Why companies are still hiring

Pretty good cyphering..........

 

Some companies use you to just "watch their truck" meaning that you are in place to potentially get a load. Don't forget that you get paid by the mile. If you sit at a truckstop for 24 hours it's your time. The company did not lose anything. Some companies are still hiring so they have plenty of drivers o hand when this economy breaks. Until then most guys are waiting their turn for that potential big run.

 

I guess everyone is more optimistic than I am. This country has lost thousands of manufacturing jobs in just the last few years. Does anyone really believe those jobs will come back? Even if some do it will take months if not a few years to get back to "normal". I looked at a few loadboards the other day and there were "thumbs down" in lots of areas. Example: 79 loads-159 trucks. Probably not true all across the country but in the areas I looked at (SE,MW,NW)there were far more trucks than loads. This economy is NOT going to look like it once did. Too many jobs moved overseas,too many cuts in manufacturing, houses are not being built at a sustained growth rate,even produce and food product shipments are DOWN. These trucking companies are simply replacing drivers they are losing. The ATA says turnover is at its lowest in years. BULL BUFFALO S***. If that were true they wouldn't be hiring like they are, the economy sure doesn't justify it. It's chance to get CHEEP labor and these companies know it. If there was ever a reason to doubt the cry "there's a driver shortage" its right now. Not enough freight, too many trucks, CRAPPY rates and yet "we have to be ready when the economy come back" is all you hear. Who's kiddin who? Even economists who can't agree on what should be done do agree that this economy is not manufacturing based anymore and that CHANGES THINGS! Sorry for the rant just plain sick of hearing these trucking companies cry the blues about cost(fuel,idle time,etc) and than hire some more drivers for little or nothing and take away from the established drivers. What a mess this industry has become. The sad thing is its the drivers who will ultimately pay the price for the excesses and foolishness of the companies.JMO

 

step etc,
Yes that's true, I believe our best days ARE behind us. Alot of the hiring is to replace the @80% of newbies that don't make it !!!

 

That 80% might be lower if there was enough freight and if they weren't letting go drivers at the first blemish on their record.

 

I agree that a lot of manufacturing has moved oversees, however doesn't that mean that the stuff made elsewhere still has to be transported around the US? I don't know if that will correlate to more freight miles or less or utilize different forms of transport, anyone have any ideas?

 

It will be a long time before the freight is back to keep the trucks currently on the road moving.
The companys just want drivers in the trucks they have. The truck costs them the same ammt sitting at the terminal or at a truckstop, as long as it is not idleing.
They would rather have it out of there yard so that the truck will be in place to move a load if it comes.
Espically since they do not need to pay the driver of the staged truck.

Several large companys are gone. Alot of small companys are gone. We need a few giant companys gone.
Yes, this will mean allot of drivers looking for work in the short term. But in time it will mean less new drivers being hired. As things turn around it is the experianced drivers they will hire on to take the place of the ones that left the industry.
Trucking will turn around.
I truly think that the days of running 48 states are soon to be gone though. Accept certain loads.
Most carriers will become regional. Hauling freight in a 550 mile area of there terminals. For longer loads they will be using several drivers and trucks to get the product moved faster.
Even Wallyworld is starting to get more and more local produce and meats.
Dry freight many times can go by train, then shipped short distance on trucks.
It is coming.
If the safety gods have anything to do with it then it will come sooner rather than later.
They will cut our driving hours per day. Cut out the 34 hour restart, etc.
Make it so that legaly you almost have to haul short to med hauls to follow the law. When that gets broken too much they will instal EOBR's.
There are too many politicians and groups getting paid way too much money to cut us out of the loop.
Our long haul days are numbered. I would say 10 years or less to 98% of the industry being regional.

 

where's "blackw900" when you need him? you guys are all just bitter and pessimistic! LOL

 

I was talking to a trucker the other day at a truck stop, he had many. many years of experience and is an owner operator. It was interesting talking with him, and a couple other truckes there.
oneinteresting point that was made about the companies hiring so many students, was that because of new FMCSA regulations fo 2010 and the TWIC card that will or may become mandatory will disqualify thousands of drivers, and the carries are hirng in preparation for all the drivers that will lose their jobs.

I was told in school, a private school, to get my HAZMAT endorsement and TWIC card to make myself more employable. I applied to many companies, and a handful did ask about the TWIC card. One company required it, one wanted either HAZMAT or TWIC, and there was one company that waqnted to know tht you were eligible for the TWIC card.