta bring notice before it get worst.

[@thomasbrown6156]

I had to quit, couldn"t stand to work for free.2 hrs to load or unload ok---but after that I need to clock in and get paid.I do electrical work now,get paid for every minute , plus overtime and double time for week-ends.

[@SmartTrucking]

That's how it should be! Dave

[@seanm2502]

Thats why I switched over to nights. For me it = A big decrease in waiting time, (no detention pay at my company) Get mostly drop and hooks. Traffic is minimal etc. Pretty much straight miles. Wouldn't mind running days if truck was governed at atleast 68-70 MPH for passing purposes, and payed detention. Right now its just not worth it.

[@riggedfortruckers9748]

I love your show. I learn so much from it and am sharing it with my facebook and twitter accounts. I am not a truck driver nor am I married to one but I remember when being a trucker was the coolest thing to do and the job was respected. Now it seems like truckers are invisible or something. We are helping build awareness and connections because things like this need to end. If corporations threw the money on the table it would be useless without their workers and sitting for free is an inexcusable form of abuse. Truckers need to unite and take a collective stand for their own rights and to bring back the respect and appreciation drivers and their families deserve for the long hard hours given to serve their communities! We appreciate you guys and stand with you! Thank you for the informative videos! ~ MobileMaiden

[@WillDogJones1]

Dirty little secret is while your there for free. The company is billing wait time.

[@SmartTrucking]

WillDogJones1 Oh ya for sure and the driver sees nothing... It just helps the carrier make up for the cheap freight they are hauling.

[@vashlash6870]

Broker lied to us saying we could get unloaded and get our next load on a Sunday. They were closed. Broker offered us $100 for the 2 of us for 24 hours. This isn't even legal! What should we do to fight back? Unfortunately no answers in this video.

[@murraystewartj]

Dave, love your common sense videos. A couple of points from my experience (none of it as a trucker). I currently work in a deck railing plant in a department that combines building and shipping. I can tell you that when a truck (semi down to cube van) comes in we drop everything and get it loaded or emptied. We recognize that the drivers are on schedules and, particularly for the owner operators, time is money. It's about respect for them as people doing the same as we are - trying to scratch out a living and feed our families. I don't understand that those of us in the trenches, whether on the road or off can't pull together. Second, you mentioned people not working for free, and included teaches in your list. As a former teacher and a parent involved with my kids' schools back in the day, I can tell you teachers do one hell of a lot of work for free. Sure, they get paid for the time in the classroom, but a lot of the time spend preparing lessons, marking, coaching, putting on the Christmas show or whatever, is done on their time. Add to that budget cuts so that teachers have to buy books, supplies and other sundries out of their pay to provide the tools they need to do their jobs. And if you want useless government regulation and paperwork, well don't get me started. Lots of people like to bash teachers, but I'd challenge any of them to last a month in the classroom, just as I'd challenge anyone who bashes truckers to make it through a week in your job. I hope thye day will come when everyone who slogs through a hard day at work is paid and given the respect they deserve. Good roads to you.

[@DevonCats2]

You got that right. I am No longer driving due to refusing to work for free. 2 hours a week fueling, 2-3 hours a week waiting on "hot loads" 100-150 miles a week in unpaid "short miles". Screw them. I am no longer doing it percentage or mileage. It's hourly with ot after 8/40 or no go. I have lost way to much in unpaid wages over this. It's called "wage theft".

[@live42Day]

this is why i switched to LTL. I get paid for everything

[@terrywaters6186]

It's all about supply and demand. There has been a glut of people desperate for work so trucking companies take advantage of that hiring new drivers an paying them low rates. They don't care if you leave after a few months or a year there's another guy waiting to start in your place at the bottom of the pay scale. Some companies are making a business of training new drivers in return for a contract (endentured servitude) that locks the driver into low pay for a period of time. As the job market strengthens trucker's pay will go up, but not before it has to, no matter how hard we complain.

[@waqarhassan2833]

And per hour they pay $18 dollars. Now the argument starts again, how can you give my time to your customer and not ask me before booking the load with me, and who are you to decide what to pay for my services when I allready told you I will charge $50 dollars after 2 hour's. I mean it's just sucks.

[@SmartTrucking]

ammara waqar exactly. dave

[@Theta_0]

Regardless if you're a company driver or owner/operator & have a company status of your own: L.L.C. or Corporation; there has too be some type of "tax deduction" you can file with that city or state to receive a percentage back during down-time on the highway also on the dock for your tax return.

