Where do all the drivers go?

Just out of curiousity............ does anyone know what careers have LOW turnover rates????

Maybe it's just me ....... but aren't people "in general" always looking for the next, best, great thing???

Is this really uncommon or in any way confined to the field of "truck driving" itself???

One of the things about people entering new professions is that they are almost ALWAYS unprepared....... and I think most have unrealistic expectations and preconceived notions about the industry they are entering ....... however, the one thing "new blood" usually brings is unbridled energy and enthusiasm ..... it may be irrational and short lived but people are usually gung-ho when they start something new....... that's human nature isn't it??

As a teacher (currently) I can guarantee you that over half of all new teachers have absolutely no ####### idea what they are getting themselves into....... however, they come bouncing in with all their good intentions and desire to "make a difference", as well as ideas and plans and goals that will more than likely never be realized......... but who on earth would want it any other way??? The energy those newbies bring is great for the kids, staff moral and who knows......... maybe they can wake up some "old time" teacher who has seen too much and given up............

Most jobs that pay over $50,000 a year require 4 years or more of college...... do you guys realize how many hours that is???? .... and I personally don't know of any colleges that let you take the wife and kiddies to class with you.....

For many people that means not only are they going to pay their own money to GO to college ($10,000 or more per year right now..... in case you don't know it state college fees have tripled in the last 4 years)....... and then they are going to lose some to all of their income for those 4 years!! You want some scary figures.... go figure out what that would cost you!

I realize $5000 - $6000 and a year or two "of dues" sounds like a lot...... but many, many people pay $50,000 - $60,000 and spend 4 years getting trained to do a job that pays what many truck drivers make..............

It IS a job....... it's just one (of the many) jobs in this world that can consume your life.

No.... they won't all be out in no time flat.... many will find their niche and enjoy trucking as a career...... sorry to break it to you but there are some really honestly happy, content truck drivers out there on the roads....

I don't know........ should I compare this to nurses, teachers....... no, I am from Kern County so lets do oilfield workers (welders, pullers, roustabouts, rig hands etc...).......

A typical oilfield worker starts his day at 4am (maybe 5am) in the morning..... he gets up before his family and kisses them goodbye while they sleep........ he goes off to work...... which usually requires an average of an hour drive....... (the fields are in full swing by 5:30 in the morning)........ he then works his ### off for the next 8 - 12 hours (typically 10 hours)...... he heads out for his hour drive home......... stops on the way for gas, gloves, clothing (and more clothing), welding materials, snacks/food etc... (there are no "Oilfield Stops" in the middle of nowhere to feed him every day)..... he gets home around 7pm, takes his shower, eats his dinner, spends an hour on household duties and then tries to get to bed by 9-10pm to be up at 4am...... most guys work at least 6 days if not 7...........

Now........ yes, he gets to sleep in his own bed and has the perks of home..... but then he works his ### off for those privileges (there are few truck drivers out there in the physical condition required to be working that hard in 110 degrees heat in an oilfield)....."exhausted" from driving a truck?... okay ........ and then the oilfield guy gets an hour or two, or three a day to take care of his house and family.......... but then, didn't you point out that a trucker is home for 34 or more hours...... the oilfield guy is only home and awake for about 7, 14 or 21 hours a week......... I don't see a major hour/time difference

(and btw..... I was being generous..... most of these guys work 12 hour shifts so there goes their 2 hours a day at home.... ....)

I don't know....... I think what bothers me the most about this constant line of thought is the....... "most the time you get home after driving a good 8 to 10 hours so your's day is basically done"........ I'm a teacher and I work a 12 hour day most days....... my choice no doubt but I still run all my errands, do chores and take care of my household AFTER my 12 hour day...... and I am a single parent of one remaining teenager (so NO I do not get much help....lol....)......

Now, before ya'll go saying "teaching isn't hard physical work"....... I want to point out that if driving a truck was typically a physically demanding job.......truck drivers would be in much better physical condition.... ya think........ when is the last time you saw a teacher that couldn't walk 200 feet without getting out of breath?

(oh yeah, and I almost always have a class at the college that takes up 5-10 hours of my week.... they call it "continuing education"..... how would you guys like to have to put in hours every week....at YOUR EXPENSES $$..... to be continually "trained" year after year after year??)

The concept that people have to "pay their dues" to do well in any career is something that workers say who aren't good at "playing the game" that their particular field requires..........

There are millions of examples of people who go into a profession and very, very quickly rise to the top..........

