What are the biggest problems in the trucking industry in the US?

Whats the biggest problem in the trucking industry.....hmmmm......to many people wanting to drive....with "how can I beat a drug test " issue. Lol

 

I'd say that the its the lost productivity from having drivers and trucks sitting around for hours while freight is loaded / unloaded. It affects drivers the most but must also be costing the industry millions. It easy to load or unload 22 or so pallets in 1/2 hr or less but somehow 2 hours is acceptable and more than that is normal. This could be a lot better. With internet, GPS etc it should be possible to co-ordinate so that the receiver knows exactly when you are going to show up and already has a dock assigned just as you arrive. As a comparison the airline industry can turn around a 747 in 90 mins!

 

The trucking industry needs more drivers than it has.

 

LUMPERS. If you order freight, pay your own people to unload.

 

Drivers and they r getting worse every day used to joke that must b a rule that at least 10% of drivers should b slingin hash
Now I can say w/out fear of exageration we r almost to the point that a full 50% of the drivers out here today should not b allowed to drive a car--and out of the other 50% 1/2 of them are marginal at best--im only referring to driving ability here if u add attitude the numbers skyrocket

 

LOW PAY!! If you're On Duty Not Driving you need to be paid for it. Too much valuable time is wasted and spent for nothing. With the new H.O.S. rules and E-Logs you'd think some drivers would stand up for themselves.
Trucking Co's need to charge Detention Time after 1 Hour to Shippers & Receivers just like a Fuel Surcharge. If you cannot Load or Unload a truck in 1 Hour you need to pay! Schedule appointments and/or provide a Drivers Lounge for waiting drivers. Pass the buck to the Consumer, the Trucker has been paying for this way too long!
SAFETY! With all of the attention on "Safety" start busting these idiots that text and drive in ANY vehicle. Fine them a $1000 like a DWI/DUI charge and make it stick. Construction Zones, speeding through Construction Zones because you drive a Slow Truck is STUPID, it takes just 1 time for an accident or 1 ticket. Stopping on the Shoulder of a Road, don't just turn on your Turn Signal and pull out in Traffic in 1st gear, Geez "Nuff Said! Entering a Weigh Station, if the sign says 30 MPH then drive 30 not 12 MPH. Parking lots SLOW DOWN!! Once again Gear Jammer if your truck is slow just run someone over and see how fast it goes.
PARKING! Learn how to park and be considerate of your fellow driver. If you must park at the Fuel islands and NOT fuel at least pull through them. If you cannot back into a Parking Spot ask for help. Rest Areas, the Government started this H.O.S. B/S then they need to build Larger, Safer, and more Secure Rest Areas and keep them OPEN! The D.O.T. shouldn't use them as Trucker Harassment Centers either.
IMAGE! Trash quit throwing your trash everywhere scumbags walk to a Trash Can or Dumpster. Have a little Self Respect. This reflects on your wages, You Get What You Pay For!
TRAFFIC! Left Lane Restrictions and Split Speed Limits, slowed trucks create Traffic Jams and make for unsafe conditions. Through trucks should be allowed to use the Left Lanes and/or Express Lanes because many are just passing through. Build better roads and bridges trucks pay more than their fair share of taxes and it's time they get a return on their investment!
In my opinion these are a few problems facing this industry.

 

thank you!!! you hit everything on the spot.

 

As a company driver, I would say finding a trailer with a good registration, good brakes, rear doors that open and shut properly, no holes in the floorboard. The trailer numbers are missing one number or letter. The trailer you are picking up is buried behind a row of other trailers, and has a pin lock on it, plus the guy with the key is on vacation. The yard dog guy just quit and someone in the office just found the extra key and hands it to you. You give back the key after an hour of moving trailers, and now the paperwork for that load is missing, and is needed to confirm the seal number at the guard gate. The guard will not let you out without matching paper work that goes with that trailer. The guard is a third party employee, so after a bunch of late night phone calls you're allowed to leave. Now you're over on hours and need to sleep, and find parking in a city with no truck stops close by. Now I get a call from someone like yourself asking where's my load?' why is it late? I politely respond that I'm doing all that I can and will explain everything after the delivery is made. This does not happen every day, but it is not uncommon. Thank you for asking.

 

Thanks a lot for all your answers! Seriously, we didn't know the situation was so inefficient. The thing is, how could things be fixed? or, at least, improved? Maybe a clever app is not enough. What if your customers were forced (somehow, with either fines or rating systems) to be on time? (inside a matching system for truckers and customers). Thanks again!

 

I think I heard all this whining on my CB last week. Good with the bad, y'all. If the company you're working for can't keep you rolling, start shopping your @#$ around. There are good companies looking for good drivers.