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"Too much sitting around" in trucking means no money because most over-the-road (OTR) drivers are paid by the mile, so their income stops when their wheels stop turning
. Time spent waiting at docks, due to breakdowns, or between loads significantly cuts into a driver's potential earnings.
How sitting around impacts driver pay
- Wasted time at docks: Drivers can spend several hours waiting for a shipment to be loaded or unloaded, which directly reduces their income potential for that day. The industry standard allows for a grace period, typically two hours, before any compensation for detention time might be paid.
- Low detention pay: When detention pay is provided, it is usually an hourly rate that is significantly lower than a driver's potential hourly earnings if they were on the road. According to a 2018 Department of Transportation study, drivers lose over a billion dollars in pay each year due to detention.
- Missed opportunities: Excessive wait times, especially for one delivery, can cause a driver to miss their next scheduled pickup. This creates a domino effect that can disrupt their weekly schedule and earning capacity.
- Gap between loads (layover): A driver may have to wait an entire day or more for a new load assignment, known as a layover. While some companies offer daily layover pay, it is often a small, flat fee that doesn't fully cover the driver's lost earning potential.
- Unpaid tasks: In addition to waiting, drivers are not paid for many essential but stationary tasks. This includes pre-trip inspections, fueling, and being held up for random safety inspections.
The issue of unpaid wait time is a major source of frustration and financial hardship for truck drivers. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and others have lobbied for mandatory pay for all driver wait time, but stronger industry lobbying has prevented such regulations from being passed.
Some factors influencing this complex issue include:
- No federal regulation: There are currently no federal regulations mandating detention pay, which allows for inconsistent or nonexistent compensation policies among companies.
- Poor logistics from shippers: Many delays at shipping and receiving facilities are caused by inefficient processes, labor shortages, or volume fluctuations, for which the drivers pay the price.
- Exploitative business practices: The practice of paying per-mile instead of by the hour allows employers to reduce their labor costs by not compensating drivers for a significant portion of their work.