Want to make it in any field? Do your research/homework! Know what you are doing, have a plan, be pro-active........ everyone knows the drill.... just very few people get up off their #### and DO IT!

Be honest......... every single person on this board knows drivers who got great jobs straight out of the gate or worked the system quickly and efficiently and got what they wanted........... they are the ones everyone refers to as "lucky"..........

Okay........ now I will step down and sit quietly with this big target painted on myself........... any archers out there with time on their hands???

 

Wow! you said it all so well....and then we spend the summer working on stuff for next year! ...catching up on what didn't get done during the school year.....

 

And then some of us sit here.......... (in the classroom)........ teaching "summer school."

Heck...... I figure if I have to get my classroom ready for next year and tie up loose ends......... I might as well get paid for my time!!!

 

lurch where do you work.do u drive a truck

 

you are on target - perceptions of what we do vary depending on your goals.

I never treated this industry as a lifestyle - I always kept my eyes open for ops and hidden cash to be made.

A smart recruit will keep their options open and build a good relationship with their first company (and maintain that rapport with everyone they deal with in the industry).

Friends come in handy when times get rough.


As for turnover - all to often people get involved in trucking as a last resort - they are broke and 150 years ago would have been heading to debtors prison!

Work ethic plays into all of this - as does ones ability to stay focused and realistic.

If you can set goals based outside of financial reward - then you can better see if you will last as a trucker.

My primary goal was a clean start in something new. My job as an engineer dried up due to outsourcing and I was asked to take a 40% cut in pay - out of rebellion and curiosity (and on a dare from a frat bro I got my CDL).

I also wished to sight see - and used my first driving job to do such.

As I learned more about the industry I became more involved and learned more about the brokering/factoring/scheduling end of logistics.

as I changed jobs and focus I found what I am happy with today - but that is the cool thing - there are so MANY options... I could have gone in a gazillion different directions as a trucker - the trick is to find the one that works for you.

 

"PLINK"

Paying your dues/lucky ???

I agree that the semi-intelligent and proactive job seekers will rise to the top much more quickly than the seat cushions.

I consider myself an example of the non-seat cushion variety.

January 07 I went to school, did a brief stint at a good training company (Transport America), then through alot ( and I MEAN ALOT) of searching I found a company that would give me a chance to bank some good money and be at home nights and weekends. skill/work perspiration on my time to advance my career.

That company went broke in March handing everyone their papers.

It took two months of serious daily research to find another company that met my requirements for pay, hometime, job requirements, and that would once again give me a CHANCE. luck/skill/perspiration

However, after all the horn tooting, look at me/look at me, I am still having to PAY MY DUES!!!

I was vetoed by a hundred companies... for not having been driving for 5 years minumum.
My vacation will only be one week after one year...
My health care won't kick in for ninety days...

I am getting top-tier pay but for most the pay scale is a sliding scale based on years of experience. This is pretty much non-negotiable, two years otr experience you get paid one wage versus 5 years otr experience pays another wage for the same company, same two guys, doing the same exact job.

skill/luck yeah... it can make up for some things but there are still dues to be paid that can only be paid over the course of time.

 

You are telling me you have never met...... and you don't know..... drivers who have managed to get great jobs in their first year?

 

Lurch has not been here in a week.

He got his first job....... I think it was May trucking?

He went off to orientation and posted about his first few days.....

He then disappeared.........

We might have to go send a search party for him!!!

 

sure dues have to be paid - but by the same token there are great oppourtunities out there -

I have posted many times of the line haul jobs that a new driver can step into and make 60-100K+ as a company driver - working completely legal - and being in their own bed at home 4 to 6 nights a week.


guys gravitate to the large common cariers thinking that is their only chance of gaining experience -= and those same large companies do not want their guys to find out about the other options out here on the road...


I still laugh when we are hiring and do not have enough applications to fill the positions - (all the while someone whose wife and kids are home alone
is out for 3 weeks at a time for 30some cents a mile...)..


I have a neighbor who has been BS'n about joining me for 2 years - but his excuses are weak... in the meantime he is killing himself for little reward.

 

THANK YOU!

There are posts all over this site that say similiar things....... however, it seems that the guys who are "stuck in the trenches" are so determined to stay there........ that they somehow miss ALL of the posts like yours....

I'm afraid the truth actually is that they do not want to admit that the reason they are "paying their dues" is because they have in someway done something that has landed them where they are.............. it is much better on the self-esteem to believe that everyone has to pay their dues than to buck up and accept responsibility............