Trucker Lingo

Hi all-

Is there a place where a newbie can learn all of the trucker lingo? I don't mean just the CB lingo, but also what is meant by "stop pay" "base pay" "short haul", etc. I am trying to compare companies, but I find myself at a horrible loss most of the time b/c I have no idea what they are talking about.

Thanks :-).

don't beleive there's really any certain place to go to learn these things you just have to find someone who's considerate enought ot take the time to explain them to you and you need to ask anything you don't underestand.remember the only dumb question is the one never asked.

Since it's 12:25 a.m and I woke up to my 3 year old bumping heads with me after he apparantly crawled into bed with us at some point --- I will try to take some time and cover some of this for informational purposes. By the way, The back of his head hit my eyebrow bone and it hurt so bad that I actually saw stars and am feeling a bit loopie!!
So I thought I better get up and put some ice on it before I have a black and blue eye!!!

Anyway, let me see with this trucker lingo thing. Don't worry, we all learned the hard way.

Base pay = The bottom line pay. It is usually your cents per mile pay. There are other types of pay that a trucker can receive from time to time in addition to your 'base' pay such as:

LAYOVER=Obvious meaning, but just for information purposes, it's the type of pay a trucker receives for their wheels not moving. Each companies pays it differently, but a common way to receive layover is after the truck being broke down, or being "shut down" due to no dispatch after 24 hours. It's usually paid anywhere in the vicinity of $25.00 - $75.00 after the first 24 hours of the truck not moving. Each company is different though.

BREAKDOWN PAY = Some companies pay it in lieu of layover pay in the event of breakdowns only. Everyone pays differently - and some don't pay it all. I've seen it in the range of minimum wage to $20.00/hr. It will depend upon the company.

DETENTION = Detention is paid by a shipper or receiver to your company for holding up a truck at a dock too long. Depending upon the company's negotiations with the customer, it can be anywhere from $5.00/hour to $40.00/hour for owner operators after a certain period of time.

LUMPER PAY/UNLOAD PAY: A lumper is someone who unloads the truck for you. Usually they charge a flat rate or a per case fee to unload your truck for you. Usually the money is requested from your company (by you) and given straight to the lumper. However, if you unload the truck yourself, you will receive "unload" pay --- although it's the same thing. It took me a bit to figure that one out as well. But since many trucking companies don't want you touching freight the driver usually makes "less" per case than a lumper would.

SAFETY BONUS = If offered, it is a pay that company pays you for having no tickets or accidents during a specified time period. Some pay it monthly, others pay it quarterly or even yearly.

ON TIME BONUS = Is bonus money offered for having all your pick ups and deliveries made on time.

REFERRAL BONUS = Money paid for referring a qualified driver to the company you work for

I keep getting delayed here due to holding an ice pack on my eyeball!!! So this is taking longer than I anticipated and my brain ain't functioning!!!! Maybe one of the other lady drivers can finish some of the types of pay.

Some of the other "lingo" you will need to know is:

DRY BOX FREIGHT = Freight that is usually general commodities and doesn't require special types of trailers.

REEFER FREIGHT = Nope, it's not marijuana :) But it's actually a shortened term for refrigerated trailer or refrigerated freight. It's freight that requires temperature control either hot or cold.

FLATBED = Is freight that will fit on a trailer without sides. ALTHOUGH a flatbed can have a side kit and a tarp over it which then becomes a "covered wagon". However, flatbed freight is usually a trailer without sides and things are strapped on them. Requires tarps, straps, chains, etc. to hold the stuff on the trailer. Flatbeds haul anything from farm equipment, to cars, to general commodities.

STEPDECK: Is a flatbed trailer with what looks like a "step" at the front of the trailer. Usually equipment of some sort is hauled on a step deck, although I've seen onions, wood, and other commodities hauled on a step deck as well. It would give a flatbed driver a little more versatility with the type of freight he could haul.

TARP PAY = Is pay that is paid to a flatbed driver for taking the time and effort to place a tarp over a load. I've seen some that even pay extra for chaining or special tie down requirements.

EARNED HOMETIME: Your time at home.

DISPATCH/DISPATCHER = The person who sends you out on your loads. Can also be called a fleet manager.

I can't think of any others right at the moment, but as this thread progresses or perhaps whenever my head quits throbbing, I will take the time to add more. Maybe someone else can add to the list?

Maybe I'll even compile a list and post it on Layover. I think there was such a list on Layover at one point because I printed it out???? I will ask administration tomorrow.

GG

Um...

I've been wondering...

I'm going to school to start driving soon, and this is the only part of the job that's got me concerned...

Does (or can) this actually mean loading or unloading every, say, box in a 53 ft van trailer, by hand...?

That just sounds to me like it would take -ages- and make me a very, very, very tired girl. Doesn't sound like a very good deal for $80 (which is what my company says they pay for loading or unloading.)

Or otherwise known as *Lumping a load* and occasionally marked as *driver assist*.

