Fair to assume the driver shortage is real?

There is no driver shortage. There is however a good paying job shortage. Just check out craigslist, career builder, or indeed for proof. Sure there are lots of driving jobs out there but few that will actually pay a driver what their truly worth for many years of clean experience. I've seen a few that even justify low wages with the "we you get home everyday" crap not bothering to tell a guy that he'll be working all of his 14 nearly everyday for those already crappy wages. There are tons of local jobs around here that only pay $14-$16 an hour...

 

If there is a shortage, I am happy. But it's hard to make that claim seeing that the real unemployment is at an all time high and the price of oil has dropped to the point where oil/shale fields and Fracking businesses are going under.

 

There's not just a shortage of drivers, but a overall shortage of people who actually want to work. I'm 33 years old, and work multiple jobs. I have a full time job with the post office, and what I do part time depends on my mood. With one phone call, I can do a short haul for Celadon, work for a farmer, or operate a forklift in a warehouse. I'm ALWAYS doing something. As I meet and talk to more and more people my age, I'm quickly discovering that people my age with a strong work ethic are a very rare commodity.

Case in point:

I can make one phone call and be behind the wheel of a 379 within 20 minutes taking a load of grain to Muncie. Meanwhile my brother in law will sit on the couch all day every day playing video games.

 

Driving just doesn't appeal to that many people in our generation.

Im a first generation driver out of my family, so when I made some success out of the industry, some of my family members decided to drive as well.

 

. When I was OTR I went Chicago to Spokane often as well as Chicago Salt Lake. I was shocked at the number of doubles laid over in the ditches. It just looked like someone picked them up and put them on their side in the ditch.

 

You OTR drivers aren't exposed enough to the industry to truly understand how bad the driver shortage is. Work in the office, warehouse, or drive a daycab and you'll wake up and smell the coffee. There are more companies screaming for drivers than there are drivers screaming for companies.

1) At my full time job, overtime is often mandated because there simply isn't enough drivers to run the mail.

2) The farmer I drive for has a small fleet of 5 379's. I've known the guy for 19 years, and 2 of his trucks sit parked collecting dust because he can't find drivers.

3) When I work at the warehouse job, I'll typically do more than operate a forklift. I'll also spot trailers, and sometimes drive a truck too because that company is also short of drivers.

Theres another problem I forgot to touch basis on. People who go to driving schools will typically end up at a mega, because megas sponsor these schools and send recruiters to groups on a daily basis. Many people buy the shenanigans that you have to do one or two years OTR because that is what the mega fleet recruiters tell you. This simply isn't true. There are MANY companies out there that'll hire and train student drivers. You just have to think outside the box and not believe what mega fleet recruiters tell you.