A Driver Shortage?
Posted on Jan 23, 2008 - 12:07pm by Wayne Weisser in Driver Shortage
You’re kidding me right? Now? In this economy? I can’t stand it when I see a driver shortage story in the news. Like most of the truckers that have some kind of web site or presence online, I get a lot of questions from people wanting to get into driving and thanks to stories like this listed as news the object is to confuse and play on people’s desire for a job and adventure. Just because something like this is in a newspaper or anywhere else, listen closely, closer, get a notebook out to write this down, ready? IT’S A PRESS RELEASE! NOT A NEWS STORY!!!
Here’s the actual link if you really have to read it. Trust me, it’s the same story with all the numbers from the ATA and how trucking has changed and how most of the freight is moved by truck. It is, but if freight is down, the percentage is going to be the same. I read it so you don’t have to. There’s even a video on the side, they went all out for this “news” story. You can tell it’s from Swift because Swift is mentioned about 20 times. Here’s my favorite part -
It also has created training and retention programs. A driver who has been with the company at least a year can earn even more as a mentor to other drivers.
Driving a truck must be easy if you can start training others after a year of driving yourself.
Companies are downsizing and jobs are being exported overseas I can understand when people that have lost or being threatened with job loss sees a story like this in a newspaper. If the economy is slowing down, trucking depends on the economy, you can’t have a strong trucking industry with a slow economy, it’s physically impossible.
At the time I wrote it, I didn’t know how useful or how popular the post about being a successful truck driver would be. I’ve pointed a lot of potential recruits in that direction. But like everything else, you can lead a horse to water… I’m sure the “news” of possible jobs is going to win out over possibly no job because of some post on a blog somewhere. That post wasn’t meant to dissuade people from driving, only to make people more aware of what they were getting into and to be prepared.
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Interesting. Another guy has the same take on “problem”.
“Driver Shortage” is code. What they really mean is a shortage of drivers to work for low wages. Double the pay and see how many applicants there are.
I like this entry -
Mark Spearman wrote:
I just came across that publishing company and all of it’s related businesses in this post.
Like Everitt says, up the pay and see what happens.
I wish that people would see what is happening with this, but they let the dream of trucking and desperation for a good job rule their thoughts. I got into trucking when I was young enough to take some lumps. I feel sorry for those with established families and a full set of bills to pay that get into trucking. All we can do is try and warn them that it is not a sure thing by a long shot.
Absolutely Correct. People have these wild imaginations of “freedom” and a stable career. It can be that way with the right company, but being able to do that is a rough road without researching and reading the fine print. Most new drivers get too carried away with the dream. As far as a driver shortage goes, there isn’t any. However, there is a problem with driver retention. Hmmmm, I wonder why?
the new guy’s hear about the pay but really can not get the understanding of how long you have to stay out to make that money
Hello,
2500 miles a week doing forty eight states is not a job I would call freedom over the road. It something I would call putting your nose to the grind stone and humping your tail across some very ruff interstate.
If you were home for the weekend you would be in bed sleeping and waking up just about the time it is to go back to work. When I was still married “honey does” had to be done and then you tried to be dad to some stange kid that you use to know that was a little bitty baby when you first met and was your pride and joy to hold in your arms. Before the divorce they would just look at you like some allien from Pluto and ask for money as you go out the door to make the bed in the sleeper. There still is nothing that will swell my buttons on my shirt as throwing that last case of what ever it was I hauled on to a pallet and watch the forklift driver take the long ride down the empty trailer. That has allways been something to couse pride and that is a load on time with no damages but it is still 14 hours a day that got you to that point to begin with. New guys or gals will have to find their own place in the work force just like we did. You dont become a million miler in one trip and it has been that way since Henry Ford made his first mile in one of his Tin Lizzies. If you are new , welcome to one of the lonelist jobs you will ever have and keep if you plan on making it your job for any length of time. To you old hands well , just keep on trucking like we all do. Have a safe trip!!!