Yellow | Driver's have the power

New tax laws and doubling of the standard deduction eliminated the per diem deduction as of this year. There is something that owner operators can do to get around this I think? Being a company man just take the increased standard deduction and hope for the best! Kind of gives you one more reason to take a bid!

Company Drivers, or Employees of Trucking Companies
As previously mentioned. One part of the new tax bill approved in December of 2017 was the elimination of the Miscellaneous Itemized Deduction category. Things that fall in this category include unreimbursed employee expenses (see below), tax preparation fees, investment interest, etc. Note, the "unreimbursed employee expenses" include union dues, job education, certain uniforms, and TRAVEL.

For tax years beginning before 1/1/18, the IRS has allowed DOT transportation workers to take a per diem deduction for the days that they travel for work. Basically this means that drivers were allowed a small amount of tax-free money each day to help offset the increased living expenses incurred because of the nature of being on the road. However, beginning 1/1/18, this category of deduction has been eliminated.
They took away the only perk of being a truck driver
 
New tax laws and doubling of the standard deduction eliminated the per diem deduction as of this year. There is something that owner operators can do to get around this I think? Being a company man just take the increased standard deduction and hope for the best! Kind of gives you one more reason to take a bid!

Company Drivers, or Employees of Trucking Companies
As previously mentioned. One part of the new tax bill approved in December of 2017 was the elimination of the Miscellaneous Itemized Deduction category. Things that fall in this category include unreimbursed employee expenses (see below), tax preparation fees, investment interest, etc. Note, the "unreimbursed employee expenses" include union dues, job education, certain uniforms, and TRAVEL.

For tax years beginning before 1/1/18, the IRS has allowed DOT transportation workers to take a per diem deduction for the days that they travel for work. Basically this means that drivers were allowed a small amount of tax-free money each day to help offset the increased living expenses incurred because of the nature of being on the road. However, beginning 1/1/18, this category of deduction has been eliminated.
Thank you.
 
5064eb9eb730f4ebfbbc7d275b78394d.jpg
Think about it, all the stress & forced overtime , 2019 is time to stand up !
 
When thinking about all the facts that may affect the next contract consider that a new applicant probably won’t be living in a home that was purchased before housing prices increased dramatically. A new driver will likely be at the mercy of the local rental market. And, in many urban areas close to YRC terminals, the new employee will never be able to afford a place of his own.

If YRC is serious about hiring new drivers, they will need to pay enough for a new hire to live in the local rental market. And, for your information, the standard income requirement to rent an apartment is 2.5 times the monthly rent. In tighter rental markets the multiples are often higher.

By my calculations, an apartment requiring a salary 2.5 times the monthly rent would mean a driver without any overtime would qualify for rent of about $1525 mo.

Using the website zillow.com I drew a random circle around the Hayward Ca. terminal that is about 20 miles in each direction. I then entered $1525 as the maximum amount of rent I would pay for a one bedroom apartment. I got 13 results, 13! Of those 13 results some would disqualify the employee for lack of income because a higher multiple was used to determine minimum income. Some listings were just blatant misrepresentations. We are talking about a one bedroom apartment here! Not a mortgage. Obviously, it would be nearly impossible to find even basic shelter anywhere near this terminal at these wages.
 
When thinking about all the facts that may affect the next contract consider that a new applicant probably won’t be living in a home that was purchased before housing prices increased dramatically. A new driver will likely be at the mercy of the local rental market. And, in many urban areas close to YRC terminals, the new employee will never be able to afford a place of his own.

If YRC is serious about hiring new drivers, they will need to pay enough for a new hire to live in the local rental market. And, for your information, the standard income requirement to rent an apartment is 2.5 times the monthly rent. In tighter rental markets the multiples are often higher.

By my calculations, an apartment requiring a salary 2.5 times the monthly rent would mean a driver without any overtime would qualify for rent of about $1525 mo.

Using the website zillow.com I drew a random circle around the Hayward Ca. terminal that is about 20 miles in each direction. I then entered $1525 as the maximum amount of rent I would pay for a one bedroom apartment. I got 13 results, 13! Of those 13 results some would disqualify the employee for lack of income because a higher multiple was used to determine minimum income. Some listings were just blatant misrepresentations. We are talking about a one bedroom apartment here! Not a mortgage. Obviously, it would be nearly impossible to find even basic shelter anywhere near this terminal at these wages.

Are you proposing wage differetial by geography?
 
Just remember when you work 12, 13, 14, 15hrs in one day/shift, your working the equal to a 2nd job. No reason to have to work that many hours to make a net of $1200 a week.
 
I’m not proposing anything. Though I would like to say that you better be one charming MF if you are going looking for a place to live in the SF region with a YRC W-2 in hand.
SF has some of the highest monthly rent prices in the country.
 
SF has some of the highest monthly rent prices in the country.

I think if people reading this take the time, and the information I provided, to research their local market, they might find they have slipped further behind economically than they realize.
 
Are you proposing wage differetial by geography?
Yes we need wage differential based on local tax rate! I'm in Chicago area high taxes $6000yr for my house and a driver in Indianapolis living in a similar house only pays $1500 taxes while we both make around $70,000. The driver in Indy has an extra $400 a month. The workers in rural areas pay even less that's why they vote yes for these :shit:ty contracts they have the best job in their county think about it $70,000 in Eau Claire, Alpena, Cadillac, Iron Mountain, Green Bay, Terra Haute, South Bend goes much further.
 
Republicans really screwed company Truck Drivers with their new tax law no more deductions for meals and unreimbursed expenses all you get now is the standard deduction shame on them both parties suck no one you can vote for.
Not really. Last year I itemize everything, and had $24,097 in deductions. Next year, filing jointly, they've made the Standard Deduction $24,000. I can file on a postcard in a couple minutes- get back the same amount, and not spend hours of worrying about receipts.
 
Yes we need wage differential based on local tax rate! I'm in Chicago area high taxes $6000yr for my house and a driver in Indianapolis living in a similar house only pays $1500 taxes while we both make around $70,000. The driver in Indy has an extra $400 a month. The workers in rural areas pay even less that's why they vote yes for these :shit:ty contracts they have the best job in their county think about it $70,000 in Eau Claire, Alpena, Cadillac, Iron Mountain, Green Bay, Terra Haute, South Bend goes much further.

Maybe you need to move to a rural area.....
 
Maybe, where else would you find a home in California for $65,000.

Close to shopping!
If California costs so much, Move from California.

If Chicago costs so much, move from Chicago.

If working at YRC is soooooo bad that its killing you- move on to another job. I did. There are Driving Jobs open pretty much everywhere. The thread is that Drivers have the power (to demand, or shut it down). If drivers want it shut down, I suggest getting ahead of things and be at a company, hired already, when Everyone else comes looking for a job...
 
If California costs so much, Move from California.

If Chicago costs so much, move from Chicago.

If working at YRC is soooooo bad that its killing you- move on to another job. I did. There are Driving Jobs open pretty much everywhere. The thread is that Drivers have the power (to demand, or shut it down). If drivers want it shut down, I suggest getting ahead of things and be at a company, hired already, when Everyone else comes looking for a job...

Every time, along comes someone with a self referential, self important rant that amounts to nothing more than gatekeeping.
 
Top