I’ve started a series of BS in Trucking, here’s part two - Dispatchers kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f9WRfaR307LOlYk.html

"You'll be home every weekend." Yeah, because the truck is your home.

A late neighbor of mine retired as a trucker...started up his own trucking regional outfit...wound up running 5 trucks weekly for 10 years...paid his drivers very well . had his own fleet mechanic, paid bonuses, his profit went strictly into the business...paid himself a SMALL salary..the drivers made more than he did !! When he passed away from a sudden heart attack, the business profit more than took care of his family...very good man...his wife ran the company for 5 more years..passed it on to the daughter..still going strong..now has 18 trucks. all of them International sleepers..all bought in cash...no credit or truck payments...4 of the original drivers are still with the company,,,2 sit on the company's board of directors. Profit sharing and great 401.K...

The biggest lie i've been told is things like, "We take safety seriously." Or "Safety first and always". Bottom line if it comes between your safety and their money.... they choose their money every time.

You forgot the "we are a family here, you are not just a number"

I've been a truckdriver for many years: my advice- talk to a driver of the company you are applying to. Find them at a truck stop or follow them to a stop if it's local. I've never met a truckdriver that didn't want to give his opinion about his job.

The trucking industry held me for 4 months. I figured out quick that it's not worth working in an industry in need of such massive reform. "Debt peonage" couldn't be more accurate. "Indentured servitude" would be a good term for it as well. You would not believe how many of these companies try to get brand new drivers to lease trucks just to be indebted to the company. It's a predatory system that robs the workers of their livelihoods. Many of these people have little to no education and don't see it coming until they're underwater and out of options and that’s why I had to make research about governmental grants and hired a licensed professional grant writer who helped me in securing a grant and I could start up a business for myself.

"Mileage pay is better than percentage pay." The company didn't lie! They just left out the fact that it is better for the company, not the driver.

Walmart. $110,000+ One Walmart after another and distribution center. No city, no tight places, no nothing.

I've been driving for 10 years. The best advice I have for new drivers is get your OTR Experience then do whatever you want to do I hear most companies want you to stay two years now. Every company will tell a lie. Find the company that guarantee a certain pay, has breakdown pay, preferably has a terminal near you, and most importantly, as a new driver don't refuse loads. Run hard, get there on time and you'll get good miles. Lastly, NEVER drive the truck if you feel unsafe due to road conditions or equipment issues no matter how much the dispatcher encourages you to do so. You're reliable for that equipment, your life and the next person's life on the road. You can't tell DOT or the judge that your dispatcher told you to drive unsafe. I forgot to add, if you're tired and you're on the way to your delivery, pull over. Get out and walk around. If that doesn't work, take a nap. No load is worth your life. Make your phone calls and let those who need to know what's going on. Just don't make a habit out of it

The 5 dislikes are from trucking companies 😂

As a 20+ year veteran truck driver, I always heard the saying "if the grass looks greener on the other side that just means they're flinging more sh🤬t/manure. Meaning another company may tell/lie to you with all these wonderful perks but it's just a bunch of crap. So always do ALOT of research into companies and I've always tried to talk to several of their company drivers to get the truth.

Thanks to all the Truck drivers for what you do for America!

Considering the shortage of drivers, you'd think the companies would treat drivers better. Not a truck driver, but we depend on them 100%. They deserve better pay and more respect.

" Your Safety is our concern" one of the biggest B.S when you have to drive thru hell to get the load delivered.

I heard of truck drivers calling their dispatcher, telling them where the truck is located, where they hid the key, quitting the company and they'd be taking a plane, bus or some other alternative to get back home. In other words, F.O. I quit!

