Shortage of truck drivers grips nation, Valley
12/30/07
Youngstown Vindicator, OH
http://www.vindy.com/news/2007/dec/3...ley/?newswatch

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if they would treat a driver like a human, there would not be a shortage, or turnover. maybe they could just cross train the recruiters and dispatchers to drive while their work load is light.

I think going out on the road with a driver for a week to 10 days should be a pre requisite for being a Dispatcher. Of course this would never happen, but it would sure make that Dispatcher be aware of the problems of dealing with life on the road and dealing with the "customers".
Dang, here I go again, trying to solve a problem with a little dose of common sense.
I sure there are drivers that are doing the Dispatch thing, and sometimes they are the worst, maybe too much bad baggage.

What's really cool is the company Mike works for, the dispatchers ALL drove at one time. Makes a HUGE difference.

I know neither of my kids are interested in doing so-called "blue collar work" so I can see the shortage getting much worse as time goes on. Today's kids want to sit behind a desk and be paid a fortune. A lot of them are going to be disappointed but I figure it'll be awhile before it happens.

You used to be proud to do blue collar work. I remember our janitor at our school was always a friendly man who was proud to keep "his" school clean. This mentality really seems to be falling away in the last 10 or so years and it's a shame. No one wants to be a truck driver, a janitor, a garbage collector - yet the world would collapse without these backbone workers. I just wish the world would give more recognition to the people who hold the world together and realize how valuable they are.

Until some of these kids look at the reality of what kind of a living they could have as a blue collar worker vs just how little they'd make going to college. That brings some of them back.

Yup. My daughter joined the military and they're paying her way through university. My son MAY go to what I always called trade school (they call it community college now and charge 200% more than when it was called a vocational school, same courses) but I'm not holding my breath.

At least he works in a restaurant and I always said, you could work your way up and earn a decent living working in that field so he should be okay. Heck, he's earning almost $2.00 an hour more than minimum wage at age 17!! Must be nice!! They never paid us a cent over minimum wage when I was a teenager!! (He works at Montana's) He's also learning how to cook since he's a prep cook!

I always said university was for those going for a PROFESSION, not just to get a B.A. or something. Otherwise, go to trade school or join the forces. You MUST earn your way once you finish school or schooling so...

No leeches in this house!!! He already pays for his cell phone and car insurance.

Back to the original post if there is such a shortage then why is the rates so low and why are there trucks sitting everywhere?
The ATA [anti trucking association] keeps feeding us that crap so that their members can keep the rate low,the drivers hungry. That is how we are controlled, if there really was a shortage then the rates would be up where they should be, the company drivers would be making what their worth, if you want to believe in that fairytale then let me know, I have some good land south of New Orleans I will make you a real good deal on, heck I will even throw in part ownership of a bridge down there!

This is why:

and as I said
I have never seen a shortage of drivers, The only shortage I have ever seen is of companies and O/os willing to run freight so cheap that they couldn't make anything on it,if a company wants somthing mover all the ever had to do was pay a fair rate.
Right at the moment there is such a glut of drivers out there and so little freight that the drivers are so desperate that even the cheapest of loads are getting moved just so the drivers can eat. Right now its a vampires market with the vampires being the companies and the drivers are the victims that they are feeding on

what ya want for that land