Speaking at a transportation conference this week, an economist and associate commissioner at the Bureau of Labor Statistics doubled down on the U.S. Department of Labor’s position on the so-called ‘driver shortage’: It doesn’t exist.
Dr. Kristen Monaco is an economist, former economics professor, and current associate commissioner at the DOL’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). She is also a researcher and one of the authors of a report put out by the BLS which said that the DOL “does not find evidence” that a driver shortage exists.
While the American Trucking Association (ATA) issued a response saying that Dr. Monaco and her co-author demonstrated “some basic misunderstandings,” she and the BLS are not backing down from their claim.
According to reporting by FreightWaves, Dr. Monaco explained to attendees at the annual FTR conference that “if you want to attract drivers into the market, they will react to wage increases.”
There are enough drivers to serve freight capacity. If there weren’t, shipping costs would skyrocket to match demand, and companies could use the additional income to increase compensation in order to hire more drivers.
So, while the industry doesn’t have a driver shortage problem, what it may have – according to Dr. Monaco – is a driver turnover problem. Carriers like to poach truck drivers from each other using sign-on bonuses. But at the end of a year, when those drivers don’t see significant wage increases, they make more money changing companies to get another sign-on bonus.
“Companies are using turnover as a way of filing trucks,” Dr. Monaco said. “Once one carrier starts recruiting, you’re going to get this turnover because others do it as well.”
If companies offered higher wages instead of sign-on bonuses, Dr. Monaco says that not only would driver turnover go down, but it would be better for the industry as a whole.
Source: freightwaves, truckersreport, truckersreport, bls
I will say it once again, pay hourly for all driving jobs and the so-called longhaul shortage will disappear.
I’m local and get paid hourly with overtime.
I’m getting ready to leave the people I work for and go somewhere else because of my hourly pay.
You want good drivers you have to pay.
This isn’t hard to figure out ATA!
Being paid hourly won’t fix a thing, starting to see hourly pay more and more. Hasn’t changed the atmosphere for the drivers at all.
The way things are now is a result of poor treatment and inappropriate actions by both shippers/recievers and drivers.
More and more drivers are acting like idiots, yes trucks move the nation but these guys want special treatment and everyone to kiss their a$$. Act like adults dispite how the person across the counter acts, don’t get dragged into a arguments. Between excessive government involvement and childlike attitudes of a percentage of drivers things aren’t going to improve anytime soon. Drivers have to agree and show some solidarity instead of fist fights over parking spots and threats of and actually shooting each other for rediculous things. Want to be treated with respect treat others with respect don’t act like spoiled 3 year olds. Act professional you’d be surprised what happens.
Well said, Shane!
👍🇺🇸
Respect doesn’t put money in your pocket in trucking.You must be behind a desk.I been out here 22yrs OTR driving for Myself.The brokers keep the rates down and we are driving for less then 15 years ago. I normally get $2.40 a mile I’m struggling to get $1.80 with these tariffs it’s hard.The brokers are the Problem
I agree with you 100%
If its so bad why do it for 22 years? Let me guess, you don’t make any money either.
Don’t make the money that a brokers make they are like every other Corp thief’s ya rich & getting over on owner operator
Don’t make the money that a brokers make they are like every other Corp thieves
Right on Shane took the words right out of my mouth my trucking brother. Been at it since 1984 and I’ve never in my life seen so many whinnying truck drivers and I use that word very loosely whine about everything single thing. My truck isn’t comfortable my truck isn’t fast enough my truck won’t pull I can’t find a parking spot I hate I love elogs my company doesn’t give me everything I think I deserve. Time to suck it up buttercups this is trucking it’s never been nor ever will be perfect that’s just the way it is. So stop complaining and crying fighting and shooting each other over stupid childish stuff because a fuel island or parking spot isn’t worth killing for or dying for. How about trying to act like a fellow human being and show the same respect towards the other person like you would expect from them. Remember you are the one who decided you wanted to be a truck driver no one made you to become one so either get it together or find another line of work and stop ruining a once proud profession for the rest of us.
Whining is not just an trucking issue its a social epidemic thanks to Social Media. Whiners have always been in the industry remember when everyone had a CB radio? Now everyone has a phone and the audience is much farther and reaches 1000 times as many people.
You have to let your voice heard otherwise everyone will keep imposing their beliefs on you. Keeping your mouth shut will have consciousness and that’s exactly how “hours of service” become the law.
95% of drivers want to silence the other 5% for fighting mutual cause smh.
* Resistance is power
You sound like that fool I had for a trainer when I first started out. I got out of his truck in the middle of the night on day three because after driving for nine hours I refused to budge that damn truck to got seventy five miles to get a load before I slept. I told him to go and get it himself and got my stuff and got the hell out of his truck. No matter what it was always the drivers who started the confusion in his book. He was an ex military fool who didn’t understand the world is not full of automatons like him. He was beaten to a pulp by the student after me and the only thing I regret was I hadn’t heard about it in time to go to the poor guys trial whom had beat him up to tell why that kid no doubt did what he did to that jackass company man.
Self control!
Right on Bruce.!! Right on spot !!!
Apparently you don’t care about your pay staying the same for the last 25 years probably one of those that doesn’t work does little as possible and lives in a prime parking spot paid by the company your doing well
Well said and also these drivers needs to relax a little and slow down quiet acting like they don’t know how to drive you will be in a better mental state and probably lower your blood pressure!!!!
I use to work for Sitton Motor Lines out of Missouri.
They paid $10. an hour (back in 2004) if you were out over night
you were paid $240 for the day.
So hourly does work.
