Drive Cams for Roehl?

That's been true since before I got my CDL. Your post even shows that there is a shortage, your point is the same as mine. The reason there is a shortage. There is no shortage of CDL holders, there is a shortage of drivers in trucks. The pool of available drivers is large. They buy into the hype, get their license start driving, get treated like garbage and quit. That is kind of the point of this thread, office people who have never been any farther than 100 miles from home, or driven anything larger than a pickup truck sitting in an office watching a video and evaluating how a professional driver should do his job.

It doesn't matter how many are available to do the job, if you need 10 drivers and no one wants to work for you, you have a driver shortage.

 

Didn’t Knights CEO just recently come out and say that over capacity is to blame, when freight was plentiful Mega’s were purchasing trucks now not so much. Just can’t have it both ways lol

 

If there was a driver shortage,there wouldn’t be companies shutting down left and right. Not to mention you wouldn’t see all of these surviving companies (both megas and owner/operators alike) trying to move freight at dirt cheap rates!!
Seriously,how do you expect to move freight at $1.70(or less) a mile??? That wouldn’t even cover the cost of fuel!! I’d be charging double or triple!!

 

Driver shortage depends on who you ask. Everyone only looks towards bigger-ish or bigger companies for data on this. If you go buy these companies who have customers, great broker relationships, then yes it is a shortage. They arent always solely reliant on spot market freight. That's why the trailers say, "NOW HIRING" or call whatever 800 number. Now what if you ask an owner operator, or small fleet? They typically reliant on spot market freight. They will probably say no shortage. If you ask maybe a flatbed or tanker driver or company, or any type of hazmat or specialized hauling, they may beg to differ...I think some sectors of trucking may be short, but not the whole industry. Reefers and dry vans are in major abundance. I tend to think those to categories of trucking are over saturated. I've noticed in my time out here that it was always easier to get a flatbed load than dry van or reefer in lean times. So the driver shortage thing really depends on who you ask and where data is collected

 

First and foremost, the cameras most carriers use are lytx. They go off on a bump in the road or if your caught going over the speed limit or crash. The industry is caught up “in the name of safety” mentality. Technically they cannot “spy” on you but if something happens they want to know if the driver was alert and not staring at the phone, asleep or say eating chips. I personally used these at a company I worked with in the office. For as much as I hated them as a driver, they saved our butts with insurance etc. even when we had a driver nood off. Blame it on ELDs or whatever it’s what the Mids to megas are switching to.

Want to get away from it? Get your own equipment. Easier said than done but that’s what this industry needs. More smaller carriers or single truck o/o. My personal opinion (again personal) is the next “big economic fall” will be the trucking industry or airline pilot shortage / flight schools. Stuff has just gotten out of hand expense wise with ELD services, camera subscriptions and the “IFTA trackers”. Not to mention cost of training. Mega carriers have huge per truck overhead. New truck new trailer and new driver. They have the freight but the equipment alone has to be close to 3-4K a month just to own it. Not to mention it needs to make a pay check for the guy in the office and the driver and everyone else on the list. Just a thought I have had over the miles.

BUT.....back on topic, don’t let the camera determine where you go. They can’t “spy” So to speak, it is more of a tattle tale device. As long as your check is not deducted for hitting bumps or a deer you should be fine. Now dragging a rock from the parking to the street with the tandems....maybe lol.

 

Your friend probably took both hands off the wheel...that triggers the camera

 

Just another step, " taking the trucker out of trucking".
why is sucking the last chip out of a bag worse then changing the radio station?
Truckers need to multitask.
Remember looking at the atlas resting on the steering wheel while sipping on a coffee.
I knew we where all doomed when the inside of the truck was just like a 4 wheeler. (thank you Volvo)

 

First warming sign is the 60 mph truck