[@michaelme3836]

Wow, thanks for that. I needed to know this!

[@embreesmith7613]

thanks, Dave I send your vids to beginners

[@SmartTrucking]

Appreciate it!!

[@atvkid0805]

Yup, I started at a big company and initially for the first 2 years I was doing good making 1-1.5k a week as a company driver. After that third year my average paycheck dropped to only 700 bucks and I left.

[@ClaudBol]

yes I've been saying this since day 1 of trucking, no to free time

[@richarerichrichards9222]

moved from mega trucking co to guy with a few trucks, no more waiting many times, I'd call him he'd call them and I'd get loaded ( sometimes ) can't do that at mega warehouse, but whatever he did it worked.

[@SmartTrucking]

+richarerich richards yeah, I always preferred that one on one with the boss. Dave

[@roberthamrick9493]

I can tell you what he did, he told them he would charge them about 300/hr. x how many hrs it took. money talks, bs walks

[@2500grit]

I get by the mile after you figure all the other stuff that goes with loading and unloading I don’t even make minimum wage

[@SecretUser2000]

Guess who also has a lot of unpaid responsibility. Flight attendants. They actually only get paid for the hours that the plane is in motion.

[@SmartTrucking]

I believe you. Aren't flight attendants unionized?

[@ebwholesaler]

I do manage to squeeze a few bucks here and there... But i prefer not to have any waiting time at all during my week. (Except when i get my load at the client, sometimes i might have a 1 or 2 hour wait, which i use to rest)

[@jeffsutton950]

I couldn’t agree more

[@nyflo718]

What's up man hope all is well, great vids and good topics, I'm a chef thinking about switching professions, I'm 25 and I feel like I'm at the age where I can still go back to school or take a shorter route and become a trucker, as I love big rigs, I like being independent and I'm a driver at heart. The hospitality industry will get you nowhere unless your working in nyc Miami or Vegas but even then your working on call 24 a day a lot of times sleeping at the hotel you work at for pennies a day compared to what you do for them right now I'm still cooking but the decision I have to make is a hard one and I really just don't know because it seems we deal with the same crap, horrible take home salary the company expecting you to go out of your way for them I can keep going but I should be sleeping and not getting myself all shook up, take care and hope all is well

[@michaelme3836]

Because diesel prices are so low and will probably be low for another year and a half, even though much freight out there is low, big companies still have much of the same prices in freight because they have 10 year contracts with other big companies. Owner Operators are saving over $1000/week on fuel right now!! So bottom line, now is the best time to jump in just as long as you get with a trusted big company like Schneider. Usually after driving 3000 miles a week their O/O's take home $1700 to $1800 after all imaginable expenses. Now add $1100 to that per week (the amount saved in weekly diesel payments), which is at least $2800/week. I trust Schneider's O/O program but I am about to lease on with the company that I work at in Chicago and make even more than that hauling hazmat freight. I've been driving 20 years. If I were green and not making about $3000 a week I would jump in with Schneider right now because they have really great training and I feel I can trust them to not play games against truck maintenance charges like Werner did to almost all their poor leased on drivers.

[@michaelme3836]

Truth be told though, I haul hazmat freight out of Chicago land for .60/mi and I'm doing around 3000 miles/wk., home on most weekends. So at the end of the year that's $90,000 and a 2 week unpaid vacation. Its 1099 so no benefits. So if you take off $10,000 for health insurance I'm really making $80,000 a year. But, at $80,000/year I'm not too worried over the fact that I hardly ever get paid for detention. Most drivers get paid less per mile. I have a perfect MVR and 20 years experience driving everything everywhere. I had to negotiate hard but in the end I got a 2014 truck and .60/mi . What I'm saying is that I think its more productive to negotiate the per mile. If everyone would stop excepting jobs where they get paid too little per mile and per hour for local jobs then we would be better off.

[@michaelme3836]

YOUR WORDS TO GOD'S EARS!!!

[@edmcnevin]

Union works.

[@whateverestupihd8348]

Produce is good for that.never ready they say oh the product is still in the fields.maybe 9 pm, and we close. At 10 pm.thank you.

[@SmartTrucking]

whateverestupihd Oh yes, the produce industry is notorious for that... they just couldn't care less.

