The driver shortage (solved)

I don't know what will happen with all the cultural objections many out here have that have been here before the wave of first deregulation and then new regulation hit... Like I saw earlier the automated transmissions, the electronic tracking and logging devices all are here to stay there is no going back because they may eventually become part of automated trucks that require only a "technician" to babysit them down the road. That's the future fellas, it's not pretty but it's definitely high tech. There will always be some that will require somebody to drive, last mile is one area that won't automate anytime soon and local work, especially bulk and construction, however, the days of the long mile trips being done with a driver at the wheel are drawing near to a close.

As for what to do about driver turnover now, it's always been simple.. An OTR driver is away from his home anywhere from a week to two or more weeks, they need to start compensating for that. The solution is to get away from the per mile pay and the percentage pay. I think the salary for 70 hours a week plus a daily per diem for being out away from home is something a few are starting to explore.. Check Graigslist and you will see the ads claiming salary guarantees of $1k a week or more instead of offering per mile pay. That's where company drivers are heading, salaries instead of pay for production. It provides a certainty that business likes, it provides a tax structure the government likes and of course in the end the driver is the one who comes out on the short end because it eliminates the need for extra pay for stops and layovers and if the salary is 1k for wages that week where is the per diem? Driver pays taxes on 1k, unless of course the salary goes down to $500 and the rest is per doem but that makes it below minimum wage for 70 hours. I wonder how many of you know that we were deregulated out of being covered by the Department of Labor rules for wage and hours? They don't have to pay us fairly for all the hours we put in because who would we complain too?

Just thinking

 

If you're not happy with what you're making then why are you still doing it? Or is this another case of wishing the government will "fix" the perceived problem? 'Cuz government is just so good at that...

 

Well said, I totally agree with what you are saying. As frustrating as democracy can be at times, it's far better than any other system in my opinion.

 

I drove OTR for 6 years, then dedicated for 2 years. Then in 2014 I had a one-time seizure and lost my CDL. I have seen drivers that had no business behind the wheel, yet they can still drive. I once trained a guy who had just recovered from open heart surgery and was allowed to drive. On the other hand, I have not had any other medical problems and I am not allowed to get a CDL . Not happy and I miss the road.

 

The unknown man on the Tiananmen Square. I always thought that was probably the biggest act of courage I have seen in my lifetime. It’s iconic.

 

That’s a twisted solution.

 

It's my understanding that the reason they kept drivers excluded from the Fair Labor act rules when they deregulated the economics of the industry was because a very high percentage of drivers were under a union contract, so they thought FLA coverage wasn't necessary.

 

The labor market for drivers suffers from a common market problem: imperfect information.

There is the information the recruiter provides, and there is reality. It is not easy for an applicant to find out information. Easier now than it has been, but he still can't look up how many hours the average driver at CRE works, and what the average pay is.

As long as there is a large supply of potential drivers, the employers can continue to exploit that market imperfection, but that time is quickly coming to an end. With a 4.1% unemployment rate and an under employment rate that has been cut by 2/3rds, new recruits are going to become sparse.

We are already seeing a spike in wages here locally. Even local grain haulers are well over .40 cpm now.

 

USA has low unemployment currently which does not bode well for attracting “good help”
Recruiting on the whole is attracting a large percentage of “ sloppy seconds”

 

Anyone who thinks their is a driver shortage is part of the problem.