How many of your companies are struggling to find drivers?

Discussion in 'LTL and Local Delivery Trucking Forum' started by Wecj3381, Nov 21, 2020.

  1. HiramKingWilliams

    HiramKingWilliams Heavy Load Member

    Joined:
    May 15, 2019
    Messages:
    805
    Thanks Received:
    1,289
    Location:
    State of Jefferson
    0
    Yes, thank god I went with XPO!!
     
    Lumper Humper and McUzi Thank this.
  2. HiramKingWilliams

    HiramKingWilliams Heavy Load Member

    Joined:
    May 15, 2019
    Messages:
    805
    Thanks Received:
    1,289
    Location:
    State of Jefferson
    0
    You are correct, sir.
     
    Lumper Humper Thanks this.
  3. bzinger

    bzinger Road Train Member

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2014
    Messages:
    16,615
    Thanks Received:
    65,949
    Location:
    omaha , ne
    0
    I deliver to willow run in kirkwood alot and they are always looking for drivers ....cant beat the scenery in that part of New York tho.
     
    Tall Mike and Lumper Humper Thank this.
  4. REO6205

    REO6205 Road Train Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2014
    Messages:
    13,171
    Thanks Received:
    60,501
    Location:
    California.
    0
    You're right. It's not a new problem though. I can remember my first boss complaining that "all the old time drivers who really want to work are gone",
    LOL...that was in 1968 or thereabouts. He died a couple of years ago, still firmly convinced that if a driver didn't know how to oil the drive chains on his open-cab Mack or how to tie down with cables he was too green to hire
    We've held steady on requiring five years of experience. We figure a driver should tear up somebody else's equipment, make all his rookie mistakes, and learn to appreciate what a good job is before he comes to us.
    We have a good crew. Not perfect, nobody expects that, but good and steady.
     
  5. Old_n_gray

    Old_n_gray Road Train Member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2016
    Messages:
    1,216
    Thanks Received:
    4,185
    Location:
    western pa
    0
    You are right, easy to find drivers hard to find good drivers
     
    HiramKingWilliams, ZVar and bzinger Thank this.
  6. NJ TRUCK

    NJ TRUCK Bobtail Member

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2013
    Messages:
    44
    Thanks Received:
    24
    Location:
    New Jersey
    0
    There are a lot of great topics in this thread.

    First off driving for US Foods and other food service companies isn't easy.
    Although they are right up there with the health care workers, first responders delivering food to the schools, hospitals, markets, restaurants etc. Keeping us going through this virus, and I have a ton of respect for them.

    Food service drivers should be on the upper scale of driver pay.

    One point would be, It's not a matter of if, but when you tweek your back, shoulder knee, and you are on workers comp/ disability, and not making that top pay.
     
  7. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2005
    Messages:
    49,255
    Thanks Received:
    230,546
    Location:
    Baltimore, MD
    0
    They’re still around.

    We just complain about having to do other peoples’ work. :biggrin_25525:
     
    Mike2633, Cardfan89, REO6205 and 3 others Thank this.
  8. Tall Mike

    Tall Mike Road Train Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2014
    Messages:
    7,377
    Thanks Received:
    34,767
    Location:
    New York State
    0
    There use to be a farm on that property. I spent my summers there in the mid 70's as a kid. The family that owned the farm babysat my younger brother and I while Mom was at work.

    The entire area is nothing but a ghetto now, it was once a great place to live.
     
    MACK E-6, McUzi and bzinger Thank this.
  9. PapawJonez

    PapawJonez Bobtail Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2020
    Messages:
    19
    Thanks Received:
    22
    Location:
    E’ville, IN.
    0
    as a driver that was terminated by a LTL company after nearly 6 yrs, with a clean CSA and DMV record, I found it’s upper management that holds drivers back from pursuing too further driving careers. it took two months for me to be rehired mainly because companies that were interested in bringing me on couldn’t get the proper employment screening from my former (laziness) employer. not too mention once you are deemed hirable it takes three weeks to get approved. they say there’s a shortage of drivers in the US, however I disagree. this past summer I leased a truck to see if I was interested in buying, what I found out there was a overage of foreign drivers and a shortage of available overnight parking.. these large companies waste finances and time hiring drivers, then their Driver Managers leave the drivers sitting in parking lots without a preplan for the weekend.. while the DM is sitting at the local Texas style steakhouse the driver, if they’re smart is plotting a way to return their equipment and go home the whole system needs scrapped and rewritten
     
  10. 13 Speed Road Ranger

    13 Speed Road Ranger Bobtail Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2020
    Messages:
    45
    Thanks Received:
    116
    0
    Very well said. I srarted my driving career at age 18, got a union ltl job by age 22 bought a house etc & people said I made too much money for being a truck driver. My wife would jump their ### letting them know the hours sucked, hard work etc etc. They only saw the outcome not the effort.