$10 per hour for driving the most regulated vehicle in the nation down the highway? TEN DOLLARS? I don’t care if the pay was $240 for overnight that amounts to what your NORMAL pay should have been. Dude, they saw you coming and you took the bait, hook, line and sinker.
Hourly with overtime would definitely make a huge difference. You’re seeing hourly straight pay
U r right the problem is the pay every driver that runs OTR should bring home at least 1800 a week. Not gross
I’m getting paid hourly, been with my company five years I won’t give it up to get paid mileage. I show up to work do my job and get paid and I’m home .
If they 33$ starting per hour for longhail then I’d take the bad treatment by shippers and receivers. It’s always the pay
Nail on the Head. Brother
Hello?!?!? You get paid hourly,don t you? and so do your colleagues,has the OTR driver dissappeared? 🤣 Ibhate to break it to you,but you don t know what you are talking about.
Logistically,from an entrepaneur point of view,I don t see the OTR driver going away any time soon.
Go read a book on economics.
Well I hate to break it you, hourly pay does work, I work a full 70 hours a week make 18 dollars an hour and time and a half after 40 with company paid hotel rooms and 25 dollars a day per diem so add that up and tell me you do better than that.
18 dollars an hour plus overtime isnt any more than what every other driver is making. You go on like that’s big money.
From the article: “But at the end of a year, when those drivers don’t see significant wage increases, they make more money changing companies to get another sign-on bonus.”
I was going to accept a job in the oil fields down in Texas and I also had looked at the jobs in the oil fields of Williston, Nd but an alarm bell went off on night when I stopped long enough to ask the question “with the rate at which those jobs are advertised there HAS to be something wrong because salaries starting at $80k per year is what most drivers look for”. I was right. What those companies are not telling drivers is there are more days when you will be lucky to make $250 per day than there are where you are getting $300 or better due to oil demand being no where near what it once was. Many of these guys get down there and THEN realize they are working in a desert so hot the air conditioning may as well not even be on and the runs get very spotty. Grease the palms of the dispatcher and you’ll come out ok (yeah right) and Texas nor North Dakota are known for supporting workers rights. I gave up on trucking five years ago. I miss it but I decided working twenty-four seven for a salary that when hours worked and on the road expenses were factored in I was working for less than minimum wage. Being alone in a truck on the side of the road made me think and that thinking made me realize the mistake I had made when I chose to drive over the road.
I just moved back to Was from ND where I lived and worked in Watford City for 6 years driving truck, year one I gross’d 105k and 2015 when oil was down I made 85k, lots of money to be made for people willing to work for it, conditions suck and your working 14 a day and 70 a week. I’ve seen good money trucking and now I’m still trucking, and making good money, it’s out there you just have to chase it and not settle.
I fully Agree
Yea they want good drivers for cheap!!
Much merit to this analysis. Or at least a pay formula that shares the wealth not only the liability.
Absolutely agree!!
You said it well. The ATA is just plain ignorant. They don’t get it and never will. Chris Spears put that s*** out and keeps doing.
18 dollars an hour plus overtime isnt any more than what every other driver is making. You go on like that’s big money.
Hourly will kill any smaller companies profits. I see all local larger company drivers dragging ass and jacking off at the truck stops. Im paid by the load ….. my employer doesnt waste money on some jackoff dropping a load and then sitting outside for two hours. Hourly drivers are a joke. I make 1700+ a week im home every night and I pass you idiots that dont follow Arizona law in the left lane or sometimes even the HOV lane because hey…. your hourly wtf do you care to check whats legal or not.
Absolutely not pay drivers by the hour..The Trucking industry would crash. The thing with the Trucking Industry is Pay those Drivers less or find a way to Rip them off. That’s the Trucking Industry. Everybody targets the Drivers..point is that experienced drivers should make no less than $1,200 a week, take home after pay and that should be backed up by the Drivers Motor Vehicle Record. I’m a Trucker and that’s what an experienced Trucker told me.. And I definitely believe his assessment.
As long as there are sign-on bribes, there will be gigantic turnover issues.
I can only imagine how many drivers who went for that sign on bonus b/s and were told once it came time for the company to deliver on that lie that there was some fine print that states it will be paid three years after the agreed up time it was suppose to be paid and they must still be employed with the company at that time with no time taken of due to illness, family emergencies or arguing with driver managers.
There’s no driver shortage. Pull into any Pilot at 5 p.m. and you’ll find plenty of drivers. 🤣
And if you look closely at the majority of them these days that lot would resemble a prison exercise yard filled with men who have no other choice.
I hadn’t thought of it that way before ,but that is so true. So many quiet disgruntled drivers. No one looks you in the eye when you walk past each other, no one talks to each other, unless it’s to bitch about something or someone, everyone just keeps to themselves.
John, most pilots barely have parking. That’s not a smart argument
Im sitting in moroe,nc with about 50 other empty trucks
No money being made here….
Not a driver shortage in sight
Definitely a pay shortage and a lack of being able to go home for lack of income…. Shouldn’t be a driver out here making less than 2 k a week. Charge you to park high dollar garbage food.. Come walk a mile in our shoes buddy
You want a Ferrarri,caviar and bourbon with that? ATA are responsible for all the driving industry ills…AND they have the most drivers,so drivers have no one to blame but themselves.
ATA membership is responsible for the current truck stop/travel centers puttingbthe mom and pop out of bussiness,these teuck stops offer expensive trash to eat,charge for parking,some are hostile to drivers,period.
Like I said,drivers have no one to blame but themselves.
I don’t think you know how this works. The ATA isn’t made up of drivers. It’s made up of CEOs and companies. No driver with an IQ over their show size would support the ATA.
