High Turnover on new drivers?

Remeber that you are only getting a very small part of the story from the disgruntled fired driver. I call trucker story on the swift driver for being fired for a non preventable accident.

Drivers get fired for multipule minor reasons and their attitude.

 

Grain of salt. It is possible to get into trucking, love it, weather its storms, and stay in it. More later, but I suggest reading TTR threads by Boogers, grusco, musicman, and Markus.
biggrin_25514: to each of them.) Also, follow Zoltan1a as he moves toward a CDL and driving.

OP is asking good questions.

 

Your ability to meet schedules, satisfy record keeping resposibilities and maintain yourself are made more difficult because there are many factors that are beyond your control. A dispatcher may think A 200 mile run, pickup and delivery is easy money. First get the tanker washed out due to product change . Then go to load , perhaps you are number 2 or 3 in line , so you wait. Weigh in , weigh out . You now start to the delivery pont. Same drill . Some customers have compressed air available to pressurize the tanker for off-load, some do not, and you have to hook up the tractor pto to the tanker compressor , and wait for pressure to build. Hoses are hooked-up, connectors wired secure, and off loading may take 2 to 3 hours, depending upon the volume of product to be moved , it's specific gravity , the static head lift distance in feet etc. . A 200 mile " little day trip " is 12 hours or more of constant vigilance and labor. Trucking remains A vocation based on A 14 hour day. If you cling to the concept of an hourly pay rate you are bound to be disillusioned. You are paid based upon what you actually accomplish. Not many jobs today carry those types of pay arrangements. You have to like doing it, or it will be intolerable. It is cold , slippery , hot , dusty , greasy , dirty .......... coal tipples, steel mills , chemical process plants .......... I was told years ago that I liked driving because I dint't have to. It was A part-time option for me. That was not entirely true , but of course there have been times when the words seemed prophetical. As someone pointed out in an earlier post, it is the choices we make that dictate the lives that we lead . Every day we make choices , and for each there is A consequence......cause and effect. Immutable law of the universe , with no exceptions. Lincoln said " we are all about as happy as we choose to be " . Henry Ford said " if you think you can;or if you think you can't ; you are right ! For those entertaining A career in trucking , the horror stories are true . but the gratification of beginning A complex task, successfully completing it and being paid for what you know in addition to what you can do has A lot to be said for it . You get out what you put in , and "it is" whatever you intend it to be, how you choose to perceive it. Sleeve

 

There are 100's of drivers that get fired for minor infractions. Some not so minor.

But much of the turn over in trucking is directly related to drivers simply quoting.

Everyone tells you, "Get that years experience. Then you can do what you want, if you keep your record clean"

That's complete BS.

You can do what you want at 2 or 3 weeks. Although your choices will be limited by experience.

There is absolutely ZERO reason to stay with a company that mistreats/abuses their drivers. And there are plenty of those out here.

Companies are quick to tell you drivers are a dime a dozen. Just don't be one of those drivers.

Quality drivers rarely sell themselves that cheap. And are always in demand REGARDLESS of their experience level.

Have a realistic list of things you want from a company. Then stick to the list....period.

For some of us, it's home time. Others it's pay, benefits, or a new truck every year. Earlier in my career, I wanted the ability to take my off time anywhere. I found such a company.

One benefit I've noted that is offered by MOST (not all) of the better companies. 2 weeks paid vacation your second year.

Look for that when talking to a recruiter. And you'll have a short list to choose from.

That's not saying a bad company wouldn't offer the same. It simply narrows the list down when dealing with the big companies.

Then, hit the recruiter with the things you want in a company.

And don't cave just because you think you have to accept a job. Recruiters will pressure the hell out of you to make a commitment.

A pre-hire is just a way of having a pool of names to pull from. Don't "think" you are committed to any company that offers you a pre-hire. You'll get 2 or 3 by the end of your second day in school.

 

The turn over rate is the driver leaving the company. A new driver is screwed from the beginning if that person has no exposure to what to expect. The CDL mills teach the only place you'll find work is at this company. Then the bottom feeders move in for the cheap labor. Those mega carriers could care less if you're doing a good job or not. All they care about is the bottom line and if the frieght gets there cheaper with no experienced drivers then that's the way to do it.

The best first good advice you can get is reading this site and gaining all the knowledge you can. After awhile you'll see that the majority of the drivers go the same route. CDL school then the Mega carriers. Granted it is the easiest but by far not the best. The schools have recruiters come out to class an d the new driver will fall for their pitch. What that new person fails to see is that recruiter is not working for him or her they are working for the companies. Gaining employment their way is ONE way to go and NOT the only way.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

 

Well I at 61 am looking to C.D.L. frack-water tanker in oil-patch to relax, but one needs to understand that I do field-surgery with no analgesic (also known as a painkiller) and get rid of "killer-bees" with a $1.29 tube of caulk, covering the entrance with no shirt, no shoes, in shorts -- those "killer" bees are taking a wrap from today's leechfield generation with subliminally obliterated brain-function by "the glass-eyed monster" { aka - computer }

the reason we have "high-turnover" is all today's people want to do is get high, fear is soul food & with enough fear you can do anything,......

few days on the streets and those who are not brain-damaged get a grip and get with it ~ I cannot fathom where the other's go as either they are leeching off of mommy or go to specialized labor-camps with razor wire atop 12' fencing

if you are not prepared to accept my response then so be it but dont try to tell me it is not so as that is the way the sales agents make $....

 

Charley Sheen? Is that you?!

 

Personally, I think the high turnover rate is due to the lack of lot lizards.

Too many are just too disappointed that they can't get some at every truck stop, which is what they were really looking forward to in the first place.

So, nothing else to drive for and they quit.