One of the biggest lies I've seen in trucking over the years isn't what they say, rather its what they make you think in that first three months of driving for the company. What they'll do is give you a bunch of loads that lay on a golden road. It'll all seem great, with good home time, good sleep, and easy one hit wonders. But after you've been there for more than four months, they'll switch it up. They'll start giving you crap loads. They'll give you night loads. They'll give you loads that start at 2 AM, and ones that have 5-6 stops. What they are doing is using you, because you are a hard worker and don't complain. In effect, you become the 'go to' guy. Great, so now you're a top driver that doesn't complain. Pats on the back? Who gives a rip about that. What you want is more money and better home time. You won't get it unless you become an arse-hole. At that point you become a red-flag for dispatch, or the guy that they loath dealing with. Basically, these companies know how to use people and they do not, DO NOT, care about you personally.

as a new driver, especially as a company driver, the number of lies will GREATLY outweigh the number of truths you are told -don't expect to get home "on time"... ever. -don't expect to get anywhere near what they tell you you're going to make -if you're not comfortable driving in bad weather, choose a different profession -if someone (at the company) tells you "you can trust me"... never trust that person -if a dispatcher tells you "that load needs to keep moving" when you're going across WY on I-80, in the winter, with high winds, and a light load... guaranteed they are lying to you, the customer will prefer to have their product late than scattered along the interstate AND you can damn well bet the company will be the first one to throw you under the bus... -IF YOU DOUBT YOUR ABILITY TO GET THE TRUCK SAFELY DOWN THE ROAD... PARK IT... THE DRIVER IS ALWAYS HELD ACCOUNTABLE

I drove for 28 years, both OTR, LTL (P&D/Line/Dock), and LTL OTR in a daycab (Motels every night, Western 11). Here are the facts as I saw them: Overall, I had a blast, and don't regret trucking at all! It was VERY good to me! BUT there are some VERY serious times/moments in trucking! Be prepared! Experience gained will make those moments a little easier to deal with. NEVER EVER drive if you KNOW you shouldn't! Everyone is different, but the bottom line is, YOU are responsible when you get behind the wheel! Not comfortable driving on ice? DON'T! Of course, it will be smart to learn at your leisure though, practice in a big parking lot, driving around Bobtail first, get the feel of the tractor on ice, on flat surface, or better yet, go out in your own car when you can, and get that feel first, and work up. It is your CDL, not the company's! Protect it! I told EVERY company I ever drove for (5), I will get fired for being SAFE before I'll kill someone! Period! It's simple, be safe, be smart, be nice! :)

As an OTR driver for a major carrier I got home every 2 to 3 months for the first year. I drove through Montana, Idaho, Washington, Utah and Colorado all Winter long. Frozen brakes, chaining, and road closures were routine. After one year something changed. That's the point they gave me a brand new truck and started listening to my requests. The pay was always poor though when you consider the risks involved. I finished up pulling Walmart loads from Reno (down Donner pass) to San Francisco and back 3 times a week. Not fun.

I gave up O.O. In 1989. Watching these vids makes me so glad I did! I landed a Union LTL job and been at it ever since. Home every night, 2,930 miles a week. 5 years to retirement, thank God!

You guys need a website to organize and put companies who screw drivers on a list of don't drive for unless in writing contract! Let's do this my fellow Americans.

A recruiter is like a politician if their mouth is moving they are lying.

Also, be careful what you wish for on the miles. I drove for a certain company for seven years. We got 175,000 miles a year. The turnover was atrocious. People think they want a lot of miles, but once they get them, they start to realize how hard it is, and how much they wish they were just sitting at home on the couch watching football.

Great video. Wish I did a little more research before I became a trucker, but I learned as I went and learned some lessons the hard way. My biggest pieces of advice to new drivers: 1) Safety/not crashing - priority #1 2) Go in with low expectations your first year (don't expect to make 100k out of the gate) 3) Use the first year as a learning experience. Focus on being a great/safe driver and learning the ins-and-outs of the industry and like he said. Go company year 1. You don't need the extra stress of leasing or owning

If most of us can stick together we can dictate terms wake up rookies and big company drivers . Your worth more than your being paid !! We must organize now brothers and sisters

I been in trucking 20 years. Lied about: its a Dedicated Run, good pay, Guaranteed Home Time, no down time…. Too much bs in trucking. Not to mention cars constantly cutting u off. My biggest complaint is that people who never drove a truck are in charge of truck drivers; DOT, dispatchers, shippers, receivers…..

I drive for one of the VERY few companies that debunks every word you said in this video. OTR, home EVERY weekend. Paid mileage, make more than I did at percentage rates and the list goes on. They say what they mean and mean what they say. Definitely 1 in a million job. And it only took 20 years to find it.