Well said Super Trucker. Chris Spears used to be the head nut over at the ATA. They’re full of s***. The ATA never gets it right. They only care about the 5 mega carriers who in my opinion have some of the worse drivers on the road.
Paying owner operators on average 1.10 mile is ridiculous. Even with a truck that gets 6MPG it still costs around .50 per mile just in fuel, at about 3.00 gallon.
.60 per mile is just ludicrous for someone that has worked very hard to buy their own truck.
With all the deductions the company passes on to the owner you will be lucky to net .45 per mile which is just as much as some companies pay their company drivers. How is this profitable.
If there was a driver shortage the rates for freight would be much higher. It’s simple supply and demand.
Correct. But the ATA and Megas want us to believe their lies so they can keep freight prices and wages in the gutter.
yes it is simple economics 101 taught everywhere. It never changes. no drivers higher freight charges, too many drivers flood the market and driver freight charges down as they fight for biz. There are enough drivers, just not enough that want to pay.
I was OTR with a mega as a company driver. They would never give me more than 1900 miles in a week. Told them to bite my ass and talked locally. I was hauling cattle for 25% of the load making 11-1200/week every week, rain or shine. Never drove over 150 miles from home and I only had to drive 600 miles a day, 5 days a week. I was home in bed most nights but friday night to 3 am monday was my reset. Again they had more drivers than trucks. The owners doubled the trucks and they still have a driver for every truck. Stay pulling and every year your % rate goes up.
As a driver as an ‘encore career”, I am amazed at poorly professional drivers are treated. Dispatchers get paid bonus money for more loads delivered – so they pressure drivers to do more and more. How many ATA Execs and so called Trucking Economist have spent a week in a truck. Walk in our shoes. Don’t take a survey at a truckstop. Live the life we live – a clock counting down while you’re in a traffic jam. Spend (4-5) hours at a customer waiting to be unloaded or loaded. When you’re at you sons football game, or your daughters dance recital – think about those of us who miss these activities. When you go to sleep in your bed, remember us sleeping in a truck.
All for $1000-$1200 per week – if we’re lucky.
I wouldn’t sleep in a truck for 1200 a week.
Some companies that have Owner Operators have in contracts to get paid $80 to $150 a night for Layover Pay…
And Walmart pays Company Drivers $43 to layover every night…
Sorry Larry, They don’t care about us that much. We are disposable, replaceable commodities to them to be used and thrown away for their profit. We are less than scum to them.
Thanks Captain Obvious, considering some of the mega carriers have a turnover rate over 90% it may seem to them there’s a shortage. With that kind of turnover these companies most likely have 30% of there trucks parked full time.
High turnover can’t always be blamed on wages, if it consistantly takes 3 or 4 hours to unload and shippers and receivers treating drivers poorly coming up with certain fines for showing up early or late is a big part. That last situation is why I refuse to pull a van. Getting treated poorly at some customers is partly a result of spoiled whining drivers in shipping offices. It’s time to start leaning on the shippers and receivers about their actions and drivers who act inappropriately at the customer.
That is one scenario. Then there is the load planner talking to some shipping clerk. Neither have ever ridden in let alone driven a semi. Using their calculators, they decide that at an average speed of 60 mph, a driver can deliver a 1500 mile load in 48 hours. Then dispatch, also without trucking experience, can’t ever seem to understand why we can’t do that in a 65mph truck.
I read these comments from time to time for many reasons. I started driving late in my career. I drive for a company because Im ending not beginning a career and owner/operator for me isn’t worth the added stress. I guess I work for a good company and I can say dispatch can take a 1000 a week clear to 1300 a week if they know how to figure caps, resets and take every aspect of delivery into consideration when planning your next one. For me it is drop and out. If there is a lull, which is very infrequent, I get an Im sorry bud I tried. Stress is down because I am not constantly explaining. Paperwork is right on with overnight parking availability or options and addresses are correct. I take it from there. Life is good for me.
Pay drivers more from what?
If loads under 2$ per mile how much more should I pay to driver , he’s making more than me anyways .
I have insurance, truck payment, ifta , prorate ,maintenance and other crap 💩
Nothing from nothing seems to be the order of the day at your company but hey, struggling, starving, no benefits and clearly no future to speak of is the way of todays American trucker so dude you hang in there and keep right on fighting against welfare to show your patriotism.
Simply quit hauling loads for under $2 bucks a mile. The more owner operators that say no to $2 or less per mile the better because today even $3 a mile barely cuts it. From 1984 to 1993 I drove for a owner operator out of St. Louis mo. And I drove for 25% of what the truck grossed not net gross. The lowest rate per mile pulling for hazelwood farms bakery was $1.65 a mile going down to San Antonio tx (HEB) the highest paying load was $2.30 per mile going to Cranston r.l. Now this wasn’t bad considering the cost of fuel at the time. Most weeks I made between $1200 to $1300 a week but everything was cheaper than it is now. So my point is it’s 2019 and if owner operators and small companies are hauling at the same i was then it’s only by the grace of god your even still in business and if drivers or working for $1200 to $1300 a week now then it’s a wonder your not filling bankruptcy anything and everything cost nearly 150% more now then it did back then so how can you even justify hauling for less than $3 a mile or work for less than $2000 a week. The only companies out there realizing this and are willing to pay a driver $2000 or more a week are the one in the Chicago area don’t believe check out Craigslist
Yeah but if you say no mega company will step in and haul it for cheap then the shippers feels like their load should be haul for dirt cheap ” thanks to the mega companies”
Megas started the lower price trend to drive out those small carriers leaving just the megas to haul.
Its done in a lot of businesses where the huge drop prices (walmart) to drive local stores out of business. Once that is done then they slowly creep prices upwards.
It is simple economics, not rocket science.
