In the U.S., most OTR drivers are paid by the mile. Australia, though, is ending that practice

[Lawrence]

(From Fleetowner)

WASHINGTON. Australia is in the process of eliminating pay by the mile for many of its truck drivers, and replacing it with guaranteed minimum hourly wages, a program the government is calling “safe rates.”

The program was approved last month by that government’s Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal and will go into effect on April 4 for owner-operators who are in the long-haul and food services market sectors.

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[BigStickJr]

The story states that at some locations the average loading delay went from SEVEN HOURS when paid by the mile to 23 Minutes when paid hourly !
Hummm.....

 

[Skyline]

Shippers and receivers that make drivers wait for hours, because they are to cheap to employ more forklift drivers, create a safety risk to drivers and the public, especially after a 10 hour drive, and they make you wait to get unloaded. I think there should be pay per mile and time payed at the dock by the shipper. That is only fair. Why should I pay for a companies lack of management skill when it comes to their warehouse operations. I am not in the business of subsidizing some billion dollar customer with my time. The shipper should pay my leasing company and they should pay me. I think there should be much more conversation about this topic. Please note that I am talking about shippers and receivers and not your dispatching company. Do I have a point or not?

 

[OntarioVanMan]

In my career I've come across shippers that know exactly that they have a 2-3 hr window to load us or unload us before D Time kicks in....and they take full advantage of it...it really is a piss off to know in 1 hour and 55 minutes you will get loaded...

 

[beachbum]

Reading some of the posts in this thread shows me that O/O's and company drivers have no clue about how businesses run. I say this because being paid nothing waiting for a load is the trucking companies problem not the shipper or receiver problem. Trucking companies refuse to charge these companies for fear of losing the freight to their competition instead of wiring about their drivers or for o/o's their bottom line.

noe the only way to change the per mile or no pay while waiting for loads will come down to Congress changing the law for trucking since this isn't the 1830's anymore and making driver pay per the hour not the mile. The other solution is the major players in trucking become unionized, which would make the rates higher for everyone in the industry.

The above is just how I fell about trucking since I've been in this industry since the 1900's.

 

[Tobster317]

I agree with beachbum. So of the big players belong to association with each other and they go to meeting and I'm sure they come up with some stuff together but is any of it put into play? Then when they leave they talk bad about or try to steal each others freight, driver etc.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

do I agree with you.....Some Carriers are literally gutless when it comes to billing..they fold to the brokers and 3pls and customers...in the name of competition..instead of using thier group power ( isn't that what all these Associations are for?) they simply give us away...again reducing the industry to what it has become....and then whine and blame others for whats happening....they need to take thier share of the blame....no more putting a straight truck load on a Sprinter type vehicle for CV rates....charge the proper fare...yes you'll probably take a hit...but it is good for the future of this business....