Guaranteed Pay...Best Thing Since Canned Beer Or Demotivator? 😜

This may be controversial... lol

I am beginning to believe that guaranteed minimum pay may not always be a good thing.

We are now guaranteed to take home a minimum pay every week. regardless of miles driven. If we don't turn a wheel, or if we drive less than optimum miles, we take home a pretty darn good amount of money every Friday.

Great, hey!?

Well; yes and possibly no.

Since being on this arrangement, (approximately 4 weeks now) my teammate has gone from to wanting to run as hard as we could; to looking for every opportunity to stop and go fishing.

It's gotten to the point that several times, I have woken up with the truck stopped at random places and Chris AWOL. He returns after some time, (last time was 3 hours 😏) fishing pole in hand. When questioned, his answer was "Well; if they're gonna pay us anyway, why bust our a**!?".

Personally, I'm not made that way....if I'm hired to do a job, I believe in doing the absolute best that I can to do that job.

Am i nuts? 😜😂

Should i just chill and learn to fish?

Any and all comments and advice would be greatly appreciated....coz its driving me totally insane!! (Mind you; some folks would say that's not a very long drive!! 😂)

Cheers

Simon

The opportunity to make more than the guaranteed minimum should be motivation enough to bust your butt. I would be ****ed at my co driver if he was costing me miles because he wants to fish or stop at every truck stop along the way. That's why I like solo though, my performance alone determines my pay.

So I guess my opinion is that guaranteed pay is a good thing on an individual basis.

This is just one of the many reasons why team driving holds zero appeal for me. You can bust your hump trying to be as productive and efficient as possible, only to have your co-driver negate your efforts through his own lack of effort. At the end of the week, you still have to split the revenue to the truck. Not cool.

Admittedly, I have no experience team driving, only what I did during training. But from what I've seen, there are no benefits to offset the hassle of teaming. The only benefit goes to the company.

I don't know how you team drivers do it. You're tougher than I am.

I don't think you need any advice Simon, your teammate does.

This is just one of the many reasons why team driving holds zero appeal for me. You can bust your hump trying to be as productive and efficient as possible, only to have your co-driver negate your efforts through his own lack of effort. At the end of the week, you still have to split the revenue to the truck. Not cool.

Admittedly, I have no experience team driving, only what I did during training. But from what I've seen, there are no benefits to offset the hassle of teaming. The only benefit goes to the company.

I don't know how you team drivers do it. You're tougher than I am.

I don't think you need any advice Simon, your teammate does.

Well guys...thank you. I appreciate the input. As ever, cogent and right to the point.👍

As those of you that have been here since I first started writing some of my thoughts know, ; I like to ponder a while before posting.....lol

So; as per usual, I have been thinking and making notes getting ready to write my promised blog on some of the issues with regards to 'teaming'

I guess this is just one more issue to be considered.... lol

Not that I'm prevaricating or procrastinating in any way, shape or form.....honest! 😜😂

I love Chris to death; but these youngsters these days....I swear!! 😂

Mind you, if I were a betting man...after the 'conversation' he and I just had, I'd wager that he's over at the fishing hole right now cussing 'that grumpy old fart' out! lol

Fences to be mended methinks? 😏

Thanks again y'all. 👍

I think that the guaranteed minimum, should be seen as a safety net. Stuff happens, and when Mr Murphy is in full effect, it is nice to know that you can rely on a certain amount, to continue to pay bills, etc.

It also wouldn't surprise me, if some companies use it to determine which drivers are reliable, and which are expendable. The reliable drivers get great miles, and other perks, the expendable ones, eventually, can be successful somewhere else.

Simon

So a couple of thoughts, as I read thru your posts. How long have you been teaming? Also, can you request a new team driver or do you have a waiting period? The conversation you referred to, did you mention wanting to drive more and make more money? If it were me, and I was a betting man, I think if you continue with this youngsta, you will start to really clash...and that is not good mentally or on the pocket book. I mean, if you are going to be away from family, the idea is make money, and run hard.....

Safe Travels Chris...and no not your team driver lol

Our guarantee is based on truck revenue and availibility. it is not a true guarantee or minimum. so take extra time off and bam...you make less than you would normally.

are you really sure there are no strings attached? i get the need to relax and not burn out, especially while teaming. but i would want the time off planned.

At CFI guaranteed minimum pay is reserved for dedicated accounts where you may end up with a fewer than normal miles. I would have a goal to beat that minimum every week. Since my guaranteed minimum is zero, I have a goal of a $1000.00 per week gross pay. At my current pay rate of 42 CPM , that's only 2500 miles per week. Easy peasy.

Since my guaranteed minimum is zero,

That's a good way of putting it.