The biggest problem in trucking is getting paid for your breakdowns you're lost time at shippers and receivers and all of the free unpaid time you give. Nothing like expecting $1,000 a week and only 500 to 600.

My favorite is "we care about you, and we respect you".

If your new and looking for a job, write this stuff down and don't be scared to look back at it when you're talking to a potential employer. This is important stuff to not forget to ask them.

I know for a fact that you are speaking the absolute truth. Thank you, because there are a lot of people here on KZfaq lying and misleading people for likes and adsense money.

32 year's in the industry & you Sir are spot on & thank u

A lot of the mega carriers aren't trucking companies. They're financial institutions designed to take truckers money.

"We'll get you home for important dates . . . doctor's appointments, anniversaries, birthdays, holidays."

As a driver currently looking for his 2nd job after 4 years in the industry as a company driver your telling the truth and no lies. People need to hear these uncomfortable truths and see if they're built for this lifestyle. Thanks brother for your honesty, and you definitely got a new subscriber

I used to be a Driver, Recruiter, Safety Manager and Dispatch throughout my transportation career and I must agree with you.

Rule #1 don’t work for a company with over 50 trucks. Preferably under 20, and trust me they’ll threat you like their child and you’ll be home weekends etc. work hard for a year and get you a starter truck and run as owner op, for that same company and pay a low 10% etc. everything else is bs. Stay safe y’all

My grandpaw retired in 1997 after 35 years as an OTR driver. In 1997 (his last year working), he brought home $102,000 which was almost unheard of. He also retired with a pretty massive 401k (he drew $2,300 a month PLUS his $3,300 SS and a smaller pension from a job he had before driving). So he was set for life after 30+ years of driving and even though he was riddled with back problems and eventually died from an aneurysm, he always said trucking was a good job and a free way to see “the beautiful USA.”

I only drove for 5 yrs. before retiring and have been retired for 11 yrs. now, so things may have changed...but I doubt it. I do know that some things have changed...for the worse. This video brings out many very good points. In some states, just finding a place to park over night can be a real problem. I also had a problem with dispatchers telling me what I should do, how I should drive, etc. when they had never been behind the wheel of a truck in their lives. I was a good, safe driver and only had one mishap that was not my fault. Remember, you are the one responsible for that truck. If you are not comfortable going some place, you can refuse to go. I was once told I had to dead head 120 miles (no mileage pay), pick up a load from another driver, and drive 25 miles into N.Y. City. I refused the load. They told me I HAD to do it. I told them I didn't. I could leave that truck right where it was and take a bus home. Also, one thing they always forget to mention. Living in a truck takes a special kind of person. Some times you end up parking over night in places you really don't want to be. Even truck stops can be hazardous. I was waken one night to the sounds of police and ambulance sirens. A woman was found in the parking lot that had been slit from her crotch to her neck. I found out months later that the truck stop had been shut down due to all the criminal activity.

Really appreciate this video bro, I’m in CDL school now it’s my first week in due to graduate with my CDL in August, I appreciate you keeping it real with us especially on the owner lease thing. It’s a lot of people on this platform who appear to be succeeding but like u said everyone reach that level it’s just not that easy honestly

I remember helping a new driver put on chains before going east over Donner pass one night. I could tell he was very nervous just thinking about it. I tried to give him tips and suggestions but you all know that's not going to help. Didn't hear about any wrecks that trip so I hope he made it over safely. Thank you sir for being honest trucking is not for everyone

If they have a recruiting department...run!!!!!

That's the truth. I just subscribed to your channel and shared this video with Facebook Trucking Groups.

Im a young diesel mechanic for a trucking company. I learned a lot about what our drivers deal with from this video. Thanks man

As a new driver one thing I struggle with is trying to express a difficulties that I'm facing with my bosses who have never driven a truck and are completely ignorant and clueless about the situations I'm put in... it's like talking to a brick wall. These office ladies on one hand were saying that they care most about safety, but they were basically telling me to not be safe because they only care about the trailers being unloaded. What they want me to do is the complete opposite of what experienced drivers have told me to do. Another one of these ladies told me to go to a extremely small parking lot(middle of the day, tiny lot, cars everywhere)and sleep there for the night at the site which was impossible to do... luckily I had enough time to shut down and drive at night when it was empty. But had I listened to her I would have gotten in an accident and possibly fired while she's sitting at her office without a care in the world. Another thing I struggle with is that they often give me loads with impossible delivery times... yet I won't get a stupid safety bonus when the load is predictably late. The office staff is even worse than some of the struggles on the road it seems.