[@StoneColdStrah]

a lot of mechanic are working on flat rate system if they aren't wrenching ain't getting paid...if no cars coming through the shop you are not getting paid...sometimes there are weeks where youre there 40 to 50 hours and you get paid 25 to 30 hours

[@SuperBigblue19]

I used to keep track of unpaid miles and compensation on a spread sheet and back it up with signatures, logs and time stamps. My accountant would take it from there. Then you can get some back at least. As a company driver you can tell them I am not waiting but they will just make you pay by sitting you or taking the keys back. and then tell hire rite you abandoned the load or were breaking company policies . This would have to be system wide or legislated to work.

[@SmartTrucking]

SuperBigblue19 if nobody put up with it they'd be forced to change. there are lots of better jobs out there. dave

[@SuperBigblue19]

And if no gravity we would float away. But most people are not in a position to tell their employer to toss off. Your easy fix is pretty simplistic for a complicated issue.

[@dondidykes9507]

cause people are nieve I just plan wouldn't help load or unload but as a owner you charge them for delays

[@paulhartnell4671]

Just wanted to know if you found info on praxair case filed in Tacoma Washington if not let me know I will get more info from parties involved thank you for what you've been doing

[@SmartTrucking]

Paul Hartnell Any more info you could get would help Paul. Still have not been able to find the specific details on that case. Thanks Dave

[@timengland3649]

If drivers want to eliminate free waiting time then they should negotiate it before delivering the load. I'll give you an hour while I take a dump, make something to eat, take a nap..Msg. your carrier and let them know what is going on and ask how much you are making while waiting. If they say you are making nothing, after you are loaded find the nearest bonded warehouse. Let your carrier know if they won't pay for the wait time they can pay for the warehouse. It works! Pay me for my unload time or you can pay to get the next load out of a bonded warehouse.

[@smith6806]

Guys who are paid salary not hourly will work several hours and not get paid for an additional hours worked over 40 hours per week. Isn't that similar to how truckers are paid? Truckers are paid by the mile or by % of the load. Shouldn't the focus be on increasing the amount per mile and % per load

[@SuperBigblue19]

Not at all. A salaried worker is guaranteed and knows they will make X for the week. OTR is production or piece rate. so no guarantee of what you will make. If I am salaried I always know that no matter the hours worked I still will make my money. In OTR you only know what you will make for the load you are on. If you can't run the miles you can't make whatever the rate is. Also in a OTR trucking these days bonuses are payed for production. If you can't produce? You don't get the bonus. And they don't care if it is your fault or someone else. Another thing they do is try to avg payrolls out. Since different drivers are making different pay rates They will have a high and low income on a board. And try to avg it out. They keep track of everything and a higher rate could mean less dp mile and lower rate could mean more miles. That way the per miles payroll cost stays neutral . So no, not the same,, Non production pay needs to be separated from rate pay. Every driver should get paid the same for waiting on the company behalf, becuase they will bill it the same. Not based on rate or miles ran.

[@whateverestupihd8348]

I'm surprised they isn't more fights in the truck stops cus I walked angry for almost a year this happened to me cus of my truck driving job.addind up waiting time , a girl working at" In n Out burgers was making more money in less time invested.!!word to the mother!!

[@cassiuspuckett8789]

So true, so true!!! But my question is does that include what the company require on average two hr at the shipper or the receiver???? Because every company I've work for requires it....

[@SmartTrucking]

Personally, I don't go for that first 2 hours free bull. Why should anyone put in time for free. Some guys are at different shippers and receivers every day! Think of the time that would add up to! Dave

[@Charlieshomeimprovement]

ugh.... Here I thought I could drive truck during the Alberta bust.... Now I am not too sure, I am not very good at being used and abused.

[@PAairsofter]

How about being paid by percentage of the load? Technically it's on you to get it to the receiver for a fixed rate, no matter how long it takes.

[@michaelme3836]

This is a good and better idea also. I would need 30% off the top or 60% after fuel payments and no matter what, a good broker confirmation viewing system just to make sure the company isnt getting the load at $3000 and telling me they got it at $2000!!!

[@dks13827]

I am in a different business. I always followed trucking, however. It is so damned obvious that there is incompetence everywhere in trucking. Other businesses also, of course.

