Shortage is over
 

Well it didnt take long, better keep your present jobs!!!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...-surplus_N.htm


Take a look at some of the readers comments too.

There never really was a shortage. The only reason it ever appeared there was is because of the high turnover rate in the industry.

The shortage was always a fictitious animal. If there had been an actual driver shortage, freight would be sitting on docks unmoved, stores would be lacking inventory, factories would be suffering shutdowns due to lack of raw material. All the freight that needs to move is moving, ergo no shortage. That has always been the case.

What there was, was companies that figured out they could have greater coverage with more drivers. More dirvers spread over more area means quicker response and less dead head. Mind you, that system also causes more drivers to sit idle as there is not enough freight to go around. But the companies don't care about that, afterall were talking about low life truck drivers.

Ain't that the truth!

So before, you WERE looking for steering-wheel holders?!?!? LOL, that speaks volumes right there!

So let me get this straight...here we have all these guys out of work and Schneider is STILL burning through 60% of their drivers per year! :roll:

Indeed. This is due to the dysfunctional layover polices in OTR trucking....drivers only rate pay for sitting after 24 hours. And then drivers contribute to the problem by staying on line 1 or 2 while they're waiting for load assignments.

I'm going to Jersey and seek employment in the garment district

where I am truly needed :P

Line 1...Line 2...

Log books ?

Who needs 'em :roll:

So If everybody in these little truck stop books that is hiring has empty trucks to fill and they don't have enough drivers to fill all the empty trucks then isn't that a shortage? Or am I not seeing your point? If everybodies trucks are filled then there isn't a shortage. What there is a shortage of is experienced drivers who are willing to put up with the job because that is what they enjoy doing.

Your using the wrong litmus test. If a company needs 50 trucks to move the freight they have booked, but they own 100 trucks, then they don't have to fill those other trucks to meet demand, thus no shortage. Sure, they could pull that freight more easily with 100 trucks, but it isn't necessary. As I said previously, the true test of a driver shortage is whether or not freight is being effectively moved. It is, and has been, which indicates no shortage exists or ever has. Forget experienced drivers, from the company prespective what there is a shortage of is fools who are willing to suffer chronic unpaid layovers so the company can have excess capacity available at all times.

I get it now. There isn't a shortage of drivers needed to move present freight levels. Thanks for the explanation.

The problem was never enough warm bodies to hold the steering wheel. The problem was always keeping those warm bodies in the trucks, and preventing them from constantly switching carriers. When turnover is at 130%+, it creates an artificial shortage, because of the constant switching of drivers. The fact that SNI still claims a 60% turnover rate today speaks volumes.

as fuel prices rise, companies will fold, and there will be alot more experienced drivers looking for work than ever before.