Will industry shortage make automation come sooner

Skynet will soon be driving all the trucks.

 

Skynet, aka amazon.

 

Because it costs only to onboard a driver. Thanks to piecemeal pay, companies can easily run over the manpower they need and not cost them much. Most companies would rather have the cushion to run more loads.

Plus with an industry turnover of about 100% getting the job is easy. Putting up with the industry b.s. is much harder.

 

There is a shortage because the lifestyle and job are hard to do and not many people last.

 

The railroad companies are a bigger threat than the robots to be honest.

 

There is no shortage of drivers. Never has been and never will be. At least in the abstract. Big companies don't care at all about drivers. They pretend they do just to get you in the door. Look at the turnover rate in the OTR industry. It's phenomenal! These companies couldn't care less if you quit. The reason that they don't care is very simple. They have a continuous flow of new drivers just waiting for the chance to work for them. You mean nothing to them. For starters, just look at how most drivers are paid. By the mile. With the implementation of ELD's, the miles that they drive everyday show up right there on the screen. Yet companies still pay either HHG or practical miles. Chalk up a win for the companies to cheat their drivers. Now lets look at all of the time that these drivers are working for free. Pre/post trip insp, fuel, breakdowns, DOT inspections etc. Another win for the company. As for loading/unloading, most say that you have to give up a certain amount of time. BS! Again, another win for the company. The medical benefits usually cost the driver a large amount of their pay. As for retirement, that again costs money out of the drivers pocket, usually more than it should. Now you have to eat while on the road. Even more money out of the drivers pocket. If that's something that appeals to you, more power to you. It's definitely not for me and I am a truck driver. Or in the words of one of my best friends, "a well paid steering wheel holder". I'll take that any day and wear like a badge of honor.

I hear of lot of people talking about "it's a lifestyle". I could never understand this comment? While this is my opinion and my opinion only, trucking to me is not a lifestyle. Trucking provides me with a lifestyle. And it's definitely not in a truck!

 

Well I haven't been trucking as long some .
I will have to say If there is a driver shortage it is the longest labor shortage I have ever heard of .
I have heard about it since I started driving and that's been 39 years so it must be true !

If they cant fix a shortage of drivers in that time I wont be loosing any sleep over self driving trucks !!

 

There's a shortage of people willing to do the work! I understand theres high turnover. But it still remains that there is a shortage of labor to fulfill the jobs. Companies are constantly searching for help because guys will get behind the wheel then 6 mos later say screw it and go find something else to do.

You can have 10 million able-bodied people that are able to drive rigs for a living, but that number doesnt mean jack if only 50k out of that 10 million actually want to do the job.

 

The shortage is the pay. Most companies will rather die a thousand deaths than to pay say $1.00 a mile to the employee and charge appropriate rates to support that necessity.

 

Im Sorry, Ive been involved in railroading or another since 2 Thats over 50 years. If anything, the railroads are under utilized this year with about 400,000 freight cars rusting quietly in storage yards.