The perpetual truck driver shortage is not real

Discussion in 'Other News' started by Opus, Sep 5, 2023.

  1. Opus

    Opus Road Train Member

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    The perpetual truck driver shortage is not real - FreightWaves

    The American Trucking Associations propagates the narrative of the shortage. ATA members consist of midsize and large trucking fleets, which have increasingly become a smaller percentage of the trucking industry’s total capacity.

    What we already knew......at least finally someone said it out loud
     
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  3. mjd4277

    mjd4277 Road Train Member

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    The Department of Labor even said that the companies needed to increase the pay!
     
    bryan21384 and dwells40 Thank this.
  4. diesel guy454

    diesel guy454 Medium Load Member

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    There is a severe shortage of professional drivers. Brain dead steering wheel holders are a dime a dozen.
     
  5. Tb0n3

    Tb0n3 Road Train Member

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    In order for that to happen freight rates have to rise too. Rates are always pushed to the bottom not the top.
     
  6. bryan21384

    bryan21384 Road Train Member

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    Like I've always said. The driver shortage thing depends on who you ask. Mid size to large carriers will say there's a shortage. They have seemingly endless direct customer freight and they'd rather not have to broker it out. They think trucking starts and stops with mid to large size carriers. Then you have the owner ops, and small fleet owners who for the most part are reliant on spot market freight. They see trucking from a different vantage point. They are going tonsee low rates and say there is no shortage, and the market is over flooded with trucks. I tend to believe there might be shortages in certain sectors of trucking. You'll never find a shortage of drivers willing to bump docks, but you may find a shortage of guys who want to run flatbed or food grade tanker for instance. I will never know for sure if there is an overall shortage, simply because it's really 2 different worlds of trucking. I guess it's a matter of perspective.
     
    rollin coal Thanks this.
  7. bryan21384

    bryan21384 Road Train Member

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    Well the companies can only afford what the contracts and loads will allow unfortunately. They gotta find the money to do so somewhere, and ultimately everyone will just pass the buck. The profit margin seems to be on the thin side in trucking, so I can possibly see where making more money might be a bit of a task.
     
    Short Fuse EOD Thanks this.
  8. mjd4277

    mjd4277 Road Train Member

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    That’s part of the problem,everyone wants their freight moved for cheap,if not practically free!!
    TANSTAAFL!!
     
  9. bzinger

    bzinger Road Train Member

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    Maybe someday equipment finance companies will quit loaning money to every Tom dick and Harry that can get operating authority knowing the market will crash and most of it will end up at the auction... and even better yet insurance companies will quit insuring high risk idiots .
     
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