4 ms·

Why? Do they like paying for their own healthcare, repairs and working for no benefits?

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
smeej 4y ago
Probably. Contractors typically get paid significantly more, like 50%+ more, than employees, and then can make their own decisions about how they want to repair their equipment, what kind of insurance is worth having, and how they want to save and invest their money. When I worked as an employee, my company got to decide how much to spend on repairs. It was never economical. I could absolutely have saved 30-40% on the cost, easily. I also only had a short list of health insurance plans available to me, all of which were expensive, none of which were well-tailored to my needs. And my retirement "benefits" included a 401(k) with such high fees I'd have been better off socking away money in a literal sock. And all this was combined with the fact that they paid me significantly less. As a contractor, I take home MUCH more money, I have my repairs done by people I trust who do good work at fair prices (rather than those that have formal agreements with the company), I have healthcare that suits me, and I am investing significantly more money for retirement in much better plans. People who would rather operate as employees and settle for the crummy options their employers provide because they don't want to or don't think they could do the work to make better arrangements on their own should be free to do so. But what possible right do they have to hold me back, to tell me I shouldn't get to make my life better by working independently and running my work as a business I control?
- EricE 4y ago
  Thank you. The real problem is all of the above advantages you cite only happened because you thought for and took care of yourself. Most people can't seem to be bothered. They think that if only "the government" would do it for them then they could be happy doing other stuff. Ha!
  - smeej 4y ago
    I'll be the first to acknowledge it isn't easy or straightforward. I understand why people don't want to have to do the work. If you do it poorly, you likely will end up worse off. If that's a real concern for someone, perhaps working as an employee will be a better fit. There are already laws governing what employers have to do if you go that route. It's just not fair to universalize that experience. If I can and want to do the work, leave me alone and let me do it. Nobody's saying you have to do it this way. Nobody's saying you shouldn't be able to work as an employee for any employer that will have you. I'm just saying I want to run my work as a business, myself, and I don't think it should be up to you to tell me I can't just because you wouldn't want to. ("You" in the generic "person who wants to impose this law on me" sense, not "you" as in previous commenter.)
anon291 4y ago
Many business owners do, I don't see why truckers should be any different. The upside is that the company is limited in how much they can dictate your work day and conditions. Wanna take a break at the side of the road? Sure... as long as you get your work donoe.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

Probably. Contractors typically get paid significantly more, like 50%+ more, than employees, and then can make their own decisions about how they want to repair their equipment, what kind of insurance is worth having, and how they want to save and invest their money. When I worked as an employee, my company got to decide how much to spend on repairs. It was never economical. I could absolutely have saved 30-40% on the cost, easily. I also only had a short list of health insurance plans available to me, all of which were expensive, none of which were well-tailored to my needs. And my retirement "benefits" included a 401(k) with such high fees I'd have been better off socking away money in a literal sock. And all this was combined with the fact that they paid me significantly less. As a contractor, I take home MUCH more money, I have my repairs done by people I trust who do good work at fair prices (rather than those that have formal agreements with the company), I have healthcare that suits me, and I am investing significantly more money for retirement in much better plans. People who would rather operate as employees and settle for the crummy options their employers provide because they don't want to or don't think they could do the work to make better arrangements on their own should be free to do so. But what possible right do they have to hold me back, to tell me I shouldn't get to make my life better by working independently and running my work as a business I control?

EricE 4y ago
Thank you. The real problem is all of the above advantages you cite only happened because you thought for and took care of yourself. Most people can't seem to be bothered. They think that if only "the government" would do it for them then they could be happy doing other stuff. Ha!
- smeej 4y ago
  I'll be the first to acknowledge it isn't easy or straightforward. I understand why people don't want to have to do the work. If you do it poorly, you likely will end up worse off. If that's a real concern for someone, perhaps working as an employee will be a better fit. There are already laws governing what employers have to do if you go that route. It's just not fair to universalize that experience. If I can and want to do the work, leave me alone and let me do it. Nobody's saying you have to do it this way. Nobody's saying you shouldn't be able to work as an employee for any employer that will have you. I'm just saying I want to run my work as a business, myself, and I don't think it should be up to you to tell me I can't just because you wouldn't want to. ("You" in the generic "person who wants to impose this law on me" sense, not "you" as in previous commenter.)

anon291 4y ago

Many business owners do, I don't see why truckers should be any different. The upside is that the company is limited in how much they can dictate your work day and conditions. Wanna take a break at the side of the road? Sure... as long as you get your work donoe.