Many Americans do not know that truck drivers are not required to be paid overtime. Overall the trucking industry is declining in size. Drivers are leaving because they are being asked to work 14-16-hour days and they receive straight time all the way through. Rarely do you find a trucking company willing to pay time and a half over 40 hours.
Whether you pay a driver overtime once they hit 40 hours, or a certain number of miles, adding overtime pay to the trucking industry would help preserve the amount of drivers willing to stay behind the wheel.
You are correct, truck drivers should not be exempt from overtime. I’m so tired of working 70 hours a week. Truck drivers should not be paid mileage. Our time is the most valuable resource in our industry. We should be paid hourly. From the time we leave home until the time we return home.
Local companies are requiring drivers to work over the road hours, but don’t pay over the road pay. I may go home everyday, but I’m still working 60 to 70 hours a week on mileage pay instead of hourly pay with no overtime.
Being paid mileage and no overtime has many disadvantages. There are many things that waste our time when the wheels aren’t moving. When wheels aren’t moving, we do not get paid.
Even the proposed no tax on overtime wouldn’t help the common truck driver due to not being paid hourly.
As you stated, I would add to it. Truck driver should have 100% insurance coverage for medical. The safety of the public depends on this. Many illnesses go unnoticed because people cannot afford to go to a doctor. I understand that we have physicals required by law, but what happens if a condition goes undetected and drivers all over the country are having accidents.
Any illness that jeopardizes the safety of the public should be free to detect. Should be free to cure. That includes vision.