Is there really a trucker shortage?

There may be a driver shortage, but if they would make it a better working environment that would help. Trucking is some of the most restricted of occupations to get into. Many companies have you on camera all day, they have every precious minute of your day on elog, you are responsible for nearly any accident you are involved in whether at fault or not you better plan on at the least getting a dressing down from the safety guys of your company.

Officers of the law will inspect your truck for any issues, they will also go back several weeks of every day you worked on elog to make sure you didn’t spend one minute of the day driving longer than you should have. You are required to stay with the truck which is a small square box basically unless you go into a truck stop for a few minutes.

You are out on the road for weeks, expected to stick to a tight schedule and do your best in any situation that may arise.

This job requires that you are involved with your occupation nearly 100% of your time from when you leave till you return, but most starter companies will start out paying you not much better than you could make in 8 hour days working at Oreilly’s.

Honestly, if I would have had to start with a mega company like so many drivers do, the industry would be short one more driver.

 

I think the economic multiplier for trucking is very good, thus, the economy could always use more truck drivers, particularly should an individual have a desire to truck. If necessary the load sizes can be reduced to make sure there are plenty of truckloads, within reason of course. Trucking drives several parallel industries, which drive many more. So my guess is economist types like trucking and think we could always use more truck drivers.

Plus it's a fun way to spend some time if one can manage to find the ability to break away from all the other stuff for awhile.

Of course, when one chooses to truck because they feel like they "have no other choice" they may see it as drudgery.

I had an odd vision of the disgruntled truck driver last week in Ontario as I walked by the racks of "Suicide: The beckoning exit" DVDs in the mobile chapels free information rack at the TA. On a positive note, the rack appeared full so perhaps there haven't been any takers.

Man, that must suck to hate trucking that bad. One man's pleasure is another's hell I suppose.

 

Anyone ever think this shortage is manufactured just so gooberment can ram through driverless trucks?

 

From the cab of a truck.....

On their schedule and your thin dime.

 

"Plus it's a fun way to spend some time if one can manage to find the ability to break away from all the other stuff for awhile."
Was... They took the fun out of it a long long time ago.

 

Plenty of people with CDL's who don't want to live in a truck or work 12 hours every night at a local gig

 

How so? Specifically, how so?

Just the ELD thing you mean?

 

I think it would be easier to get truckers to agree on the origins of the universe, than an agreement on if there is a shortage or not. I say flip a coin, heads there is, tails there is not.

 

Please see all the comments on the LA port blockage calling for automated cranes to replace "lazy crane operators". Then cross match for 'they're taking our jobs' posts about automated trucks by the same people.

 

A "shortage" to a major corporation just means they don't have a thousand applicants to cherry pick their employees from . Employees who they want to pay as little as possible