Just like supply and demand, the number of carriers, number of customers vs less carriers and more customers.
Look how many small truck shops closed and disappeared leaving drivers stranded. They couldnt compete so they closed and ran with what cash they had.
You mean the guys who really want truckers to run outlaw for that kind of money. More companies in West Chicago promise the moon but generally turn out to be rip offs.
As other drivers have stated there is definitely not a lack of drivers out here, lack of parking most definitely.
HOS time being ate up by sitting in a dock for hours waiting to get loaded or unloaded, sitting in a traffic jam for on reason or another.
Unlike other jobs the drivers work in a time frame not a time clock.
Everyone takes advantage of drivers by charging for paid parking, higher tolls not to mention the cost of fast foods.
Drivers today work under higher stress than before.
I used to be driver. Started with werner making .26/mi worked into a dedicated regional line making .38/mi. Topped out around 50k/yr. Which isnt bad for a single dude with no mortgage.
However, I do feel for some drivers out there not making that much. At what point do you realize that if you stay put, the pay gets better? I realize some mega carriers that’s never the case. On the other hand, I used to own a trucking company. If I saw your application and see that you bounced around, I’m not going to hire you. It’s not just companies, its drivers responsible for the low pay as well.a driver with a past of working for aa company for only a few months might as well find another career as they will never be hired by a company that ACTUALLY pays well.
That being said, drivers need to face a reality check. Yes you are away from home often. Yes you worked long hours. You knew that getting into it. Yes you deserve a livable wage, but yall ain’t rocket scientists and you dont deserve a 6 figure income either.
I sure as heck DO deserve a six figure income! I run year round in the Colorado mountains hauling gas. Rain, snow, sun or blizzard, if the roads open I’m rolling. I made $106k last year and am on track to make $135k this year.
Trucking isn’t a 40 hour per week job. We routinely work 70+ hours a week. I normally work 80-90 in any 8 day period. (Yes, legally with an ELD. Use the 34 hour restart and you can still run as hard as you did with a paper log.). 80 hours is TWO normal jobs. We all should be paid a minimum of $90k. That adds up to two $45k/year jobs.
With all the certifications, rules and regulations I have to comply with as well as all of the risk we take on when we have to drive with texting drivers we totally deserve $100k/year.
Insinuating I’m stupid and a dumb monkey could replace me is the mindset of a college grad trying to justify his overpriced diploma.
My managers aren’t capable of driving a car over Loveland Pass in snow without crashing.
Go back to counting beans and nursing your starbucks status symbol.
Thank you snow man you couldn’t have said it better
Just what do you suppose someone is supposed to do when the pay turns out to be 50% of what’s they promised they forever?
The bottom line is, drivers weigh pros and cons of a job just like anyone else, for any job.
Trucking isn’t high in intellectual demands, but is a practical skill that takes years to get good at. And essentially living in a truck on the road most of your life is a heck of a life. Very unhealthy (I’ve heard it called THE most unhealthy job — prepare to die young…) and hard to have a social life, especially wife and child. And then freighters have appointments all around the clock, messing with your sleep. More torture on a body. And then add the risk of crashing, due to 120k mi per year. That’s all worth $$$ . Hazard pay. Hardship pay.
Any job is worth whatever people are willing to do it for, and others are willing to pay. You can’t declare what it’s worth, only drivers can. If it isn’t enough, they’ll do something else, simple as that. The free market.
I just started with werner running a surge fleet covering the dollar stores just to make good enough money. But in the dallas terminal there were roughly 75 brand new trucks sitting with no driver plus the 10 that were for sale by the company. So yeah these big companies are buying trucks then have to pay all the taxes and such on each one till they have drivers to cover. And just that was one terminal in one company I’m sure the other companies are in same boat.
You said it, It’s ridiculous what some drivers want to get paid. To be honest I’d be willing to pay higher wages to senior drivers but definitely not right out the gate
I know this is a stupid thing to point out but some how I am not shocked you didn’t say how long one of these drivers that you did hire stayed at your company. That was an intentional admission on your part and you know it.
Ok if there isn’t a driver shortage then tell me why are there are so many trucks empty
Because these companies bought 500 new trucks to flood the market. And no one wants to work for $0.36 cpm.
Too many drivers/trucks has flooded the market. Why do you think rates are currently at $1.25 per mile (which barely covers the trucks overhead)
Whose trucks are empty? Big mega carriers yards or someplace else?
yeah most of those are broke POS’s that they never maintained so they park them for parts.
You will also see trailer counts…bogus BS there. I know of mega that has 3 yrds pack with trailers, maybe 2 work the rest should be crushed and sold as scarp.
Show me a Company with empty trucks and I will show you a Company that has a high turnover rate because they don’t take care of their drivers.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The reason why so many trucks are empty is because these companies don’t want to pay any money drivers out here are making less than minimum wage you get to a customer and wait for hours on end with NO pay to get loaded or unloaded while the employees working on dock getting paid by the hour.
Cry.cry.cry. if you don’t like it.get out of trucking.CRY BABY’S
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 the simple solution for the simple minded.
You just know “BIG K” sits on his radio all night in truckstops yelling shutup stooopid.
CEO’s and recruiters out the target dumbo’s like BIG K because they can pay next to nothing for guys like him!!
It all boils down to the shippers not paying what freight is worth to haul it and it’s a domino affect. Pay should of gone up years ago to account for inflation but that’s hard to do when shippers wont budge. I worked ltl for 7 years for the best company in the ltl world, by far. They didnt ever come down on their rates despite other companies folding to shippers demands. Funny thing. It works and it works well. They didnt want to pay set rate, goodbye. We would always see them in a few months when they wanted freight hauled fast and correctly. I’m independent now, and it’s tough, but I follow their business model now. My overhead is low, so I can turn down cheap freight.
