Why is it so hard to find good drivers?

You make some valid points about the pay. While pay is extremely important it isn’t always number one for everyone. Carhauling years ago was one of the premier paying trucking jobs. Not so much anymore but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a good job at some carriers. LTL and many other jobs caught up with Carhaul pay and surpassed the pay of some carhaulers. I personally wouldn’t go back to my old job as a feeder driver at UPS where I would be making slightly over $40 an hour, $130,000-$160,000 a year currently. Even if I could go back to my spot on the board with 19 years of seniority, due to the main reason being schedule for me. I have been in Carhaul for 10 years this month and wouldn’t change a thing about my last 10 years. If I were still at UPS I would be working nights and or weekends with 19 years on the job. I now start and stop my day when I chose to. I don’t work when the weather is bad. (Heavy snow or ice). If the roads were open I was out on them at UPS regardless of the conditions. I don’t work through the night now and I don’t work the entire weekend. I work when and how much or how little I choose to. Not all Carhaul companies give company drivers this much flexibility as I own my rig, but most are fairly flexible compared to UPS or LTL jobs. The friends of mine who are top producing Carhaul company drivers make $2,400 and up every single week and they wouldn’t take a strictly driving job due to the lack of flexibility and the fact that most of them really like hauling cars. Some of us talk about this on a regular basis and we never say how much we want to go hold a steering wheel for a living. Been there done that and in the pouring down rain or single digits it would be easier, but easier isn’t always better.
Due to a current lack of carhaulers some companies are finally realizing they are going to have to drastically up the pay to attract new drivers. If they don’t up the pay as many of us older guys retire in the next 5-10 years they will be struggling at best to replace a small fraction of us. Hopefully Carhaul will be a premium paying job once again. It definitely isn’t the best job for everyone, but it is for me and many others who still really like hauling cars. If someone just wants a good paying job, Carhaul definitely isn’t the best choice.

 

I'll be the first person to say I love carhaul, but for me to get decent home time, and all the things I need, it's basically do 2-3 full loads a day to get that. You are absolutely right on that $2500 though. If I could be home every other day and still make $3,000 on a w2 I'd probably jump back in a car hauler in a heartbeat. You would think being near Detroit would make that easy.

 

I know this will be a question with a lot of varied answers, but what kind of schedules do you guys prefer? I haven't done any car hauling but would imagine that OTR would be preferable so you don't have to load/unload every day?.. or do you like local work? Would a schedule like 8on/4off be desirable, or 7/4, 8/5, 7/3?

 

Everyone has different needs.

I chose long haul because that is just what fits me best. At the moment I'm in a glider so no elog. I have some flexibility there and the company I work for doesn't push us ever. I'm probably making less than most car haulers, but certainly more than most freight haulers. No question I could make more and be home more with a regional type job. If I wanted to run Canada, Virginia Trans, SBT, J&M (the local guy), or Online could have me home probably a couple night's a week. The border crossing is a pain in the ### for me I'd rather not deal with it or explain my circumstances every time I cross. Even though I live in what's left of upstate New York I don't want to run here other than to catch a load to come home once in a while. If I never saw New England again it would be too soon and add Dirty Jersey to that list also. I usually stay out a couple weeks then come home for a week or so.

Like I posted above everyone has different needs...

 

Thank you for the reply. The lane I'm looking to run is about 1200 miles out of Southern California, however I'm not a driver so was trying to see if that was something that would be desirable. Pay would be 30% of the load.. I was trying to estimate an 8/5 schedule with day 1 loading and some driving.. day 2/3 driving, day 4 unload, day 5 load (start driving), day 6/7 driving, and day 8 unload and go home.. then 5 off, and repeat. I also wouldn't push, or care about birthdays/anniversarys/holidays... seems like that is easily scheduled around. This business revolves around drivers so would be interested to hear what kind of things are important... lane, pay, refridge, APU, days off, weekends off, flexibility, vacation, equipment, big sleeper, cushion in pickup/deliver days, etc

 

You should be able to find something in SoCal with as many car haulers that I see running around out there. First you have to get experience then your options will open up.

Second part of your post I look at freight lanes, equipment, then money. Tomorrow (2/7/2022) I start my 28th year of trucking I might not be quite so choosy if I was just starting out. Believe me I've worked for some real bottom feeders hauling general freight in the past.

 

I ran local GM stuff a lot and regional Ford stuff. I worked for a few different big names, and Virginia Transportation would be my honest pick for the big guys. I like to turn and burn personally. I LOVED hauling F150s from Dearborn, MI down to KY/TN and brining Hondas back up from Marysville, OH with them. It was a great home balance but that's not usually maintained very long at most of the companies I have been at. And I just cannot do 5 days out on the road with 3 kids and my wife at home. If they have rusty old trucks in the back that are spares, RUN AND NEVER LOOK BACK. I'd like to move somewhere warmer than Michigan and haul cars again.

 

I personally wouldn’t rule out a company with some rusty trucks. That old Volvo in the picture next to my Pete was an excellent Carhauler and if Allied were still in business I probably would still be there. I like my Pete but when I was a company driver I looked at pay, benefits and home time closer than I did the age of the truck I drove. I would rather drive an older daycab home every other night than a brand new sleeper truck running the road. Many people love their sleepers and that is good also, but I am not one of them.

 

I can tell you personally that companies like JC will always have problems finding drivers, I'm not willing to drive that Volvo. I watched myself and 3 other people leave orientation at JC Wayne over their trucks before even getting through a week of training. My life is worth more than the money they save keeping the trucks you can poke rust holes in with your finger. If you want to be home daily, Moore has a lot of options for someone with experience. I know local guys get the junkier trucks, but JC and United Road have no excuse for some of the junk they have on the road.

 

I'm starting to see some newer equipment from JCT must be they are upgrading.. We were hauling a lot of overflow for them out of Wentzville and that storage lot outside Ft Wayne. As far as dealing with their people and drivers they have been great.