Exposing the Driver Shortage Myth

I always thought that as an owner op - that there is no such thing as a driver shortage. I employ, and I employ Canadians. I have thought that the big industry companies have tried to create an overage of drivers and offer them lesser pay, and worse conditions. Just my thoughts...

 

It will be interesting to see how many of them will stick around through the winter. Climbing the salmo creston, coquihalla, rogers pass in a snow storm will send a lot of them packing.
Or after an accident or two how many of the companies will see the value in saving $10,000 on labour to spend $20,000 on fixing up a truck because he doesn't know how to deal with snow.

 

He mentions in the well written article that trucking would be a good job for Veterans...! Huh, in what sense?

As a Veteran about to start my AZ (CDL) training, this is giving me serious second thoughts whether I am being foolish, getting myself into something that according to the article pretty well amounts to slave labour... Correct me if I am wrong, enlighten me? And please don't feed me the lifestyle BS.

Is it a different story on the Canadian side?

 

I have gotten the sense that wages for drivers in Canada is slightly higher, but I have nothing to back that up just the feeling I get. There are bottom feeder companies everywhere, they are the quickest way to get into the industry but definitely not the best. There are lots that are able to start with a more reputable company but that has to do a lot more with timing as well as their people skills. Everyone is hesitant to hire a newbie but if you can make a strong case for yourself then you may be in luck. For a lot of small companies such as myself my insurance won't allow me to hire anyone with less than two years experience which is the big reason its harder to start outside of the big guys.

 

Do yourself a favour.....a tactical withdrawl so to speak....this industry is not worth getting in to.

 

Retired Soldier.

I see you live in Milton. So let me give you an idea of what to expect working out of the GTA.

First of all. Do you want to stay in Ontario and drive or do you want to cross into the United States and work.

Being in the Toronto area you have lots of options for local work. You can be home every night and be paid by the hour and most likely will get paid every week. Local jobs though usually require long days...upwards of 14 and in heavy traffic. Depending on who you chose to work for you can work upwards of 70 hrs a week.Local jobs for a new guy can pay anywhere between $15 and $18/hr or many now have become "flat rate" where you work until the job is done and they give you a set amount for the days work. Many local jobs require the drivers to handle freight regularly.....you help unload or you unload it yourself. The work can be very physical.

Now if you choose to run into the States you will most likely have to start with a carrier who is willing to hire a new driver and many of those carriers tend to run a lot of East coast and Chicago. The east coast is a tough lane from the GTA because it is within the 1000kms (which on paper(log book) is your allowable driving hours for the day). So it means alot of driving through the night to get to a delivery then getting reloaded to drive back home. Most guys that run the coast don't get a whole lot of sleep and rewrite logbooks every day. They choose the coast because of the pay which is marginally better(between 38 and 43cents a mile) and they get to spend more time at home with family. Generally highway drivers just drive and most don't(or refuse) to handle freight. If you haul vans the work should be fairly easy but if you choose flatbed work.....it can be vigorous and most likely you will be doing manual labour. Some companies pay well to unload freight and others very little.
Once you get some experience, other carriers (smaller ones and ones that don't run the coast regularly) will start to look at you.
This is not to say though that all carriers operate this way. It is just the primary example of what to expect.


Trucking is such a mixed bag that until you start looking at carriers it's hard to give you an idea of what you might expect to see.

If I had to give someone an honest answer as to whether or not they should choose this profession it would be to "pass on driving and do something else". If your single and have no dependants or wife then give it a shot..(being able to walk away when you want to is what trucking is all about in the end,don't get "stuck" driving a truck)......if you have a family or plan to start one trucking won't be good for you in the end.
The money isn't what it used to be and companies are cutting costs which directly impacts the drivers in terms of equipment and pay.
Freight volume is shrinking and the pie that we all eat from so to speak is getting smaller.

If you choose to go forward with getting a license,then good luck and if you don't, realise that in the end you aren't really missing out on much.

 

Down The Road

Thanks for your honest reply, much appreciated.... Fortunately for me I am in a situation different from 99% of people in their mid forties in that I have a pension already, which would offset a mediocre wage.... but saying that, I am not going to get into anything that I do not research the heck out of prior, so thanks again for taking the time to reply.

 

I am retired from the military as well. Dec 10, 2010 was my last day. I got my Class 1 and have been driving full time now for $25 hr. That was my FIRST job, Super B Chip trailers. There is crap money in freight, get in bulk hauling, chips, ore etc. I'm now hauling a 9 axle Super B ore truck running at 72,300 kg and getting even more money. The work is there if you want it, head down, ### up and drive on. Out.

 

I'm ex-military as well. I got out in the 90's thoo with the FRP. thelongwalker has a good point about dry bulk hauling. I had a friend, also ex-militay (935 MSE OP) leave the service and drive chip trains north of Timmins and made good coin. He'd put in 14 hours a day for 5 days, lived in the bunk, and drive back over to Wawa where he was from for a few days off.