I started with FFE also. They promised me that after going through their 2 weeks truck driving school and 6 weeks OTR training that they would put me in a truck of my own (not that I owned it but that it would be my truck to drive). After 9 weeks of OTR training being paid $300/week, they sent me home and told me to wait for a call. I trained in Fort Worth, TX, and, at the time, lived in Cincinnati, OH. No work, no money and bills to pay. They broke their contract with me and it took them 2 or 3 weeks before they called me to travel back to Texas to get in a truck. I didn't bother taking their calls. They then sent me a $4200 bill for the training. I threatened to sue them. They backed down. Don't take shit from asshole companies. They need you more than you need them.

Love this video 📸 was laughing all the way through iykyk The newbies have to feel the horrible truth first. Been driving 30 plus years 62 years old 4 more to retire. You really clarified this for them 😂😂😂😂

I'm not a driver, but your tutorial seems genuine. I'm familiar with the trucking industry and you are correct. I've seen other videos from drivers that are unrealistic that your message explains. You have my respect.

Just started my own trucking company. Definitely want to be on the opposite side of this video. I want drivers to come work for me! Not regret working for me.

Were a family oriented company, but at the drop of the hat they will through you under the bus. The best word to learn as a company driver is NO!!!!

I would not recommend driving more than 2300-2500 weekly. A few years will permanently damage your back

The only companies I work for are in Truck simulator, and have no idea why I'm here.

There’s absolutely no reason why small or big companies should make you drive in bad weather !! Or make you drive sick 😷

I drove for 20 years and I can tell you that everything you’re said is exactly correct

I’ve been driving 16 years and I’m a training Thank you the video well said all Facts I can’t explain this enough to my students I will share this with my students

I just started a new trucking job. I’m hauling trailers for Amazon. This company has been totally transparent. Prior to accepting the job I was shown what other drivers are earning. I can work contracts planned out months in advance or I can go on the load board and choose what loads I want to run. If Amazon decides to cancel a load before I head out I get paid $500 for doing nothing and can then choose another load. If they cancel after I leave I get paid the full amount. For example I bobtailed from Ohio down to North Carolina for a pick up, I took my 10 hour, woke up and found out they canceled my load. Bobtailed back to Ohio and made $650 for doing nothing but some peaceful driving. I get paid mileage or 26% of the load, whichever pays out more. Right now I’m running 1 and a half day trips. I only live 20 minutes away so I get to do my 10 hour resets at home. I run three trips a week. I’m not saying I have a dream job, their insurance sucks, but everything they told me has been the truth. Could things be better, of course but for now I’m content.

30 year driver here .I've driven for Verry large companies to as small as only 4 drivers what I can tell you always choose smaller companies an enjoy your career!!

I really like the way you explain the simple logic which by the way applies to other trades marketing. Thank you.

