Yesterday started early, I did a quick local load from Monroe, Michigan, to Avon, Ohio. It was a round trip for the Ford assembly plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, of interior body panels. Four racks of these panels filled the truck up. Then I sat in Perrysburg for several hours, at first at the yard, then I just went home to wait for them to figure out my next move. The next move turned out to be a couple of beer runs today. My first run will be going out to Rockford, Illinois, then back here to load again for Jackson, Michigan. The result was a decent number of miles yesterday, but today may end up a bit short.
The biggest problem with these beer runs from my view point is the fact that it takes so much time to get loaded and unloaded at each end. This time limits the number of runs one can do on already short miles. It would be best if they got a some drivers and gave them a guaranteed amount to cover all these short runs. Then no matter how many short runs they do, they are assured of a decent pay check. We all know that the company is making money on these runs, so the drivers need to make some as well.
This type of load really makes a good argument for being paid hourly. For that matter the fact that we can work a 14 hour day without getting any overtime is another argument for being paid hourly. I don't think any other industry can work as long a day and not get any overtime. This is why the Teamsters seems to do so well at the short haul places, like Yellow, UPS, and a few others. The drivers know they are not getting paid enough for the time spent with the freight, so they brought in the union and got a contract that pays them by the hour.
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