Trucking companies have more trouble keeping long-haul drivers

Sometimes a little humor works: You are making me late for my yearly pap smear. Then I went into graphics. The guy couldn't get me out of there fast enough.

 

The sr. / vetern drivers are becoming a thing of the past. Some one with 5-10 years at the same company, losing miles, getting stuck on 500 miles loads for 2-3 days, not getting home on time. Then finding out all the 6 months expreanced drivers are getting all the miles , getting regioanl jobs.
Then you see the SMS / csa scores of the company rocket into the high #s. Makes you wonder waht a company's real concern is. Safe drivers, vs low paid new hires, with only 6 months under thier belt.

 

Put yourself in the company's shoes, who would you rather have hauling your freight?

The steering wheel holder with 6 months experience, making 25¢ a mile or the professional driver with 16 years experience making 40¢ a mile???

The difference of 15¢ or more per mile of PURE PROFIT!

Regardless that the rookie is at a greater risk for getting lost, failing to preplan to avoid delays, being stopped by law enforcement, and becoming involved in situations that might result in a service failure. (One might say that rookies are involved in more accidents but the numbers actually dont bear that theory. Rookies may be involved in MORE minor accidents, but veteran drivers are involved in more SERIOUS accidents!)

It just makes more CENTS to give the longer, "easier" runs to the rookies and keep the shorter, "harder" runs to the veterans. This will accomplish two goals over time. First, more money per mile is profit for the company. Secondly, veterans get frustrated by the low mile, high frustration, garbage loads and quit. The company will just hire another bright eyed and bushy tailed rookie with a head full of lies and dreams and an empty wallet who is more than willing to put up with ANYTHING the company/shipper/receiver can dish out. Then the veteran goes to a new company and most times are forced to accept a lower rate of pay per mile, thus insuring that the company will still make a bigger profit.

 

it comes down to the BOTTOM LINE! if a company can't save money it will go under. this economy is haveing a trickle up effect. I think the best way for any employee to stay viable is to help that bottom line and be addaptive to the changes. the ones who show they are an asset should still be ok. it is the ones Who think they don't have to addapt that will suffer most.

 

I will agree with you somewhat.

However there are too many companies that demand adaptive drivers to accept their ABUSIVE practices!

That being said, there are even more drivers willing to endure the abuse, AND MORE POTENTIAL, WILLING VICTIMS ARE GRADUATING TRUCKING SCHOOLS EVERY WEEK! !!

 

I will say right up front that, I have never run a business and for that I can only speculate on what I feel to be business cents...

A company runs the same as any other company, they attempt to keep the overhead down in order to make most profit..I get this.

My thing is, a company has to adjust its overhead to meet the economy and the customers demands. Would it be more beneficial in the long run to take care of GOOD/GREAT employee's and save on the expense of recruiting cost's? If the company has a good list of employee's and their safestat numbers start going down, than wouldn't their ins. cost go down? I believe if company's started looking at business in a different light, that they could be more profitable and have better bennies.

Set Military standards, and only use word-of-mouth to recruit. I know, not all Military standards but some of them...LOL

 

what makes sense on papper does not transition well in the field. those with the money make the rules.

 

Don't quote me on this,,, but I've heard rumors that there's some sort of taxbreak-kickback for running "training programs". With a big enough company, enough "hires" will pay for the recruiting program alone.

Not that I don't want to welcome rookies into the team, but this job ain't for everyone. And hopefully the guys that are "competent, but uncomfortable" will go back to other lines of work when the economy improves. Then hopefully the CSA scores will get the truly incompetent "banned for life" (yeah right). Then maybe we can see some sort of improvement of pay for drivers with senoirity again.

 

I cant say the thought never crossed my mind concerning companies getting kickbacks for running a training camp. I will say this though, those schools ain't for everyone.. It is fast paced and alot don't make the cut. That being said; I still think the standards should be a little more....(how should I say?)....You know, set the bar higher..

 

The American business model has largely become one of maximizing next quarter's profit. When you have C-suite compensation tied to short-term profitability (not to mention so extremely out of proportion to the workforce) and not long-term business growth and stability, as well as unsophisticated shareholders that do not understand business and who apply pressure to maintain profit numbers at virtually any cost, you get the kind of short-sightedness that is so prevelant today. Very few companies have well-thought-out business plans that go beyond the current, or maybe next, year.