Driver shortage turns to surplus

I was doing a lot of Repo work while doing the Drive Away. It is not fun at all taking a Truck from a man who had that for him work and home! I am much happier hauling freight than taking those trucks back for the bank! Only once did a Gun get pulled. I was lucky in that respect! Some of those trucks I picked up were like new. Just Kills to know that they had to loose those trucks.
I understand why some lost those trucks though. One guy was in Fla. had a Sleeper in a New Pete, New Allum Gravel train Trailer. Mint shape. but he refused to work it up to the North like MT or where the Mines were. (got to go where the work is)

 

good point...

america was built on corruption...

it started with cutting the throats of the indian nations...

very good point....

 

Trucking has always been a tough business to work in.

Sure, if you break things down on an hourly basis the bottom line looks bad, but trucking is still the best fit for my personality, and we all knew the score within a few weeks of getting our CDL's.

If being gone and living in a truck are too much for you, there's always Mc Donalds.

 

There is plenty of reason to fear. You old-timers know the half of it for sure.. here's the other half:

Trucking has gone from 100% full employment and head hunters to still at least 90+% full employment. From where a lot of us are sitting, those are fantastic odds in comparison.

This influx is not 21 year olds, it's 30-60 year olds from unforseen professions such as customer service, IT, office jobs, even healthcare. Some hold amazing degrees and come from large cities never having even seen a trailor home in real life.

So yeah, saturation has killed every industry that's ever been good for workers and that sucks. But not only could wages go down, we'll be delivering in Dockers, Ralph Lauren button-ups, and Brooks Brothers ties if need be.

On the upside, in a decade you won't have those gripes about the trucker's image anymore. Welcome to the new order.

All flames welcome lol.

 

You sound like you expect those drivers from other careers to stay in trucking . See how many are here in a few months after they work or sit all week and take home half what they used to . When they face having their mortgage foreclosed and moving into a trailer park they'll start looking for a career with a future .

 

One can hope I suppose. But you have to be honest with yourself as to what they are going to see. Either trucking is a good career worth saving or its not. I would find it puzzling if you found it to be a terrible job and still wanted to keep it for yourself.

True enough, I think a lot won't research and companies like Covenant, Swift, CR England will give a lot of would-be's a terrible snapshot of the industry. They'll think it's all like that and exit the field.

There's also a big difference between hopes and wants, which newbies have, and expectations (built on the past and true experience) which the old hands have. People are used to being dissappointed about not meeting hopes and wants, but most won't stand for their profession deteriorating from what they knew to be true and real at one time. I think it's a toss-up as to who will leave in droves.

Let's just hope freight recovers and everyone can be accommodated.

 

Drivers with 10 -15 years experience mostly have a good solid career . Even 5 years offers no security . People won't stand for their profession deteriorating ? What do you think has been happening for more than 10 years ? Individual drivers don't define the industry . ATA and regulators do . The ones leaving in droves aren't doing so by choice in many cases . It will take a long , long time for recovery .

 

I agree with demingrickjames; something has to be done about these trucking companies; they take advantage of drivers; expect us to run our butts off for them while THEY make big money but don't want to pay us a decent living wage. $30,000-$38,000 to drive a big truck???? What a joke, come on!!! The wage to drive a big truck should be at LEAST $50,000 for the amount of time that drivers spend away from their families, the hours we run and lots of other crap we put up with.

 

The only thing that would change things would be if wannabes got smart and quit replacing drivers that got disgusted and quit . But that won't happen . There will always be willing victims .

 

Rick is right. I am a student right now but I have been involved with trucking companies for the last 13 years. I was the guy shipping and receiving stuff. Now in school I am surrounded by people (read: overzealous naive people) that are all excited because Swift and Werner got them prehires. I tried to tell them about this site and all the info within, but they are not listening. There are at least 15 newbies right there that are replacing people that saw the light. I am excited because a local beverage distributor is interested in me, and I like a little physical work.