Truck Driver Shortage
Posted on Sep 26, 2007 - 1:06am by Wayne Weisser in Driver Shortage
The “Driver Shortage” has been around for a long, long time. Freight always gets to where it’s supposed to be, but there’s always a shortage of drivers. What they really mean is there is a shortage of drivers that will work cheap. And even with all the raises, if there’s still a problem recruiting, raise the wages / rates more.
Usually these “news stories” are only press releases from major trucking companies looking for free advertising for new recruits, which this one is. But, at least this story has some truth in it.
Trucking industry always on the lookout for drivers
Sun News Report Article Launched: 09/21/2007 05:10:59 PM MDT
By Brook Stockberger Sun-News Business Editor
LAS CRUCES — Lori Rand and her husband both have college degrees but have recently taken some more classes. In fact, Rand and her husband, Mike Merriwether, plan to start their new career soon — as truck drivers. “We’re going to be a team,” she said. “We think this is a great way to make a living and see the country.”
That’s how we all start out.
The trucking industry is looking for drivers.
At least these guys are trying to tell some of the truth -
Still, despite the constant demand, even the trucking industry experiences highs and lows. “This year, freight has actually been down,” he said. “The economy’s been down and building has been down.”
He said, with a surplus of houses on the market, builders will build fewer houses and so fewer building materials will be trucked to the area. Even if houses start to sell again, “We won’t feel that for over a year,” he said. In addition, improvements in efficiency and packaging have effects on the trucking industry.
“If you notice, packages keep getting smaller,” he said. “Like a table that you have to put together. Before, if we shipped the table as a table, I could only get 30 of those on a trailer; now I can get 90 on a trailer. I’m hauling, basically, a third of what I used to haul.” He cited flat-screen televisions as another example. “Now, one load is the equivalent of what used to be 2 1/2 loads,” he said.
Still, he said, truckers will always be in demand. “It’s not as good as it’s been, but we’ll hang in there and ride it out until it comes back,” he said. “I think we’re headed back to good times but it’s probably about a year away.”
So why the need for drivers? With a surplus of drivers, employers are in control. Instead of dead heading a truck (empty) hundreds of miles, they can force a driver to sit for days waiting for freight. Wait for the freight or quit. A lot of drivers are choosing to quit, which is why they need more drivers.
When I see a sign on an empty store shelve that says this shelf is empty because they couldn’t find a truck driver at any cost to deliver their crap, then I’ll believe there’s a driver shortage.
Trucking's booming again, someday
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Exactly!
Completely true! The driver seems to get the smallest cut of all, after everyone else has scraped some off the top.
I’m an ex-driver. I suspect my driver-daughter is about to become an ex-driver.
Sub-human treatment, abuse by dispatchers, hurry-up-and-wait, lack of civilized parking, no-idle laws (a misnomer we buy into–an idling engine is one that does nothing useful–a truck engine has several useful purposes, among them propulsion, life-support (heating and cooling, food preparation, driver entertainment, lighting, CPAP machines) and safety lighting.
And truck-hostile states (California, Ohio, Illinois, Vermont for openers).
And that is just from the company-driver’s view, O/O’s have a lot more complaints to list legitimately but I don’t have the authority to list them.
The company I’m with, treats their contractors like family, because it is a family owned and family operated business and one of the big players in Laredo’s trucking community.
My complaints are against all companies who withhold part of the fuel surcharge and pay on a sliding scale using a chart which is about half the compensation suggested by OOIDA as an appropriate fuel surcharge.
While it doesn’t affect me personally, driver wages on the border are about 10% less than they are in the rest of the country. I am referring to companies who are based in Laredo.
That’s just the way it is and the way it’s always been. It has nothing to do with NAFTA nor with Mexican trucks. And if the truth be known, NAFTA has actually provided the impetus for trucking companies to become established down here.
The biggest problems I have are the dumps they call truck stops now. Not for lack of effort from the operators, but from the sheer amount of trash and garbage dumped on the lots by other drivers.
Differential in fuel prices! I returned from a trip to the Carolinas Monday and during that trip, I noticed an average of a .40cpg between gas and diesel. Something smells here.
I guess I’m blessed to work for the company I do after reading Laurance’s comments. We have good dispatchers, get paid for layover on the first night, get treated with the respect we deserve and don’t have to demand.
Guys, there are still some good companies out there. But I don’t think you’ll find them looking at the mega companies.
I’m with Porter on this one. I am a company driver with a great company. And, no, its not one of the mega companies. I’ll hang up my keys before I go to work for one of them. I have always worked for smaller companies. Granted, I’ve worked for some stinkers. I’ve also worked for some great bosses over the years. And this one is the best of them.
The companies I hear crying about a driver shortage also have some of the most outrageous turnover rates in the industry. And its that way because they hire newbies in the business. When they find out they don’t have to be treated like crap, they quit and either get out of the industry or go to another company. And who can blame them.
My heart goes out to Laurance and his daughter because of the bad experience they’ve had. This industry has been mighty good to me and my family. I’ve raised two kids to adulthood and stayed married for 23 years. Thirteen of that as a driver.
The only way this will change is to start busting Congresses chops over transportation related issues on a regular basis. One way to do this is to register and VOTE. Every time there is an election. Not just every four years. Another way is to join organizations like OOIDA and become active in their calls to action on legislation that is important to our living. I’m an OOIDA member.
Until drivers start being treated like humans and paid a fair wage, people will come and go in droves. Companies have to be made to understand that if they can’t get drivers, they’ll go under. Shippers, consignees and brokers have to be made to understand that we have to rest and eat at some point during a trip. And that they HAVE to get us in and out of the docks in a timely manner. Because, if the wheels ain’t turning, we ain’t earning. An appointment time should be when we’re put in the dock and unloaded. Not six or eight hours later. This is some of the kind of sub human treatment that I think Laurance was alluding to.
I’m through rambling for now. Ya’ll take care.
I’ll tell you what Oggie. I was an OOIDA member years ago. Know what got me to join? Lumpers! I hated the bottom feeders and here was OOIDA claiming they were going to bat for the trucker to change the rules. Well, they changed the rules alright. We could do it ourselves with manual equipment and take hours to unload while the checkers took the loads being unloaded by inhouse lumpers, or , we could hire the lumper service at ridiculous rates and be on our way. Nothing changed but OOIDA was patting themselves on the back for doing nothing.
Then the went against a couple of companies on the lease purchase deals that were screwing the driver. They “WON”! Again, pats on the back and using this as reason to “join OOIDA”! But what happened? Most companies now have a man in a back office who is “in charge” of the lease purchase deals, which “separates” the LP’s from dispatch so that dispatch has no economic control over the trucks, which was the point of the lawsuits. What changed? Not a damned thing.
And now, Todd Spencer is on the Mexican truck bandwagon, and after all his fear mongering crap had been disproven, still insists there is no control or oversight of the Mexican Truck program, and he uses this fear mongering to attract new members who haven’t taken the time to learn the truth. To date, in the past year, his membership has grown by more than 5,000 sheeple.
I have absolutely no use for this organization and cannot understand how the members would allow their membership dues to be used to line the pockets of the politicians on this non issue.
OOIDA Is Worthless, could not win a case of “dog at large”, terrible attorneys and DAC is an open and close case for anyone with any sense.
I have one employer exp. to tell why there is a shortage of drivers at the URL above. Dont think i will ever be a movie star but this employer is definately a piece of work!! in case you missed it ,here it is again…wwwCDLAWORSTDRIVINGJOBS@blogspot.com