How can the trucking industry keep pay high and costs low?
 

The driver shortage is causing goods, such as groceries, to rise in price. But how can trucking keep driver pay at good levels while reducing costs?

Read our article, and let us know your thoughts.

"Truck driver wages aren’t the only way to recruit and retain additional drivers either. Our own internal research shows that drivers demand more home time, more communication, and more respect."

I took this quote from your article, and this points out what my main grievances were, or what brought me to quit a company.

Never had a problem with low wages as much as the level of disrespect I got from all sides from dispatch to loading docks, 4-wheelers and when ever the owner piles on, you reach your limit and quit. Communication always ends up breaking down over stress, and walls get built that continue to grow.
Never enough hometime, but they also screw you by leaving you stranded for days, while they look for backload, or some union dock plays games with you if you are an independent driver, leaving you wait even days to unload.
Always politics involved in the equation, and the driver is the little guy with no voice.

You are nothing but meat in the seat, and they would love to replace you with people more desperate than you, to enslave and treat like crap.

The driver shortage is not a real thing the industry has created the "shortage"... as in the industry has not taken care of the very thing that creates their wealth.. just like farmers who for decades were paid to not grow corn... FOR A GENERATION.. when growing corn becomes a necessity.. those who know how have forgotten how to do it. The industry is now ran by people who in almost EVERY case have never stepped one wet foot in a truck. They came into the industry as non drivers, and pretend that they can relate to drivers in any way whatsoever. They fire/get rid of all people who DO have experience and knowledge because it makes them look small. It makes them uncomfortable because drivers will gravitate towards those who can and do speak their language and will not BS them. The suits get rid of good people and replace them with those in their own peer group.....Others who have no experience in trucking. I have decided after 35 years to just give up. This industry has decided that experience in the industry and in the trenches is a liability to them. They fill their management and safety positions with people who are ignorant of the industry as its a dodge when it comes to the inevitable lawsuits. They can pile all the "fault" with the people they hire and walk away leaving other to blame. The drivers are 100% expendable. They still see the lines of wannabe's lined up at their door begging to join the transportation carnival. There are no real standards anymore, there is no camaraderie there is nothing but being gone for weeks, living in a metal box and eating gas station level food and being gouged at every opportunity from all sides... Who needs it?

Yep, Trucking is no better than any other SLAVE WAGE, just more aggravation and annoyances.

... because they don't want to actually WORK for home time.
......because dispatchers need to speak 18 Languages....fluently.
......even though the majority of "drivers" whine, piss, bitch, moan, cry, complain, irritate, harrass everyone yet demand respect while PROVING they're incompetent AND incompatible with trucking in ALL FORMS.

Didn't some dry gash in the f.m.c.s.a. ride with some "driver" for a whole WEEK??
So that made her a expert/qualified her "experience" yes?
- - - -
Trucking is NOT a UNemployable/UNemployment solution.

Labor is the highest cost in most industries. There are some ways in which to lower costs, but one of the greatest cost factors comes from shippers. Drivers waste a lot of time sitting at shippers waiting to load or unload. Most of that time is free to the shipper. While they are sitting drivers are not making money, yet their clock is ticking. The biggest complaint I hear from new drivers is home time. Carrier's don't do enough to get drivers home as often as they would prefer. Younger drivers are not as willing to stay out as long as more experienced drivers. Driver pay is tied to freight rates. Carrier's are limited as to what they can pay drivers based upon rates. Shippers try to push rates down which ultimately limits driver pay. Shippers are not entirely to blame. There are too many fingers in the pie. Brokers and third party logistics companies take a bug chunk out of the rate. Owner operators and drivers are hardest hit. Drivers want to be respected. They sometimes don't get the respect they want from their carrier's. Some of the largest carrier's are now owned by investment groups and employ operations personnel who have little or no trucking experience. These people attempt to tell those on the front lines how to run. That creates conflict. Driver pay could be a little better, but most earn an above average income with minimal training.

Hey, I form Sam Truck Dispatch Service.

According to us, it completely depends upon the truck driver how much business mindset they have and how they are spending their money.