Lets face it, this job is for people who can’t do anything else for whatever reason. I know why I’m here. We’re second rate people living a second rate life.
If you don’t plan for a better life, life will hand you a plan, and this, sleeping in piss soaked parking lots is it.
We reap what we sow.
Well, unless your older like me it’s never too late to make a change. Second, driving didn’t used to be that way. With low pay comes low quality people.
The stuff we see in trucking like nasty habit drivers is a problem everywhere now. Its not just drivers. Americans in general have become very low in personal character anymore.
I’m going carry myself with pride and dignity. I don’t care what other people do. I can’t control them. I worked a janitor job once cleaning nasty toilets for a living but I still held my head up. I learned then that my self worth doesn’t depend on how much I get paid. I’ve met some folks that their vehicles were worth more than my house but they still weren’t nothing but trash because they had no character or self worth about them.
exactly right!
Maybe for you man but I love my job. But I also know how to negotiate and what I am worth. You may want to take the easy way out and lay in that piss soaked mattress but I demand more for my time. Because honestly you ciuld go do real estate and make 3-4k a month and go home every night. You have know your worth it man or you never will be.
Drivers were divided and conquered a long time ago. By the comments and bickering here you can see why the industry can take advantage of drivers. Guess what, as long as immigration isn’t controlled in this country it’s going to get worse too. Third world immigrants are more than willing to work for less money than Americans that have been here for a long time. That’s just a fact.
The pay isn’t going to go up. The companies are working to make it go down right now. I drove for one company that liked turning drivers over because it kept their costs down by starting greener drivers at the lowest pay they could.
My advice is that if you’re young get out now and move to another career choice even if you have to eat beans&taters and wear hand-me-down clothes. Older farts like me are just going to hang in there. In today’s workforce, by the time you’re 50 most places don’t want to touch you with the exception of Walmart part time help.
Then there is the issue of self-driving vehicles. That is what they are really pushing for.
Low wages are only one reason for turnover. Poor treatment, and excessive time from home are huge factors. There are no excuses to keep drivers out for days, except for greed and psychopathy. The majority of loads should be worked through a relay network. The large brokers and 3pls must be broken up. Drivers need to stick together for higher wages and better treatment. The only way to do that, is through a union. The ATA is the trucking companies union. Consider why there are pundits that make millions on the radio and tv, to tell you unions are bad. If trucking was a better job with a higher quality of life, other industries would have to increase their standards to keep workers.
Idk about you man but im one of the higher payed men in my town.
So how many neighbors do you have down there in Bugtussle?
Great, Join the teamsters union.
It is economics, they more you pay the more people are willing to do the job, but then a lot of the companies cannot keep drivers because they treat them like crap. Are they want them to drive 62 are to unload trucks for nothing. As a safety thing driver’s should never unload trucks because they are all forced to do it in an off duty log.
Pay, pay us drivers the hourly pay and your worry are over, I choose to get off over the road because I was sleeping in the truck trying to save money all I could bring home 600.00 pay over the road, where I am making more money doing local driving and bring home 1200.00 so you tell me what’s up, NO I don’t want over the road, now if they can top that maybe my mind would change, until then I don’t want to hear about your low cargo cost.😮😩
I agree with Dr. Monaco! I’ve been saying that, since the US Economy forced me back into this business in 2011. When I found out Drivers hadn’t even been given Cost of Living Raises and were working for LESS MONEY Per Mile or Per Load, then I was getting, when I first got out of the Military, back in the early 80’s! Drivers then were making min. $1.50 to $2.00 A Mile or average min. $3,000 or better a Load! I had an uncle at the time who literally was one of those “Millionaire Truckers” from the 1970’s early 80’s! He “called it” way back when, when he “Retired” from the Business! He said; “He could read the “handwriting on the wall” that this business was going “down Hill” getting worse, NOT Better! ….Boy was he sure right!!!… Between Regulations, Pay, the way we’re all treated, it’s BS EVERYDAY!!! He has to be “rolling over in his grave”!! So the “Good Doctor” is RIGHT!!!!
Dr. Kirsten Monaco is correct about requiring an hourly wage for each Driver!
If these companies had to pay the minimum wage of $15.00 in many states, the truck companies, brokers, shippers, and Receivers would all be forced to be more efficient or pay you a minimum wage.
I would be happy to earn minimum wage for all the time they waste at loading and offloading, calling to get my next load, sending in paperwork for completed loads, time waiting on refits, time on safety meetings, and other time.i have to currently donate, etc. For company business!
If I work the 70 hours / week allowed, I probably work another 10 hours for these other issues that we pretend are not work hours on the log.
$15.00/hour X 80 hours on wages with time and a half over 40 hours as the Labor Department requires for everyone on a wage-hour job is $1,500 per week. That means if you work for less that per week, you are earning less than the minimum wage is many states!
All you knowledge, skills, experience, certifications, and time in the.business might be worth more than minimum wage? So why are so many of us earning less than minimum wage? Like the Dr. is saying, the truck companies would have to pay most drivers more if they paid an hourly wage!
And they would probably cut your hourly to 40/ week to avoid paying overtime. So we would probably be home more.
Give the Dr. her due on this proposal. I think it potentially solves some issues in the industry.
James Harper
I agree with what you are saying, been saying this for over 10 years.
That and better treatment of drives as well. allot of companies treat drivers like we are disposable commodities. but then the pay issue would fall into that as well.
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Well said.
A shortage would exist if they weren’t handing out H-1B visas like candy! That is what is keeping pay low.
Hiring companies drivers.