As a Canadian driver who worked for companies doing cross border work, these are the lies I heard: - "you'll have a stable job as long as you don't have accidents" - they'll let you go for anything, random karens calling and complaining, if a load is delayed or denied at the border, tickets for poor maintenance, arguing with dispatch even though you are 100% right, telling dispatch that you can't drive a truck or pull a trailer because you found a major defect - this one can get you terminated really fast with some companies. And even though it's illegal for companies to fire you for this, they will, and if you are not unionized (like most of the industry), you won't get your job back, but you will get unemployment insurance. Yay, a pay cut and job loss for doing the right thing. Isn't that cool? Yeah, that's how they play - "we pay all miles" - the contract has fine print that says they pay based on a straight line between two locations. (called air miles, or as the bird flies) - "we pay all tolls" - while 1 company had EZpass, most of them required me to pay the toll with cash and get reimbursed. 99% of the time I paid out of pocket, no reimbursement. They'll use every excuse under the sun to avoid reimbursement including lying about not receiving a copy of the receipt, so you have to send them 10 copies and call HR to get paid. Or they'll pay you the reimbursement and then use creative accounting to deduct it from your next paycheque - "you need more training" - if they say this, it's baloney, start looking for another job because they are building a case to get rid of you. This usually happens after you argue with dispatch over something or if a customer complains about something - "we never push our drivers" - I never got to plan out any trips as an OTR. I was given tight deadlines and I had only enough time to enter the address into my GPS and start driving right away or I'd be late for my delivery appointment. I've also had dispatchers call me while I'm using the urinal at a truck stop and they were panicking about why I stopped to use the bathroom. - "you don't need to take a 30 minute break because you're Canadian" - oh yes I do. In the USA you must follow the US HoS and there is no exception - "if you get a clean DOT inspection, we'll give you a safety bonus" - I had a clean DOT level 1, never got a penny extra. Had a spotless record, no CVOR points, no tickets, no demerit points, still no safety bonus. - "you get a $1500 signup bonus" - never got it. That was a pile of baloney - "earn over 100k per year and be your own boss" - No, as a company driver, you are not the boss. Dispatch tells you what to do, and you will be lucky to make about 70k per year if you push yourself and drive legally within the HoS. One thing that I learned about customer service, is that once a customer gets angry, start recording immediately, stop talking to them, and get the hell off their property. That is the best way to deal with them. The reason is that they will, in every situation, try to escalate a simple disagreement and then threaten to call police to report a trespass. If you leave, they can't escalate it to a police call. Once you are off their property and away from the menace, give your dispatch a call. Anything you say will end up used against you, so you have to word it correctly. If you just leave their property, there isn't much they can do because you avoided a confrontation. Some customers, and I'm talking about big customers here - like glaxosmithkline/unilever/proctor&gamble/johnson&johnson, you guys know who you are, they have the worst employees on the earth to deal with and will cause you to pull your hair out. Just avoid confrontation and get yourself physically away from them and then call your dispatch. Send them the video evidence of how you were treated. Ignore the prohibition on cameras, because in this day in age, there is no legal remedy the company can use against you if you start recording when they start a confrontation, because now it becomes evidence. If they start yelling at you, you have the upper hand as long as you get it recorded on video and never respond to it. I made the mistake a few times of badmouthing security guards after they started yelling at me, and I learned pretty quick to start recording their behaviour and to never respond back.

I’ve found in my years of trucking that the small family companies are the best to drive for. They actually care about the driver. I’ve been with the company I drive for now going on nine years and they have been wonderful! We are well taken care of and they keep us in new equipment.

If you have a family and/or are married, don’t be a truck driver. Too many wife, divorce, cheating stories to count from other drivers.

You definitely hit a lot of key points and everything you said was a 1000 percent true. Even down to the lease companies. I always suggest lease thru the dealer and get a better a rate and then lease on to a company.

I know nothing about trucking. I really enjoyed being schooled. There was so many points I never thought of.Thank you for the great video.

Living in Wyoming and having had my CDL-A for 25 years my best advice is to not only put every single state's hwy condition phone number into your smart phone. Couple that with some great advice I got from a former safety director--"if you need chains you have no reason to be on the road--park it".

My best friend was OTR, he got really sick. He was rarely able to make it to drs. He died at 46. But it wasn’t the truck’s fault, it was situational & choices he made. I’m glad you’re making videos that explain the truths about the job. It’s not just a job it’s a lifestyle too depending on the situation.

Man, are you really a truck driver? The way you present information makes me think you're a highly rated professor. God Bless!

Thank you gobs. Getting ready to start school. Little nervous. Not because the driving (well little bit) but mostly getting scammed.

“I spoke to their office and they are going to get you in and out.”

Im retired now but was in flatbed trucking 40 yrs. What this gentleman is saying is TRUE. If your new to it, Get a few yrs in as a company driver and if you have a good record you can then pick and chose your company more freely. If you enjoy the job and after doing it for 4 years or longer and you want to be an OO then go for it with your eyes open now that your more comfortable and confident. Good luck

Thank you for the important info and time you took

I’ve been in the Trucking industry for a long time. I’ve been paid by the mile, hourly etc. Hourly is the best because you’re getting paid something for the entire time you’re in that truck. Even though trucking companies don’t have to pay overtime, hourly is still the best. If you have a perfect record you can also negotiate with some companies. IF YOU SETTLE FOR LESS, THEN THAT IS WHAT YOU WILL GET! SOONER OR LATER CONGRESS HAS TO REGULATE THESE TRUCKING COMPANIES BY PAYING TRUCKERS HOURLY ALONG WITH TIME AND A HALF FOR OVERTIME! GOOD DRIVERS ARE IN DEMAND!! GOOD LUCK!!