First- -there are many different options available to complete this task at a shipper or consignee who requests *driver assist*.They are- -

the driver *lumping* the load

or an *on site lumper*(a person regularly employed by a facility to lump loads)

or a group of lumpers not affiliated with the shipper/consignee that the driver (in most cases) can *hire* to *lump the load for them*

In most cases trucking companies inform the driver that a load will be marked *driver assist* and inform you that a certain amount of money will be paid to the driver for *lumping*. The driver then has the choice of *lumping* the load themselves or hiring a *lumper*.

Many times *driver assist means- -assisting the dock workers with the loading/unloading of the load. The driver or hired lumper then usually gets in the trailer and if loading may be required to use a pallet jack or by hand move the freight from the back of the trailer to the front or if unloading required to *break down* the load (this means removal of any shrink wrap from the palletized load or removing strapping and seperating boxes or whatever and also sometimes using a pallet jack to move the pallets to the back of the trailer or doing a piece count of the freight and moving the freight by hand to the back of the trailer).

Lumping a load is back breaking work even using a pallet jack. It will wear you out especially if you are with a company that more often than not has contracts that require driver assist.

But as I mentioned there are a couple of choices you as a driver can make. You can look at that $80.00 as extra income and say "Heck I can use the money and a little hard work never killed anybody"- -OR- -you can hire a lumper to do the work for you while you relax in the truck!

If the shipper/consignee has on site lumpers employed at theirfacility that usually means that as part of the contract with the trucking company a fee will be paid directly to the lumper company at the facility by the driver. In those cases the driver is not expected to assist or hire a lumper-- it is pre-arranged and all the driver needs to do is show up with the cash!

Check with your company which of the above is what will be required of you before you arrive at your destination - -it'll save some confusion down the road! ();-)

With questions about tansportation industry *lingo*.

Never- -and I repeat- -NEVER- - accept what you don't fully understand! Doing that can result in problems down the road with your work history and can also result in you losing out when it comes to your paycheck as well.

Forums such as this are an excellent resource. If you don't find the answers to your questions already posted - -then post the question or email one of the posters for an answer.

The best place to get basic answers though is from the company you are with.I say that because each company has their own lingo in many cases and you have their paperwork in your hand making the question/answer and explanation easier to understand.

Some examples are- -

Driver assist,lumper assist, driver load/unload==they all mean the same thing but each company chooses to label this task differently and as per the haulage contract a company has with a shipper or reciever it can mean different things.

Line haul, gross, per mile rate==all mean the amount of money agreed upon between a company and shipper or reciever paid to the truck or trucking company for hauling the freight BUT here many companies get creative in how they inform the driver or O/O about what is being paid- -some will tell you the exact amount agreed in the contract - -others will tell you the amount AFTER the company has taken their cut- -as an O/O leased to a company you are entitled to know the contractual line haul amount but as a company driver it is not a required disclosure.

It is best to ask your company for a full explanation of what you don't understand about their own intercompany *lingo*.

For the newbies- -post a list here of the *lingo* you have heard but need definitions for- -we'll all try to help!

Here's the answers to "the first list"- -

stop pay==many times a load has several stops on board or the trailer is loaded fully with several pick ups. In most cases a shipper/reciever is charged a set per mile rate for hauling a load that is loaded at one place and delivered to another- In the case where there are many required pick ups or delivery points- - the base per mile rate is figures from the first pick up to the final drop off- - but each additional pick up/ drop off recieves extra money for the extra effort and fuel etc.In most cases an additional fee of $25.00 to $50.00 per extra stop is paid to the driver for these extra stops.

Base pay- -for a company driver usually means the amount of money paid to the driver before any accessorials (like stop pay, detention etc) are paid. It is the per mile pay for hub miles or log miles turned on each load.

Short haul==Usually refers to local or regional work. Local is considered in most cases to be loads that can feasably be picked up and delivered in the same day a radius of 500 miles or less. Regional is typically considered loads that are run overnight For example- -load on Monday in the morning and deliver on Tuesday. Regional is typically averaged around 700 miles from shipper to consignee.

Thank you for the answer... Even if it isn't exactly the one I'd hoped for, it's the one I expected.

It's funny, now every time I look at a 50-odd foot trailer on the road, I think the same thing: "Good gawd... How long would it take me to unload that by hand...? And how long would I sleep afterword?" :-)

The best thing for everyone starting or changing jobs is to go to OOIDA's site and print out the check list they have put together it is really helpful in asking the write questions and will help you learn the terms and I even heard a few I was not familiar with even after 14 years in the business.
http://www.ooida.com/Swimming_sharks/help_list_co_drivers.html
Good luck and never let go of your goal.

Usually after you just unloaded a trailer you are expected now to go get your backload or whatever they call it and keep driving. If you get on with a company that mentions you unloading the truck then you are expected to do it using your sleeper berth time. There are plenty of companies out there that do use lumpers and do not want their drivers in the trailer at all those are the companies to look at if you want sleep.