We pay up too……
6 month experience. 40cpm
5 years experience 40cpm
10 years experience 45cpm
Fuel bonus, clean inspection bonus.
See the problem here ?
Not worth it! Safer to work at Walmart, don’t have to worry about your driving record, log book, waiting to be loaded, unloaded! It’s just garbage!!
My state and local taxes were 8000 dollars on a 42 thousand dollar income. My road expenses were 7000 and that wasn’t anything special. 15000 out of 42 thousand is 27000. Now I have living at my house expenses while I’m not there on about let’s say 3500 dollars a year 1500 all in for a pos vehicle to drive to work and back, and I now have a 22000 dollars a year job with no benefits. Oh sure you can defer some tax with a phoney 401 retirement rip you off account but who does that?? Health insurance?? Roflol, if I didn’t have VA Health Benifits , I would have nothing. Thanks Donald, thanks Barrack, thanks Bush, Thanks Bill. You guys were really looking out for me. The 4 of you robbed me for 30 years. You rotten rat dung, unparented, devils.
That is a crying shame! You mentioned 4 losers!!!
Maybe you OUGHT to look into taking the yearly tax deduction of $40 per day that truckers ARE allowed to take on their taxes. If what you just said is true you should have gotten back every dime you paid in taxes.
My Drivers avg between 1500 to 2k a week that works out to 30.00 per hr OTR and home for 2 days a week. Problem is these new drivers have no passion for the industry. It’s just a pay check for them then move on to the next company. I run a fleet of 15 trucks all 2016 and up and they still look like the 1st day I bought them. If I put a driver in my truck and does not treat it with respect your out the door. I would rather have my truck sit in the yard than provide you a good paying Job and not respect my investment. I’ve succeed for 23 years now and no driver will ever break me. I still have a CDL so going back to driving is no big deal too me cause I’m still the hardest working employee in my company.
Do you provide free medical and dental plus life and disability insurance? Do you allow a rider and a pet? Do you match your drivers’ 401k contributions up to 10% of gross income? I’m guessing that you don’t. I work for a small company with fully loaded trucks and I earn $62k. And yes, I have that fully loaded 2020 truck, WiFi, direct tv, SiriusXM and I have the luxury of having a rider and a pet. Who needs time off, when life on the road is so damned comfortable? Oh, and my average length of haul is 1950 miles. Beat that. I dare ya.
$30/hr for a full week otr is $3180.
Unbelievable. Having just read a multitude of posts ( above) from drivers and brokers alike who claim to be professional within their occupation .
Without reflecting on their mindset, please guys, act and voice opinions in a manner which reads as professional as you claim to be.
1979 I began as a driver, locally dispatched, the overnight highway run was next, with the next 39 years of oversized, reefer and flat bedding to follow, with a sabbatical of 2 years to complete a degree in 5 methods of transportation.
From northern Canada to California and beyond, experience and education has my opinion as such;
Why are there owner operators hauling still for a meager $2 / mile, and less, that I simply cant comprehend. Speaking specifically of the past decade, never ever have I hauled a load for under $3.92 per mile, plus detention ( $90/hr. after 1st hour) fuel surcharges, and tolls.
Understanding, if you dont haul it someone else will. Well , let them, be
the professional you claim to be, not just as a truck owner/ operator, as a successful business owner, one without fear in knowing theres money aside for the next break down. There’s time abundant for the family, and money for retirement and that cruise you always wanted to go on.
If analysis by said individual claims ” no driver shortage exists “, then why when I ordered a new truck I must wait 16 months for its delivery, which, doesn’t tell the tale of driver shortage, but does say the economy is ,and continues to remain, at full capacity or near.
With companies poised to run and pay for those new trucks, drivers are needed in those seats. Three recent articles in truck and transportation related magazines stated ; “Small to large transportation companies parking recently delivered new class 8 trucks, as they are unable to fill the seats “.
Now, I never have based information or ” factual information ” ( there is a difference) on writings in magazines, or similar, but when all that can be heard is ” sorry sir, the truck didnt arrive” has become a popular phrase, and every job posting for drivers is nothing short of begging.
Rates have been steadily increasing, empty truck seats by the thousands, truck orders exceeded the highest previous years on record, immigrants are being let into our country to fill those seats, and still, drivers are being sought after from coast to coast, with the demand growing daily.
And analysis by , excuse me, what was her name / credentials?, make assumptions without adequate knowledge.
That’s the beauty of this country. Freedom of speech, to say what some are paid to say, without truth, fiction abundant.
The problem is the shipping cost keeps going down while expenses are going up,,,every trucking company trying to steal freight from each other….The problem is to many trucking companies,,too many truck drivers in this country…Lmao that’s why the rates are so bad…Also u have way to many brokers (bad) in this country…come guys and ladies ,wake up…peace out
Supply and demand…
Considering the booming 2018 freight market there’s actually oversupply of drivers in 2019. So rate went down drastically. I’ve been pulling a dry bulk tanker for the last 4 years and was making OK money leased on to a carrier. I’m like a lot of owner operators out there decided to start my own authority and be completely independent last year because it made sense. This year, my gross $1.88 a mile and my net after diesel is $1.43 a mile pulling dry van all over the eastern part of the country completely independent. NOW!!! Everybody’s saying “Pay More”, How?
There’s no shortage of people with driver licenses. There’s shortage of real drivers.
I did LTL in California for a year, but $21 bucks an hour just isn’t enough in this overcrowded, overpriced, overregulated State!
On the other hand, I don’t want to work 60 hours a week either!
I cannot begin to explain just how much I regret dropping out of college!!!! Sure, I liked driving a pup around as a city driver, but with the long hours, low pay, and freight that’s so heavy I really wish I had an electric pallet jack, its just not a good way to make a living!
