Truck Driver Jobs Hard to Fill Even in Bad Economy

" I can't believe they aren't lined up at the door begging for a job"
What a joke. Between CSA crap, the CPAP scam, low wages, and being treated like dirt by law enforcement and the public at large, it's a wonder any of us even do this anymore. Maybe we're all crazy......

 

Nobody in their right mind wants to spend three weeks on the road for $500 per week. I don't believe it has anything to do with kid or drugs but rather the lousy pay.

 

I cant believe the nerve of CR England buttin in like they are doing something for new drivers....how many threads have we read about a newbie being sent home from orientation or being terminated for rubbing a bumper???then they turn around and blackball these new drivers and they cant get hired anywhere else, then theres the pay issue and idling controls like CRST Iv seen poor drivers just baking in the hot sun no APU cant idle n all for 3 to 5 hundred bucks a week???? please big shots if u really wanted to take care of this issue u would do so. Thanks navigator wife and everybody for the useful comments.

 

I am currently employed making around $42,000 per year. I used to drive truck many years ago and liked it. I took vacation time and went to school. Got my CDL back with Tanker and Hazmat. I have enough years to draw a pretty good retirement through my current job. Planned on taking a Driving job and drawing my retirement to make really good money. First Employer lied and I never took the job. I was prehired by at least 6 companies. My Wife can not handle money so I could not be away from home for months at a time. After figuring expenses of living on the road, even including my good retirement check, all offers would cut my pay considerably and keep me out for several weeks. Why would I want to quit and work for less than minimum wage? All the local jobs require recent experience which I do not have and these pay only slightly better. Most of the recruits in my school were real losers. One guy took 45 minutes to back up a truck with somebody standing beside him telling him which way to turn the wheel. Yep I wasted my money on the school and the Driver shortage is going to get much worse before it gets better and I certainly see why. Can anyone tell me why none of the Local jobs will hire new recruits, other than insurance. Back when I used to drive the long hauls were hard to get and paid well, now it is the opposite.

 

It's not because of " insurance" most if these places are self insured up to some astronomical amount. They are just all running scared because of CSA. CSA is causing the driver shortage and its only going to get worse. A lot of the bottom feeders would rather hire people with no experience because they have no points on their PSP score and that makes more sense due to the faulty logic of FMCSA. The whole thing is a colossal joke.

 

Please continue

 

The story reads like it was written by a shill for the CDL mills. I smell a scam.

 

I keep saying the same. But nobody is listening to me either.

Especially these POS trucking company owners.

I bring home the same money NOW, as I did my first year in trucking. With little, if any difference in home time.

The truth is.... Everyone can actually earn more by taking a job outside of trucking.

Trucking is about to become what farming has....insourced by immigrant labor. Legal and illegal.

All companies have to do. Is refuse to keep pace with cost of living increases, just as the large farming conglomerates did. And they'll get all the cheap labor they want.

 

CSA isn't causing jack. The companies are.

Want quality employees? Pay a quality wage.

Want a safe company? Pay EVERY driver by the hour, for every hour of the 14 hour window utilized.

You can bet I will be doing the EXACT speed limit every where I go. Regardless of how late their #### freight is.

 

...or make it more difficult to earn a CDL. I refuse to believe many of these clowns on the road today earned theirs properly. I just can not...WILL not...believe that some of the garbage behind the wheel of a rig these days is totally legit.