[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

And every other truck driver on the forums.
Have you broken down your pay as it pertains to the time you put in on the job? I would wager that you'll discover that you're making much less than minimum wage.
I ran team expedited cargo which helped a little because while I was sleeping in the bunk, I was still making money but, I couldn't relax at home with a beer while I was doing it. Eight hours on duty driving and eight hours in the bunk sleeping for twenty-one days at a time gets old really quick.
Living on the road isn't cheap by any stretch of the imagination and our government in their infinite wisdom still chose to screw us over during our first year on the road by not allowing any per diem deductions on the yearly tax forms.Don't even get me started on the DOT regulations for drivers. I was grossing $1000.00 a week on average as a junior team driver. I would suspect that a solo driver makes much less.

The burger flippers should thank their lucky stars that they get to go home every night.

^Precisely-3 years beside a 290 Cummins diesel with a mattress-lessons learned! My current employer has tried to make me a salaried employee as I, at 64, am his most reliable response-agent 24/7 based on a 60 hour week (essentially $10.00 per hr.) and he'll even pay an allowaance for my car! NO deal! Even unarmed guys make $12.00 an hour. I simply charge .25 cents a minute and .25 cents a mile...from when I leave the house to when I fax the paper work upon returning to the mancave back at home. No raise in ten years, no benefits, no O/T, no paid vacation, no holiday pay. And he's always complaining I'm too expensive! If he 'aggrieves' me-ie utilizes my time in any way-he pays- that's it; 'no gifts'. And I can get seriously deformed in this so-called profession. My S.S. and the tax deductions just for the 40k+ miles a year and office/garage space overhead off the house payments make up the difference on the combined return...enough to keep me in the saddle. Thank you tax payers-"it takes a village.... "