The Driver Shortage Myth

With the way things are in OTR segment of trucking companies will not attract younger people to do this job. And I don’t blame people for not wanting to do that job. You can make more money doing local LTL stuff or ger a job/training in some industries. Who wants to deal with crappy shippers and receivers. There will always be shortage of GOOD drivers. The ones that care about themselves and act professional.

 

Idk what company this is but it’s a rare one, that’s for sure. I haven’t seen one yet that cares about it’s drivers. They are all full of hot air. I just left a place that let me walk right out the door without so much as “is there anything that would change your mind”. Now I might not be as great as some of you but I did show up everyday, can pass a drug test anytime, and got along with all my stops. I called in sick one time in a year and half. I volunteered for extra work. I would try and make suggestions to make things go smoother. Yet I’m just a low rent job hopper. I can’t take but so much crap.

 

I feel the exact same way. I watch a couple of 50k paper weights until a driver is properly qualified. Saves money over losing customers and tearing up equipment.

 

There is a shortage to a degree. At my local company, where I’ve been for 6 years, we’ve always had a problem keeping drivers. Partially because Pay for awhile wasn’t great. Some of our drivers were making less than $40k per year (but they only worked 35-40 hours per week).

Finally, starting in 2015, we kept getting raises. Got a raise in April 2016, July 2017, January 2018, July 2018. I make just over $1300 gross for 45 hours per week. The driver who loads next to me makes $1100 per week and complains about the pay, but he averages 39 hours per week.

So, in 2012 the lowest paid routes were $750 per week for 35-40 hours. Now it’s about $1000 for 35-40 hours, $1400 for 50 hours or so, used to be about $1100 for routes around 50 hours. If you average the hourly, it’s actually a decent wage.

Either way, Driver turnover isn’t as bad as it was in 2012 when I started, but we still are constantly hiring. Still offer a $2000 sign on bonus as well, used to be $4000. I guess what I’m saying is even with paying a more respectable wage, it’s hard to keep people. What makes it difficult is that we are not the only company raising pay. There is a lot of competition out there, which is a great thing.

Bottom line is there has to at least be a small shortage, or local companies that pay decently wouldn’t have a hard time keeping drivers.

 

What a coincidence. A place I applied to a few months ago and I turned down because of the pay called today and asked me what would it take to consider working for them. I’m not interested now I think I found a decent place.

 

Trucker Shortage... more like Decent Carrier Shortage. Think about the big picture. In the end, we are all to blame! We as consumers, want to go to Wal-Mart and find the best deal available. We want to pay ( example: pair of jeans) the same price we paid last year, and the year before etc. These huge box stores have international buying power, from manufactures in 3rd world 'slave-condition' countries throughout the world. We as consumers don't care how the jeans were made, in what work conditions, or who was exploited in the process. We just want to pay the same price.
Now take this reality and apply it to transportation. Just like the huge box stores, trucking companies have adopted the same business practice. In order to remain competitive and retain/expand their customer base, carriers are forced to stream-line their operating costs. Well... that's where this discussion begins.
Because carriers are forced to cut costs, our wages are first on the chopping-block. As these carriers lose more and more 'veteran' drivers to unattractive wages, they are forced to look at immigration to fill the void.
The carriers now turn to the State and Federal Trucking Associations, to relay their requirements to the Federal Government. Now the Feds have justification to allow 'unskilled labor' to immigrate to the country, through employer sponsored work-visa programs.
It's a "win-win" situation!!! The Feds have their new voters/taxpayers (immigrants), the Carriers have their cheap labor (reducing operating costs), and the Consumers have savings at the box store.
And it's only going to get worse!