Let's talk about the 'driver shortage'.

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Joews, May 3, 2016.

  1. Joews

    Joews Light Load Member

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    I know everyone has an opinion on whether or not there actually is a driver shortage, but let's discuss it anyway and how they can retain/recruit drivers.

    Pay is obviously a painfully obvious big reason why, but I feel that there are a lot of things that companies can do differently to retain their drivers including paying for all things done while on duty.

    Certain companies also shorting their drivers on dispatched miles in addition to not paying for certain duties while not driving.

    When will the labor department get involved in this industry because it's painfully obvious that companies are just squeezing as much as they can from new blood truckers and they're claiming they don't know why their turnover rate is 102%.
     
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  3. street beater

    street beater Road Train Member

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    Lobbyist use the "goods will cost more" argument. That about ends it.
     
  4. bigjoel

    bigjoel Road Train Member

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    There is an endless supply of cheap foreign labor flooding into US. All willing to work for peanuts.
     
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  5. superflow

    superflow Road Train Member

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    Guess we will have to give it up and let them have it....
     
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  6. canviskiller

    canviskiller Medium Load Member

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    Seems kinda hopeless tbh so many different pay scales and company's trying to screw drivers over its insane.

    I honestly don't even recommend truck driving to people unless you have a threshold for all the bs
     
  7. xxSTEELYxx

    xxSTEELYxx Bobtail Member

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    You think its bad now.
    Wait untill they start letting drivers from Mexico drive thier goods straight up to Canada without restrictions. That's the part of the NAFTA they don't want you to know about.
     
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  8. Retired2015

    Retired2015 Light Load Member

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    LOL just elect Bernie Sanders, he said if he becomes president, he would eliminate over the road trucking, which I dont think he could do it in 8 years? Personally, I think D.O.T. Regulations and increased competition is forcing companies to recruit cheap labor and they are using the driver shortage as an excuse to accomplish that mission? JMO?
     
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  9. canviskiller

    canviskiller Medium Load Member

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    No need to bring cheap labor you have plenty of regulation that favors megas and plenty of natural born dumb A's that'll drive for $500 a week.

    My opinion is that company's will keep paying absolute crap because no one is stopping them and people keep working for them! Most don't know any better and a recruiter tossed them a sales pitch and they jumped all over it.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2016
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  10. Moosetek13

    Moosetek13 Road Train Member

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    There is no driver shortage.

    The 'shortage' comes in to play when drivers leave a company within 6-12 months for 'better options'.
    Then they leave that company after a short time when the grass on that side is just as brown.
    And again and again.

    The shortage is based on turnover, not the number of available and working drivers.


    And, just curious, how does Bernie intend to eliminate OTR?
     
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  11. stayinback

    stayinback Road Train Member

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    There's actually an 'overage' of drivers// But a Shortage of 'truckers'

    Definition of a trucker??

    A driver who can perform all of his/her tasks without assistance of any kind,Service his customers safely and on time, And be an asset to himself,The general Public and the industry as a whole
     
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