I have never been a fan of the Unions like the Teamsters specifically in how they lean to the democratic communist left, embrace a socialistic form of government. When they take monthly dues moneys from hard working members and give it to political forces like the Obama Campaign I have to say, STOP IT!
Stop supporting a form of government that is hell bent on controlling people like stupid Lemmings!
Having said that, if the Unions would recognize they are wrong and are playing fiddle to the trade guilds and political Communists trying to control the world, it they would turnaround and go in a new direction adopting the American "WE THE PEOPLE" mindset, and when we see the FAT CAT UNION BOSSES GIVE UP THEIR HUGE SALARIES AND BECOME MORE OF A SERVANT TO THEIR MEMBERS THAN A KING.....only then could I change my opinion of the Unions.
Having said that, I recently picked up a job driving Over The Road for FedEx hopping for what was represented to me as being an American Company. I have quickly learned FedEx is NOT a company based upon American Values or the US Constitution. They are a corporation carbon copy of a Socialist company using every loop hole their filthy lawyers can find to horde a buck for themselves and screw the contractor drivers and contracted help! I have seen it first hand when Management to Dispatchers will dispatch prepaid power to outside trucking companies like SWIFT, C.R. ENGLAND, and CRST then force dedicated teams to sit and wait at a terminal like Denver, Phoenix, Portland and Chicago for over 16 hours. Their is NO compensation for the wait and the condescending attitude that comes down line to the OTR drivers from FedEx Management and Dispatchers is be thankful you have a job I have the authority to have you fired. They want people to simply do the work and never question authority.
Now for most CDL drivers considering a job with a FedEx contractor do the math!
If the contractor is offering you .22 cents per every mile that the truck runs, at first glance that sounds like a competitive rate. A truck could drive as much as 1200 miles per day, you could earn $264.00 per day.
But here is the harsh reality, a driver departs from Sacramento at 4pm and it takes 6.25 hours to get to Reno because of Snow Chaining up etc., the miles driven are 146 that works out to each driver earning $5.13 per hour. Then in Reno they are delayed 6 hours waiting for a load and then getting a loaded trailer with faulty lights, then waiting for a service truck to make the necessary repairs.
Now the drivers have earned a whopping $2.62 per hour.
Then next driver gets into the drivers seat and hammers down the throttle he is able to pick up some time averaging the truck at 68 mph in 9.75 hours he has driven 664 miles the driver has earned $146 dollars that works out to being $14.98 per hour
The drivers switch and the first driver resumes driving to the Denver hub at an average speed of 62 PMH. Once arriving they drop the two trailers then go into the line-hall office to get a new hook slip. They are told they will have to wait until they get two trailers loaded, when asked how long will that take they are told it will be some time in the morning around 6AM. That will be and 12.5 hour wait!
Here is another issue that Safety managers, Management and Drivers fail to consider, the drivers are already acclimated to a sleep schedule having a delay like this causes the drivers to interrupt their sleep schedule forcing a driver to either work a back to back shift or the other driver gets into the drivers seat to do the driving when he has been in a sleeping mode.
I recently did a loop with a team driver where I drove 1927 miles and my co-driver drove 1113 miles yet we both get paid equally what the truck drives it took us 76 hours to complete this loop due to the FedEx delays and weather. that works out to earning $8.80 dollars per hour! (being a greater at Wal-Mart seams to be more appealing to me that risking my life out here on the road with all the inexperienced drivers out here driving Swift, CR England, Pride, Central Refrigerated and Warner drivers.)
This is the biggest issue I have with the Trucking industry at large is a driver is responsible for the operation of a truck from start to finish of each load, then the driver should be compensated properly for his time! NOT paying simply from point A to point B, but paying the driver for his mandatory DOT pre-trip inspection, time fueling, loading and unloading time etc. My attitude is I'm on the clock from the moment I get into the truck to the point I am finished with the load and I'm heading home to see my lovely wife and kids. Sleeping in a truck is NOT my idea of a good time, especially when its bouncing down the rough roads in Communist Controlled California!