We care about you're safety....when really all they care about is THEIR liability..

As a Canadian, when driving on ice, slow and steady, and dont slam on the brakes or the gas, basically try to keep grip on the road by giving minimum gas and brake input

Casually looking into getting my CDL, this video is incredible information. Thank you!

Thanks for the inside info!

I remember hearing every one of those lies. I even had the first truck I was given to drive, an old cabover, had the brakes go out while driving in Oregon. Fun times.

"We'll treat you like family" is a good one too.

Thank you so much for this info.

Retired at 18 years OTR, I have to say thanks for the reminder of what I'm not missing. Stay safe out there.

I was there and witnessed this: at a trucking company orientation, some drivers objected to being lied to after having traveled many states away by bus to work for this company beCAUSE of the promises of benefits made by recruiters, and the woman running the orientation could not care less. Her attitude was: so what?

Detention pay. They tell you after 48 hours you start getting detention pay but call you in 47 hr and 59 mins to give you a 200 mile load and they repeat it and you find out you only make 30k at the end of the year after they promise 100k+

This is so useful! I’ll be getting out of the army with a cdl-a and I’m thinking about making a career out of it. Either that or going back to school for diesel tech

They say Truck driver shortage is made up. It’s just that a lot of people were quitting their trucking jobs cuz there is a lot of cdl holders for companies to pin us against eachother to work for lower pay

Sounds like our trucking companies in the U.K. “come work for us and you’ll get X Y & Z” then you go drive for them and you realise their just as bad as the company you left😏

Wait! What!? Trucking Companies BS me!? 🤦‍♂️ I can't believe it! I feel so used😂🤣. Great vid and all true!

Dude you nailed it! I drove for 18 months for Best In Crash yes Jerry Moyce! It was the worst employment experience in my life coming from flying for airlines then corporate flying to slumming in a truck! 🤯🛫

This was good lol. You’re funny, yet so transparent.

When you have a marriage and kids or other obligations .. DON’T BE A TRUCK DRIVER 😳😱

The Police should arrest the people who are guilty of fraud and misrepresentation. - TAV ❤

Yeah I got out of trucking in 2009 and never looked back. I’m a school bus driver now and I love it. Your mileage may vary

DRIVER!!!! I'VE BEEN A FLATBED TRUCKER FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS,AND EVERY WORD THAT YOU'VE SAID IS TRUE 👍!!!!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORKS 💪 👍 👌 🙆‍♂️

I drove trucks for nearly 30 years before I retired 2 years ago. I actually only wanted to do about 2,000 miles a week, but the Company usually had me run 2,500 miles a week. I was home every weekend. Yes, pretty much most Trucking Companies lie to New Hires to get them in the door. Before I retired, it always amazed me how many drivers came to Orientation knowing that they would Not pass the Drug Screen Test.

Lease purchase... You meant to say “Fleece Purchase”.

Good insights man, you'll save a lot of truckers an arm and a leg.

Driving a huge truck in a city is what kept me from becoming a truck driver after the Army. I drove a Bradley Fighting Vehicle and when we hit buildings and stuff it was 'Oh well' or even "Hell yeah' . I doubt that's the case in civilian trucking. Anyway, the thought of getting wedged in a busy city with people honking and yelling at you sounds like a bad trigger for my PTSD.

When getting your first job trucking, remember you are dealing with a recruiter. Even if they say they have been driving for 20 years, the recruiter has seats to fill and that’s all they care about. I generally ask to speak with someone from the safety department and then a dispatcher. Being polite and confident of course. Also, from one driver to the next the experience will be different. Best way to make money in this industry is keep your ass in the seat. Your own work ethic will be your biggest ally/enemy.

My favorite is, "We are 95% Drop and hook" when you are getting live loaded/unloaded all the time!

Thanks! Very informative!

This is what I needed to hear. Facts, no hype.