The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away.
Ronald Reagan



CSA 2010... Hmmmmmmmmm!

The chatter around the truck stops, terminals and the Internet is off the charts on the many different opinions on what is CSA 2010? When does it actually kick in, and what effect will it have on me as a contract driver?

I DON’T CARE! I know what I need to know!

Whatever the end result of laws and edicts that come down from the FMCSA, I will comply; always have and always will. Next year, if they cut the HOS to 8 hrs driving, I will figure it out with the help of my company and how to make money in that environment. I wasn’t asked to give my opinion on any of the new point systems in CSA 2010. Were you? The wizards of smart in our industry have been working on this for years so let it come; bring it on! If I can’t comply and make a living, I will choose another occupation that I have already qualified myself for.


That being said…

Under this new system, I have become a quote, “Super Driver”, and I believe the ball is in mine and the other 100-thousand of drivers, who have kept their noses clean over the past three to four years, in our court. We are the cream of the dwindling crop of professional drivers. You want to make more money? Just be willing to make a move to another company. I have seen $1,000 to $5,000 sign-on bonuses, the first 6 to 8 weeks of your new truck payments being made for you, a cruise to the Bahamas, and any combination of $0.90 a mile to $1.65 a mile, depending on your experience.

I do not envy the recruiting departments or human resource departments of the trucking companies across this country of ours. Finding the right mix of compensation for retention, and having a big enough lure to reel the drivers in from the shrinking pool has got to be a nightmare for all.

So what do you do when comparing apples to apples? No one company has the perfect compensation package. You will always find another one with a tempting treat. The “soft” retention practices rule the day. The only problem with that is you don’t know, unless you’re in the system, how a company takes care of and treats its drivers. It doesn’t take long when reading the message boards, lean into a conversation in a restaurant, or hang with some drivers by their truck to find out quickly about the company’s they work for.

In the meantime, I will sit back and do my job to the best of my ability, wait for CSA 2010 to be fully implemented, and enjoy my “Super Driver” status, knowing that I am worth more now than before the implementation of CSA 2010. Everyone else can complain, if they want. I for one am enjoying this ride!!!

Smart Driving!

Super Driver Mark Maple
AMERICAN CENTRAL TRANSPORT