Joe , Go haul fuel. Be home daily and make good money.
As a stockbroker former driver, I am regulated to a max fee of 5%. But freight brokers can rape drivers calling loads backhaul. A couple loads a month are the difference between making money and going in the red, going broke. The brokers are the problem. ATA is not interested in doing anything except looking out for big carriers
Again, someone on the outside saying what we on the inside have known for a long time. Then they want a one size fits all solution to the problem that is much more complex than that. Bottom line is this, cost of equipment has increased dramatically since the 70’s and 80’s. We have emissions equipment being forced down our throat, Fuel now is a min of 250% higher than it used to be, a truck is now creeping towards that $200k mark. If they want things to change then it starts with setting the expectations of the shippers as to what to realistically pay per mile. Then it’s up to us to self regulate and make sure that we don’t haul for 3rd world labor rates. When you see an industry that has had shipping costs remain the same for 30-40 years but everything else has increased in cost, something is going to give. Cost of living, cost of maintaining, cost per mile all increase but the amount paid per mile is flat or decreasing means something is going to break here. So the magical $1,000,000 question is when are folks going to quit looking thru rose colored glasses here when they get into the industry as a company driver or an O/O?
This person wrote it’s simple, pay drivers more, well it’s simple…..in order to do that trucking companies need to charge more.
It’s so simple that every shipper refuses to go along with it.
Bj McKay was paid a dollar a mile according to the episode I just watched. That was in the 80s.
There IS a driver shortage. There is NO steering wheel holder, 2 week wonder driving school graduate shortage! Get the damn government OUT of the trucking industry!
I agree with the article (there is no driver shortage)
Can anyone give me an opinion on this one?
Why is it that after getting a warm wet feeling from a recruiter, when you make it to orientation the instructors, office people etc….act like pompous asses or tough guys, with vulger mouths. To me that pretty much is enough for me to head back home after thanking them for the nice rent a car or plane ticket , orientation pay, nice hotel stay, good food etc. Are they so burnt out that they don’t realize treating drivers like crap causes the high turnover as well?
Canada boasts needs for 31,008 drivers for class 8 commercial vehicles, the U.S. equally so at 51,135 drivers ” NEEDED IMMEDIATELY “.
Up to 2013, truck to available freight fluctuated from 1.3 to 1.6 (trucks to loads) June 2013 came the 1:1 , with November 2018 being all turned on its back , with 1.475 loads to available trucks ( equipment).
In english, what was more available trucks than there was freight, is now
( a/o November 2018) more freight than available trucks.
Statistics via the same analysts who now claim no driver shortage.
( guess its who gets paid how much for saying what, being the deciding factor guys…)
-the almighty buck rules, in the end.
Perhaps not declaring a driver shortage is for a reason we dont know, at higher levels. Such as initiating specific immigration laws to import not goods but drivers to fill the shortcoming. This will of course overwhelm the job market, drive down wages and freight rates, and of course, once the storm calms, put an awful lot of ” immigrants ” on the welfare line, seeing as they came prepared to do one job, and only one. Hey my parents were immigrants too. But never ever took a nickle from any government agency, they started a construction business, hired 27 from the unemployment line, who would otherwise have ” cost” us all, through our paid taxes.
It’s all about ethics, perseverance and the want to do better, be better.
I agree whole heartedly. Right now rates are down… why? Too much capacity. Well, what is too much capacity? Too many trucks for the amount of freight. Ok, who drives those trucks? Truck drivers.
The only shortage of drivers is the propaganda spewed by megas to keep filling seats with low payed, under trained drivers and justify doing it. As an owner op, I want a TRUE driver shortage. It’s simple supply and demand as stated by the person from Labor Dept. Shortage of supply (i.e., drivers) leads to demand and increased price (freight rates).
In closing, if 200,000 of you would please retire or find other jobs, I’d greatly appreciate it. Lol
Left the industry in January to deal with my daughter’s death and recently started applying to companies and I can’t find a driving job with 20 years experience and no accidents so I don’t believe in any shortage of drivers
Last 2 jobs ive had when asked at interview of how is my loyalty, my answer is the same as yours if i ask if you offer a pension. Pension=loyalty… pensions are a thing of gov jobs and the past so dont expect loyalty..
Just like when you go to walmart to buy syrup they got the jumb”great value” 32 oz but if you do the math you save 20 30 cents if you buy 2 16 oz….. lol
6 more days, and you guys can have my spot out here. Good bye, and good luck
Michaels gotta gold watch, don’t seem like a whole lot…..
What this economist Dr. Monaco said is what I’ve been saying for the past 23 years. Drivers here complain about treatment and time away from home – that’s B.S. Everything has a price. The abuse, mistreatment and time all of these could be paid for accordingly. What I’m trying to say is if they paid you a lot of cash, you would put up with the B.S. with a smile. The B.S would be worth it. The job would attract more people who would be also OK with the hardships and the B.S. I’ve also been saying that the reason these mega carriers need there to be a perception of driver shortage, is to be able to import foreign drivers and thus keep the cost of wages down. I see this happening up here in Canada. I know for a fact from an insider in one of the largest carriers operating in Canada, that they advertise in India while at the same time applying to the government for temporary worker visas for these people. A recruiter from another company, which does specialized transport, told me once that as soon as they advertise a job, they get phonecalls and emails from India from people asking for a worker visa. When the big transport corporations have a constant supply of cheap labour, they don’t need to raise wages.
Wow is all I can say but, you’re spot on.
The Dr. knows exactly what is going on . Some trucking company are straight crooks. When you the driver says something they say to you that you are crazy , and just want more money. Exactly more money is the word.