[@dondidykes9507]

you know when the companies hire the rookie drivers and one of the first things that happens is he driver wreaks the truck or tears the equipment up then the company's out more money for insurance and repairs or replacing the equipment that's when it cost everyone

[@dodgyaz]

Would it be possible for someone to start their own trucking company and pay fair wages etc to truckers? Just thinking that if you looked after your workers really well you would eventually crush the other big companies because you would have loyal workers and so could build the company up to be much bigger and more respected than the current major companies. Also the current largest companies would have to raise their pay rates to compete with you. I am sure its not as simple as that, but it would be good to see someone do that and crush these tightwads.

[@dodgyaz]

I guess you would need to find someone who would be willing to run a company who isnt a greedy S.O.B and would be happy with a fraction of what the CEOs of the big companies currently make. And someone with enough start up capital to buy a fleet of trucks to get it rolling.

[@SmartTrucking]

+Scott H Sounds good, the trouble is finding customers willing to pay you enough to pay your drivers well. Most shippers now don't want the best, they want the cheapest. Dave

[@bigbopete2667]

+Scott H I totally agree with you homie...

[@tommyreed8485]

Jose Oquendo I’m an owner operator Work my ass off but my compensation is way more than when I work for a company.I agree with the fact that drivers especially from down south and some of our European drivers don’t know know better and work for $1000 a week and believe that’s good money.I would never turn my truck on for $200 a day or waste my time.Drives are 50pct at fault for the race to the bottom.It happens to me at least once a week a broker cancels a load on me because another driver settles for peanuts.Well go ahead elephant and do tricks for your peanuts.I will not haul your freight for free!!You made some good points.

[@jay2033man1]

Howdy. Everything that has been said here is correct. There's nothing wrong with this video. However I have had 53 owner ops in my company that were paid handsomely. I had to fire all of them. Once in 2008 and once in 2015. The reason was the same both times. These drivers didn't understand how business works. One of the problems that I had was ops earning $5,000.00 in a week and then taking off no less than 10 days and up to 6 weeks then returning to work broke. Not even money for fuel and food. Also they believed that everything was supposed to please them. They didn't care enough about paying customers and it showed in their work. I have many incidents to share in explanation to my point but wanted to reiterate that the views expressed in this video are accurate and I agree with every point made.

[@SmartTrucking]

Jay, I have to admit that when I had a small company of my own I had the same experience. Not with all of my guys, but even one was too many. It is a full time business and business never rests. Dave

[@juandelossantos3934]

Unionize!

[@ericlopez2549]

I totally agree say no to free waiting time but unfortunately lots of drivers sit around for free that's the problem with the trucking industry the Mega carriers all they do is take advantage of drivers and believe it or not there is drivers out there that don't understand and don't get it that's why the industry is the way it is... I've been driving over 15 years I don't work for free I don't work for cheap and I definitely don't sit around for free.....

[@MattChase10-4]

Agreed!

[@sisutrucks]

what the big shipping companies do here are pushing the trucking companies to hire eastern european drivers that will drive for 1500 dollars per month. its no minimum wage laws so they can do that. so doing long haul with van trailers is in most cases pointless for we that try to run a serious business cant haul for that money, we need often twice the price. and foreign companies can haul loads inside another country within 6 days, 3 loads before have to leave, but many dont care and stay for weeks. thats killing the norwegian trucking companies. the only thing saving us some are the harsh winters and extreeme driving conditiones the foreigners cant handle. big money are screwing people all over the world.

[@SmartTrucking]

sisutrucks No minimum wage? Ugh that's brutal.

[@sisutrucks]

no minimum wage if not part of a union and the union and the company have some deal. normal pay per hour for norwegian workers are about 30 dollar. people wont work for less so many use cheap foreigners to make more money for themselves for they can be pushed to work for little money. thts not fair, but no one have manage to get it stoped yet. the unions dont want minimum wage laws for they will loose some power then and make less money also.

[@JasonBWSBKMotoAmerica]

Do your time and after the dust settles you will be making big money

[@beerrunner8153]

I have been off one week so far and don't plan on going back to work for another. Why? because I'm looking for a job again after spending over 5 years with this one and seeing nothing changing. I love trucking and have been in every city and every state in all kinds of weather. But I'm tired of giving my time away. 20 plus years in the seat and am at the top of my profession. And demand top pay and respect. Some place there will be a company for me.A place where I get paid for the work I do. Or will this be only a union job. I don't know.

