The Driver Shortage

[OntarioVanMan]

The Truck Driver Shortage | Trucking Driver Shortage | JOC


Truck drivers are the basic unit of transportation capacity and the glue that holds supply chains together. No container or straight truck or trailer moves without, at some point, a truck driver. Even so, trucking companies, especially truckload carriers, often have great difficulty finding, hiring and keeping drivers. Nearly every period of economic growth is accompanied by a driver "shortage," including the recovery that began in 2009.

 

[CharlesD]

I'll believe there's a shortage when drivers start making more.

 

[Rocketman]

I'll believe it when shippers begin to talk about their freight that isn't getting moved because of all the empty trucks.

Crappy companies to work for have driver shortages and recruiting programs.

Good companies have waiting lists. Any question?

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I suppose drivers know more then any other professional company man out there....since this is a concern for most carriers, but drivers know more then they do......

 

[mjmsprt40]

You may be right. A local courier company I used to drive for has an ad in Craigslist every week, and I know why. The new drivers come into the warehouse, load up their vehicles and spend the whole day on the routes unloading the truck. On Friday of the second week, you get the paycheck for the week before-- and then quit on the spot because nobody can work for so little. After fuel and maintenance on your vehicle-- there's nothing left, and you have to face your wife with that check. I suspect the revolving door in HR is set on special high-speed bearings.

But--- they DO have a nice office, for those of you who have been over on the "due diligence" thread.

 

[cheri1122]

I suppose drivers know more then any other professional company man out there....since this is a concern for most carriers, but drivers know more then they do......

The "professional company man" knows what the problems are as well as we do, but they don't want to admit them, much less fix them, because it'd mean accepting a lesser share of the profit than they would like. Additionally, they might even have to stand up to customers who routinely delay drivers at the docks because of their lack of personnel and/or equipment [ie: one dock & forklift, 12 trucks waiting].
Between today's business friendly climate and the chronic unemployment situation, where's the incentive to change anything? CSA might, but that's not going to be a quick fix - it'll take time to weed out the 'bad' actors among drivers and carriers.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

The "professional company man" knows what the problems are as well as we do, but they don't want to admit them, much less fix them, because it'd mean accepting a lesser share of the profit than they would like. Additionally, they might even have to stand up to customers who routinely delay drivers at the docks because of their lack of personnel and/or equipment [ie: one dock & forklift, 12 trucks waiting].
Between today's business friendly climate and the chronic unemployment situation, where's the incentive to change anything? CSA might, but that's not going to be a quick fix - it'll take time to weed out the 'bad' actors among drivers and carriers.

Same working conditions as 50 years ago..?....
Still a shortage

 

[xiggi]

There is a shortage I read it on the internet.

Sent from my Fisher Price - ABC 123

 

[BigBadBill]

Last year I was listening to a round table of trucking execs on driver shortage. None accepted that it was not all about driver pay. One kept saying they pay the highest rate (over $.45/mile with 3-years experience and drivers average over 2,700/mile per week) and they saw no decrease in turn over.

Then someone yelled "you treat drivers like crap, that is why they leave". Rather than address the issue they just had the man removed from the room.

Not holding my breath for significant changes and capitalizing on the opportunity they handing me on a silver platter.

 

[Rocketman]

Not holding my breath for significant changes and capitalizing on the opportunity they handing me on a silver platter.

Exactly. Some gripe and complain. Some look for the opportunity created. There almost always is one.

 

[Rocketman]

There is a shortage I read it on the internet.

Sent from my Fisher Price - ABC 123

The only source better than that would be the truckstop diner.

 

[jimlookup]

A look in the classified ads will tell you there is a big demand for long haul, 18 wheeler drivers. Forty years ago teachers, bankers and office workers were leaving their jobs and going trucking so they could pay their bills. Now days truckers are leaving their trucks and looking for jobs that will pay their bills. You may have noticed the trend is for the middle class to make less, so I don't see wages rising despite the demand for drivers. We now have teams, 53ft trailers and tractors pulling triples, and the drivers are making less than they were when working solo and pulling one 40ft trailer. Work more; make less.
Except for teams, is there really a shortage of expedite drivers? There seems to be a lot of sitting golng on. (Jump in here recruiters.) Sure, carriers are always looking for owner/operators, but is there really a shortage?
I don't see a lot of local trucking jobs in the area I live in. A dump truck, maybe. Hell, you can't even find a paper route because of the internet and people needing two jobs.
But, February is just about over and there are only a couple more financial cliffs for our noble, brave politicans to lead us over. (Push us over?) So smile, things will get better.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Also the fact 10's of thousands are retiring and the young ones are not choosing to be trucker!

 

[blizzard2014]

I'll believe there's a shortage when drivers start making more.

Carriers need to start standing up to shippers and quoting realistic pick up and delivery times. Truckers wouldn't need to be regulated if their companes knew how to use a calculator and quoted more realistic transit times. If drivers need to sleep then shippers better allow time for drivers to sleep. I get really mad when shippers demand cargo van drivers to do 1000 miles direct like it's just a walk in the park. They used to do the same thing with big trucks and the carriers allowed it to happen. If all carrier had a universal quote on truckloads, then there would be no need to regulate the industry and the rates would be higher. But the carriers keep on quoting unlrealist transit times at lower rates just to keep money coming in and they do not always consider the driver. That is why turnover is high in this industry. You can run a driver for 3 months before they realize they aren't making any money and then they move on. It happens every day out here!

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Carriers need to start standing up to shippers and quoting realistic pick up and delivery times. Truckers wouldn't need to be regulated if their companes knew how to use a calculator and quoted more realistic transit times. If drivers need to sleep then shippers better allow time for drivers to sleep. I get really mad when shippers demand cargo van drivers to do 1000 miles direct like it's just a walk in the park. They used to do the same thing with big trucks and the carriers allowed it to happen. If all carrier had a universal quote on truckloads, then there would be no need to regulate the industry and the rates would be higher. But the carriers keep on quoting unlrealist transit times at lower rates just to keep money coming in and they do not always consider the driver. That is why turnover is high in this industry. You can run a driver for 3 months before they realize they aren't making any money and then they move on. It happens every day out here!

What I've heard..no driver wants to do live loads because of what you stated, everyone wants to do drop and hook....the drop and hook carriers have a waiting list more so....

 

[nestor7]

No shortage of drivers where I work as an expediter. Load rate down 40% in 4 years.

 

[Lawrence]

No shortage of drivers where I work as an expediter. Load rate down 40% in 4 years.

....why do you stay?

 

[davekc]

I don't believe there is a shortage of drivers. Just a shortage of good drivers. CSA does nothing but create a revolving door. New entrants have a clean record because they haven't been driving.
Duh!
That is much different than whether they know what they are doing or have the ability to adapt to a OTR lifestyle. Kind of a mix bag of both the good and the bad.
Some carriers will figure it out, and others will throw thousands at the problem and still be scratching their heads.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

How can there not be a shortage? The kids out of high school can't drive TT till at least 23 yrs.... 100's of thousands leaving

 

[davekc]

They are available for a two week stint.