Driver shortage. The cause.

Wow , I thought the # 1 reason would be that a driver gets sick of a bunch of people that are barely
half a step above a blind chimpanzee banging on a keyboard , that have never seen the inside of a truck
let alone drove one , telling him/her how to do his/her job.

 

If there is a driver shortage companies are affected by it ,they get thousands in subsidy money for each driver they hire and its not just the starter companies either.Companies could care less who stays who quits and who gets fired.Which explains the sign on bonus and new trks,a good share of that is bought from the subsidy money.

 

This is more true then ever. Didn't used to be so much, but with the advent of new technologies, the ones behind the desk figure that their computer is the "know-all, end-all" in terms of planning and such.

 

Drivers will put up with a lot of crap if they have two things: a decent paycheck and told the truth...no matter how much it hurts.
Let's face it, most newer drivers are coming into this field from past postions that paid a lot more than new drivers make. It's really hard to adjust from $40-$60,000 per year to $30-$35,000 (most of that coming at the end of the first year).
And being lied to over and over (we'll get you home, we'll get you home!) are just too much for most new drivers to handle.

 

There is a driver shortage, but we're up to our ears in steering wheel holders.

 

Absolutely!!

 

Yes that's where the shortage is, Quality Drivers. I think I heard when I first started driving in 2003 that there will be a major driver shortage by 2012. The cycle continues.

 

The reason for this is simple. FedEx (originally Federal Express) was formed as an airline. UPS formed as a trucking company. 85% of items moved by FedEx (FedEx Freight, FedEx Ground, FedEx Express, FedEx Custom Critical) are moved at some point by plane. For UPS that number is 15%.

BTW speaking only as FXF, why would I want to be in a union? I make more than my counterparts at UPS Freight to begin with.

 

You also have to look at who is reading these articles. It is usually the young and un-employed. This is a marketing tool to promote the local community college and technical schools so they can receive federal dollars for their schools and fluff the job numbers at the end of the month.

The 2 main professions that I see being pushed in the last decade is truck jobs and IT (helpdesk) positions. Both are relatively low wage positions until you move up the ladder. I have done both recently.

 

Where does this 'subsidy' money come from?