The Trucking Industry Needs More Drivers. Maybe It Needs to Pay More? Duh...

A well run business NEVER would accept 90+ per cent turnover! And that or worse has been the norm except for a few years in the deepest worst part of the recession. Allowing numbers like that to exist is a management decision. They have decided on a business model that accepts that kind of number. And now as the economy improves they are running out of future exploitees.

 

No maybes about it.

 

Great post. Finally somebody's telling the truth.

 

I agree Western Flyer. Thanks for posting, Zigzag. I would not have otherwise seen this well written and mostly truthful article. I have already shared with others interested in our current affairs.

 

It's important to note that carriers DO NOT NEED to increase their STARTING pay. For inexperienced drivers, they need to have a RAPID ESCALATION of pay increases inside the first 18 months to get to a worthwhile pay level once the drivers have proven themselves ... enough to keep them hanging in their and putting up with all the BS.

Increasing the starting pay will only attract more morons who have no business driving truck.

Many carriers who only hire experienced drivers are probably paying to little at today's standards and they need to get right and need to get right soon. If these carriers have problems keeping drivers, then that's on them. IMO, 50 cent/mile for the typical proven OTR driver with no points against them living in the heart of the nation is a good median point. The 40 cents we see in too many places is just not worth it.

And please, lets stop with the "teaser" rates that require the stars align so-so to obtain. You know who you are.

 

90% turnover is industry wide for OTR not just Swift. I would also guess that half of those who quit swift and the other training companies found trucking wasnt for them and just don't like it regardless of pay. Please don't think I support these or any corporate giants because I don't. Fact is I think the corporate world is killing our nation, but that is for another thread. I just feel when an industry giant does something the rest usualy follow.

 

I cannot wait to print this out and share with my friends at dcs......and I love how the author uses a great word like:

(par·si·mo·ni·ousˌpärsəˈmōnēəs/
adjective
unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy or frugal.
"parsimonious New Hampshire voters, who have a phobia about taxes"
synonyms: cheap, miserly, mean, close-fisted, close, penny-pinching, ungenerous, Scroogelike; More
antonyms: generous

 

And it's not like the executives have no problem giving pay raises, (to themselves that is.......) of course every year they earn more and more while we stay stagnant
jbhunt pay:


Key Executive Compensation 5,224,730 5,820,670 11,441,820 10,060,507 14,363,866
John N. Roberts/President and Chief Executive Officer - - 5,348,736 3,389,866 4,058,243
David G. Mee/Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer 1,135,535 1,627,453 1,259,448 1,242,740 2,662,788
Terrence D. Matthews/Executive Vice President and President of Intermodal - - - 1,271,159 3,755,951
Kirk Thompson/Chairman of the Board 3,166,995 3,038,445 3,553,413 2,915,848 2,160,061
Craig Harper/Executive Vice President 922,200 1,154,772 1,280,223 1,240,894 1,726,823

 

The article was well written.

 

Hard to imagine a shortage when everytime you turn around there is another business cutting workers or moving offshore.