[@SmartTrucking]

Beerrunner81 I know exactly how you feel. Good luck, hope the right job comes along, whether it's in trucking or it's not. dave

[@eugenebell83]

Beerrunner81 The ONLY job that you will EVER get paid for all of your time is a union job. Call the Teamsters and tell them you want them to represent you. Get your company in the union. If the union handled full load companies every full load company in the industry would pay more, same as it is in LTL. Good luck.

[@danthill007]

Beerrunner81 what area do you live in, because I haul cars home almost every day, work mon- fri and made over 80k last yr. Message me and I can give you the info for a terminal that will work with were you live in getting you home time and money.

[@beerrunner8153]

old american motoxer Thanks but I'm a Canadian driver and can't work for an American company. Not legally anyway.

[@danthill007]

Try Jack cooper or cassens they both have a couple terminals in canada

[@thuummmper]

first maxim of law--"a workman is worth his wage''

[@sonnypruitt6639]

Shoot!!! You just give me an 18-wheeler, and a CB radio, and shoot!! I haul that load for nothin!!!

[@SmartTrucking]

Yep, that's what they're hoping for! Dave

[@sonnypruitt6639]

***** Who's Dave?

[@ArcticCatsRock]

He's Dave lol

[@dondidykes9507]

Saddle Sore dam you are stupid that like some one that drives a brand new truck and dosen't make 25¢ a mile well if a truck runs good and doesn't break down all the time it could be a wheel barrel as long as i'm making money the nice truck doesn't matter

[@sonnypruitt6639]

Dondi Dykes You're another one who doesn't know sarcasm when you see it. Who's stupid now.

[@seventysevencorvette2488]

go union or park the trucks.if every driver parked their truck for three days they would change.if you say I can't afford it .you should find another job.most drivers will take it up the rear before they'll park a truck.if you're going to let them screw you at least make them use lube .

[@SmartTrucking]

+Seventyseven Corvette 10-4 Dave

[@adriannicholson8819]

that fuckin in sain i was going to sell up my fleet here in new zealand and move to the states know way in hell now. im staying here

[@backwoodsredneck8285]

I am confused. everywhere I look it says about $1000 a week is very average for company truck drivers. that's around $50,000 a year. compared to the average person that's huge. I am a former security enforcement officer going into trucking. I was making $24,000 a year. so trucking is double just to start. am I misinformed? I get nervous when I hear it's all the sacrifice but no good pay. what should I really expect?

[@SmartTrucking]

$35,000 is closer to the truth, but you'll work 90hrs a week for it. Dave

[@thomasbrown6156]

Don"t do it ! You get paid by the mile..You are not in control of anything.Many different people can ruin your day and it will waste your time and you wont get paid for it.

[@JasonBWSBKMotoAmerica]

Don't be confused my buddy has 4 years driving experience and is making 110,000 a year at walmart. Put your time in and get your experience. Be patient the money will roll in after you have your experience! Safe travels

[@terrywaters6186]

I find the ruined days far outnumber the days that go as planned.

[@snoozing68]

Jason B Good luck getting into Wal-Mart. Better off going to the local gas station and ask to buy a winning lottery ticket. Companies like Wal-Mart and UPS Freight pay well but are very strict with hiring.

[@dondidykes9507]

hell it was 3oclock the morning who knows what I was thinking

[@bellboy4074]

Good videos. Have you ever address "route miles" pay? It is just another way to screw the driver. The miles paid is always less than what has to be driven to make the delivery.

[@juandelossantos3934]

The sad thing on top of that is many deliveries are in higher traffic urban areas that require more time to travel and many companies don't pay the drop and hook wait time or live load or unload if it takes less than 2 hrs. So the shorter your trip the lower your rate of pay is. I lucked out with High Country Transportation they paid me 1k per week guaranteed minimum, but now the switched to o/o only.

[@mikec8057]

where's the teamsters, why don't they organize tracking like they did in the twenties and thirties. let these guys walk away from their trucks during the holiday weekend like the 4th of July.

[@alexsweet7565]

WE NEED TO SAVE UP OR MONEY FOR 5 YEARS AND THEN GO ON STRIKE!!! Let the Driver Dispatcher and every one in Office to deliver. I see more none U.S.A Drivers every day some of who can not speak or write English. So they take the Driver Written test in there Native Language.

[@juandelossantos3934]

We need a union to represent and negotiate a contract that prohibits out sourcing.

[@johnmcadams8008]

that's called co oo p e r ed greeeeeeeed

[@charlieharrison6453]

if you dont it they will get a imigrant to do it