Correct low wages for owner operators and the big corps take the good rates to be able to pay company drives.
ATA is a lobby group for the mega bottom feeder trucking companies.
UPS has three very different very distinct trucking companies. UPS parcel is the original. They pay 31 per hour and time and a half after 8 hours. Their health insurance is top shelf with very low co-pays.
They have no driver shortage.
The researcher is correct, there is no shortage of drivers, just a lack of pay. I’ve read all the comments, and there’s lots of truth in most of them.
I love the diversity of this country, and think that most immigrants are great people (hell, somewhere in everyone’s family history we all arrived here as immigrates – except the indigenous decedents). But, more people coming into our country, hurts the folks struggling to get higher wages. There are lots of folks that would get back in a tractor to drive if the pay was better. The economist is correct folks. There is no driver shortage.
I would also add treat workers better . If a company has an open door policy don’t abuse it . Also if a company has anti bullying policy how a bout enforcing it and being just as professional as The Professional Driver .
Some of these trucking companies are getting away with murder . They want to pay cent per mile CPM with less than a 1000 miles of running. . I think they should pay drivers by the hour with less than a 1000 miles . Just figure out how much money they generate with less than 500 miles .
What we need is a union pay for the hours worked
Well said bro , I am totally agree with you !!
Well ok here is my 2cents. I got my CDL in 1996 from then til now I’ve been paid hourly I’ve been paid by the mile, and none of it adds up. I hear complaints from both sides of the aisle. Freight brokers, Driver Managers, to Owner Operators and lease purchase driver’s aka renters. I’ve been fortunate enough get minimum 5 years of driving experience, but that’s not enough for some companies because of a verification of driving. Which is another story all together. However everybody complains from Congress to the White House the company owner to the last hired driver we all complain even the shithouse lawyer. It’s no surprise that this lady economics teacher who knows not a damn thing about the truck industry write a book about what she isn’t qualified to talk about. The best I could do for pay was $.31cpm I didn’t complain about that o just took the loads for a year and a half in an attempt to put 2 years on the job then look for a pay increase to which all I got was a diagnoses for diabetes then I got terminated for a company pet violation. No big deal I put my time in came back home got back on the hourly train after 1 year of that got hit by a 4wheeler with no insurance while I was riding my bicycle. It’s been 3 years now going on 4 I’m just not getting some help to get back to work I hope that I will be able to get back in a truck before the robots take over. That’s my 2cents hope I didn’t ramble to much. But I’ve seen alot in my short little rookie driving career, and everybody complains not just the driver’s everybody.
I think the main problem is that most long-haul jobs don’t allow drivers to have a proper social life. If they gave drivers 50 hours of Home time every week and still pay them enough to make a decent living turn over would disappear.
ATA are the ones not understanding. Megas have trucks sitting with no drivers, certainly. They also have drivers sitting waiting on loads. They don’t have a driver shortage, they have an overzealous procurement director buying too many trucks.
ATA has no sense of what is going on in the industry if they believe there is a driver shortage.
mmm. i stay out 4-6 weeks gross 7,000.0 to 9,000. net 5000.00 to 7000.00 per week . driver shortage ? well in some sectors like mine but i like it that way! you freight boys have to know The ATA stacks up against you. the big company club ATA sponsors to hold you where you are they like it that way. slow trucks low pay long days and the list gos on.
get your own authority compete for their customers( you already kbow who they are) youll be on the same call list like everyone eles…… but….. they cant compete with a guy or lady that works out of their driverway!.
its all about volume . good economy high volume get it while its good , prepare for down swings a their gos the rules of the road. theirs more work out their then can ever be covered and trump (at least for me ) just made it better. have a great day thanks for your time.
?????? moderation ????? what key word flagged that response ????
Trucking is for the homeless who have hit rock bottom and living in a 40 sf truck on the side of the road is a step up. Anyone who has a home and a family to support would be stupid to think they’ll be able to keep those things by driving a truck.
thats just how i want people like you to think . please spread that fluff ……thank you
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do you still have that 70s KW ? ……sonny…..?……..🤔…….🤣
It looks like almost everyone on this thread are pulling dry vans/refers. Maybe broaden your horizons and try another sector of the industry if you’re physically capable of it. I took the plunge into flat deck/float last year after 22 years in the industry. Making $24.50/hr,now. The loads are dirty,greasy,sharp edged and require one to climb all over it threading chain through confined spaces alot of the time. Other times you’re required to drive back hoes,bulldozers,excavators and just about every kind of construction related equipment on wheels/tracks that there is onto tilt decks or floats plus possess the knowledge on how to secure these loads and be familiar with oversize regs. If you want to make more doe,step into and learn how to do this. 23 yrs in trucking,now,but considered a rookie in this sector.You have to know a lot more than just how to drive,here. Your driving habits need to change,too,over here.
I also wanted to say. The trucking companies who are paying 40ish cents per miles should just go out of business and stop ripping off there drivers. FYI costs of things have went up not down. It costs 10 dollars for fast food now not 5. Our money is devalued by hald thanks to quanitive easing 5 times. Devaluation of our currency by 10 percent each time BTW.
Now our minimum pay per mile should be 70 to 90 cents per mile. And if we get enough drivers together to demand higher pay and never work for the low paying companies. Well it will be better.
40 CPM companies just raise the wages or go out of business. TY
O/O’s , if youre running for less than $2 a mile youre lucky to be making a small paycheck. Take a week or 2 off and youll go a month without pay, pretty sad. 70% of trucking companies out there are garbage, find one of the 30% that will actually pay and keep trying to get in there. Company drivers that are home everyday should be making 70k plus, if youre not making that look for something better.