True or not true: Trucking Industry Struggles With Growing Driver Shortage

I was grandfathered for CDL A with endorsements etc for pretty much two decades after I stopped OTR. in 2009 when the blindness became a issue, I signed forms by the State for Tier two so I don't need a medical card to keep it. Eventually that was fixed among other developments. Due to the treatments I was involved with in 2013 I turned in my CDL for a basic bomb car license, nothing fancy. Make life a little easier all around.

Even though the licensing and papers are out, I will die a trucker. Not the best of them nor the worst. It's what Life was and I would prefer to think I have had a very good run.

 

Sometimes I wish I had pursued an apprenticeship in diesel mechanics from my summer job at the local truck stop where I was the clean up kid. Plus the odd tire that came through and sold fuel full serve but only a handful of local customers as they only took cash credit or debit no fuel cards. I get all my work done there and they allow me to park so It works well. It still interests me but I cannot take the financial hit in income now. Above all, even more than the driving, I love being in business. Who knows maybe I'd of had my own shop. Nah, most likely I'd have ended up in your neck of the woods collecting a fat paycheck when the going was real good a few years ago now.

 

I'm in the same situation. I don't want to start out at the bottom right now. I probably will end up jumping into a truck for a while in a few years though for a change of pace. Wrenching is hard on the body lol.

 

BUT not to be a smart ****, do you have a '48 Packard?

 

We lost two good businesses not too long ago. Im watching our local shop struggle. Ive got work for them to do and it takes a certain amount of work to go do.

I think they will be ok for a while longer. But I don't think the owner will want to stay in business once Social Security kicks in for him if it hasnt already.

In the State of Maryland we had what was called vocational schooling where trades are taught. And I spent a couple years of my school years going through several older engines that needed care and TLC. (And new valves, rockers, pushrods etc etc etc)

I wonder considering what classic cars have become today's big money stuff I should have pursued a life working older engines. But I'll leave that in a small book of unknown answers.

 

There is no driver shortage but there is indeed a driver pay shortage.

 

I don't get this, maybe you can help me with this puzzle.

An engine is an engine is an engine. Be it a 1950 ford or a 2017 Toyota variable timing/cam engine.

What I find puzzling is my kid's friends who are afraid of that 1950 ford engine which is the basic of basic but won't hesitate to rip into that Toyota engine.

Why?

I grew up on those Dodge/Chrysler flatheads, getting them for next to nothing and rebuilding them in my sleep. BUT I never hesitated to take on something like a Model C Cummins or a Lister, an engine is an engine is an engine.

 

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Look at ANY story not about day to day life in an anthill. The reporters know nothing about anything that's not part of their little urban bubble. That is why they so easily and unthinkingly malign and impugn people that aren't living with them in their bubble. That is why it is so easy for activists and shills to feed them BS and self-serving lies about what's going on out there in the wilderness. It's a planet they have never visited and which they hold in contempt for not being the same, thinking the same and acting the same as where the reporters are from.

The specialized press, industry journals, etc. are much better sources of information because the reporters are constantly working in the specific industry and may have had to have experience in the industry to get the job. But even then, agendas and ideologies can distort the information. And when they venture outside their specialty it is truly a crap shoot.

When it comes to getting your "news", buyer beware.

 

I don't do well with the newer engines really. It's strange. Yes I totally agree, a engine is a engine is a engine etc. But I love the older engines.

The last really big engine job we did was a friend bought a giant buick with like a freaking 500 block in it I think, I could be wrong. We chained to it and towed it to the yard behind the house and used a tree limb to hoist it's engine right out of there. It was real shade tree work.

Then we stripped everything not absolutely required espeically the emissions crap all over it (It was a '70's era engine) Dropped that engine into another vehicle he had and fired it up. And roar it did.

To be fair he had about 15 years full time as a mechanic for firestone and other outfits so working with this friend was both a education and a joy.

I get a little bit erm.. jealous would be the closest word actually to people who can trip over a tool box early in the am while half hungover drunken and pop that engine out of one vehicle and drop it into another totally different make and model and drive away by lunch. It's awesome. But it's not for me, I don't like to work on a engine without the book, tools, spare valves, parts etc for that thing ready to go. Maybe I am the one who is unnecessarily picky, expensive, hung up etc HA....

 

I'm a younger guy but I'd rather screw around with a 350 SBC than a new generation 6.2L Vortec. I still wouldn't back away from doing a performance build on one though if I had something to put it in once it was done.