Driver Shortage? Misery?

It’s no driver shortage. It’s a shortage of qualified drivers almost 75% of cdl holders never drive again after 12 months of holding a cdl because the conditions that come with gaining the experience to be a “qualified driver” sucks.

 

Shopping around is a myth to most people trying to get into the industry. They see ads in the paper or online that ask for between 1 and 3 years experience. The megas say "we'll take you NOW and we'll train you!". Newbie figures 'great! I need at least a year experience to get a decent job. This place wants a 1 year contract, the math seems to work'.

They go to the mega and one of a couple things happen:

They wash out in training or school

They decide that trucking really isn't for them

The mega sours them to trucking

They start job hopping (again figuring the only companies that will take them are megas so the cycle continues until better companies WON'T hire them because of work history)

Or

They complete their contract and either find they like the company and stay, or they move on to greener pastures.

 

It’s ignorance of the trucking industry really. When I graduated trucking school from a community college in 2005, I applied for Werner, Ashley Furniture and Trans Am. Ashley Furniture finally called as I was about to take the job with Werner. I was making $6-700 a week in training and up to $1400-$1600 a week solo while being home several times a week and off weekends.
There are several good companies that hire students and won’t screw you over. The best bet is to go to a community college if you can do it while working, pay the $600 tuition, complete the 8 week course, and then you won’t have to start off in debt. After a year, your options open up vastly.

 

There's no shortage of people willing to drive, but there is a shortage of qualified drivers.

There are plenty of drivers who can't pass a drug test, have tons of tickets or accidents, or who have a history of job-hopping or a spotty work history and are thus considered flaky. Not to mention those with no experience who are wondering why nobody is immediately offering them six figures. Plenty of them on this forum, anyway.

As cynical as drivers can be about the "so-called driver shortage," it's a real thing. My company has no shortage of applicants, but 95% of them don't meet hiring standards (which is different from "minimum hiring standards").

The bottom line is the most important thing is to stay clean, protect your license, and be a good worker and you'll always be in demand at the better employers.

 

Just read more of our forums OP, you'll find lots of sour puss's here.

I can understand where the companies come from as well. It's no minor thing when a driver falls of a load.

There is an old saying " Trucking ain't for sissies." And it's mental toughness that doesn't make you a sissy. Not being a big Baby Huey.

We are rife with Baby Huey's in our industry.

 

It's nothing more than the big companies advertising that there is a shortage. About 68% of otr carriers don't like or want someone like me. A well experience driver isn't going to work for low pay. So your so called starter companies and or big companies waving the white flag saying there is a shortage. Only because they want cheap labor.

What seasoned veteran would work for. 32 cpm? If it's under. 47 cpm and the company ain't paying for pre/post trip, fuel ups, load/unload pay, breakdown/shop time then I aint looking to work there. Big companies under bid to get more freight (they gotta try to keep all those trucks runing.)Then they either lower the pay, Or the pay was already low. And they constantly advertise and recruit.

You don't find quality companies advertising in what I call the trucking company liar books at the trk stop. All the companies in those books have high turnover. And some like to use the excuse " We're only hiring because our senior drivers are retiring". B/S ppl are quitting because they can make $450 p/wk at burger king.

 

When I came back from ND with my truck here to Detroit, I was looking for a carrier to lease on with. I called one ad that was close to the house, turned out to be Swift. I talked with the gal, she was very pleasant and flat out told me they were not interested in experienced drivers like myself as the pay sucked and we never stayed. Can't get much more honest than that. It was an interesting conversation to say the least. And no, I was not going to lease on with Swift.

 

I don't think it's so much about "qualifications" as it is "abilities and natural aptitudes". You can train a monkey to "drive a truck" but to have the stuff to drive a truck well and get the job done day after day and month after month is a whole other matter.

"Getting the job done" requires a whole more than the ability to get a rig onto the interstate and up to speed, mainly a strong work ethic and the ability to work autonomously and without constant supervision, and being able to critically think is where many come up short.

Then you have to get around the fact that many can't get past a basic drug test.