A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK FOR LITTLE PAY: Truck drivers are expected to drive up to fourteen hours straight a day, receiving roughly ten hours off prior to the beginning of the next shift. Legislation regulating the amount of driving a trucker performs over the course of a day and week does exist, but these rules are commonly bent and broken. Truckers rarely receive more than one day of work off a week. The chance of dying on the job is extremely high, with deaths of truckers in auto accidents accounting for 12% of all work related deaths in the United States. All this comes with a paltry average annual salary of just under $38,000. A trucker can easily work 4400 hours a year, coming to an hourly wage of $8.70. In addition to long hours, most drivers rarely eat three hot meals a day. Many truckers live off of prepackaged, high calorie snacks during the day. When truckers do stop for the night, they often eat a large, unhealthy meal before settling into bed. The hours worked by truck drivers make it nearly impossible to make or keep medical appointments. This limits their options when a health problem arises, leading many truck drivers to ignore symptoms. While big rigs have sleeping quarters in them, truck drivers still need to find a place to park at the end of each day. States are continually shutting down designated trucker rest stops along interstates to cut costs, leaving truckers to park along interstates or in empty parking lots to get a nights rest. The brokers in the trucking business are out of control. They in many cases take upwards of 45% of the pay for each load and have become the major part in the rapid downfall of the Independent and Owner Operator business sector of this industry. These Owner Operators and Leased On drivers need to join together very quickly or they will watch their incomes become even worse as many brokers continue to offer ridiculously cheap freight and the drivers costs continue to increase. Becoming a truck driver combines a rapidly decreasing pay scale, a lifestyle that leads to poor health, and continual stress stemming from making stops and finding a place to sleep at night. Is it a desirable job? To some it is the perfect career choice. Is the job necessary to sustain modern lifestyles? ABSOLUTELY. Lets hope we can alleviate these health and lifestyle problems before this necessary part of our service-based society erodes away. So to anyone out there who has never even considered the amount of commitment, willpower and determination required to be sure that you all have the necessary goods and products on the shelves of everywhere you shop, be sure to take a moment to think about the millions of men and women out there making it happen every day. And the above mentioned daily job related hurdles, are only just a few of what a Trucker has to deal with every day. Make sure you Thank A Trucker. And stand behind them when you see the ridiculous and irresponsible laws and regulations being imposed on the industry. Thank you Drivers, for all that you do. God Bless and Be Safe!
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 22:37:35 +0000
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