I am relatively new to the forum but not to trucking, having close to 2 decades in the industry.

I have noticed one thing that companies can't seem to figure out. They are scrambling to hire drivers, promising them the moon, a pretty girl to ride in the truck, $1 million dollars a mile, etc.

Where they drop the ball is their efforts in recruiting and retaining Quality, experienced drivers.

After close to 20 years with NO preventable accidents, NO moving violations, and experience in Alaska, Canada, and the 48 States, etc, why in the world would I want to drive for a company that will only give me what they offer a recent truck school graduate?

The companies need to get their collective minds out of the Union mindset and think outside the box. Why not offer drivers like me the same vacation time we have now? Why not offer a premium pay that is over and above the pay rates offered? Why not provide a selection in region, routes, etc that are offered to senior drivers with the company? Why not offer benefits that start IMMEDIATELY and not have to wait 90 days.

Let's face it, recruiters. You are not going to get a Cadillac for the price of a Ford Focus. If you were a bank owner, you would not look for a senior bank officer and then start them as a bank teller. You want quality, then you are going to have to make deals.

Likewise, drivers. If we continue to play the same old game regarding moving to another company, they will play the same game that they have been for so long. We need to demand at least the same level of perks and benefits that we have at our present company at the very least.

Some may say "why move companies if you got these things"? True enough, but some of us have to deal with companies that get sold or close the doors. Why should we have to start from scratch all over again while the new company reaps all the benefits?

It's time to crawl out of the 20th century and get a handle on reality. That means both drivers and companies.

 

Do they charge more for the freight if it's delivered by a "Quality, experienced driver"? If not, your bargaining position isn't going to be a very strong one.

 

if you should be in such demand, why are you looking for a job? or is this just the, things ain't the way they used to be speach, from someone that needs to get out.

 

:lol: :twisted:

 

Because they can.

That's NOT a union mindset. If the industry was organized, your wages, benefits, and seniority would carry over to the next union carrier. That's what happened to alot of guys who went to UPS, Yellow, USF etc when Preston and CF went under.

Because not just anyone can be a senior bank officer. You need a college degree and alot of experience with different areas of banking. I can train someone to drive a truck in a couple days.

Good luck with that one. You can't get two drivers to agree on the color of the sky much less come together for a united cause.

Again, because they can. The astronomical turnover rates mean that these carriers get a constant supply of low-wage workers. Don't let em' fool you with all this talk about a so-called "driver shortage" Do you see freight piling up on the docks, empty store shelves, long lines, etc? Of course not. It's just a ploy to get illegals and foriegners behind the wheel.

 

Now CFM...your being needlessly contentious there. Our "Guest Workers" have a right to earn a living don't they?

 

For a long time the mindset in business has been that you need to spend a dollar to save a dime. You can look at virtually any industry and see this. They think why should we have to pay someone with many years of experience $10 an hour when we can hire 2 people for $4.90 each. Never mind that the person with years of experience may be 3 times more efficient in their work that the two new ones.

Sadly, in trucking, with the regs like they are, the only real cost savings a company may see is in accidents. Even if the experienced driver can run 3000 miles a week every week, the two newbies will only need to run 1500 miles each to equal that and everything over that is just "bonus" money for the company coffers.

IMHO the first thing that really needs to be corrected is truck driving needs to be classified as a skilled occupation. Unskilled labor generally means that most people can learn to do the job to a reasonable degree of proficiency with very little learning and/or training.

While to a certain point this holds true for trucking, it takes a lot more than training and experience for a driver to become truly efficient and proficient in the job.

 

That mindset was primarily driven by cheap ass beancounters who still have a very perilous grasp on any form of "reality".

Actually....the additional savings is garnered through less equipment cost, less maintenance costs, less insurance costs.... and less overall company contributions to benefits costs.

Well, its up to "semi-skilled"....but if it ever gets classified to "skilled", then the wages will have to go up.

While much of what you say is true, there is a certain mentality in the industry that is essentially "self-defeating". Personally, I think it can be viewed in terms of internecine turf protection...betwixt all levels of management in trucking companies.

Management wants a full fleet of capable drivers, recruiting tries to find them, operations doesn't give a damn what anyone else wants or thinks because the load just has to go. Safety plays games sometimes a wink and nod routine....but what happens is that the driver ends up the pawn in it all. He or she has no real voice, and in general catches the dirty end of the stick.

Management believes drivers are a dime a dozen, yet scream out of their mouths that there is a shortage, recruiting resorts to lies and trickery by way of vague promises to the drivers, and operations proves they are the tail that wags the dog. Safety barks at the moon.

I would be willing to bet at least one internet dollar that not one trucking company of any significant size (1000+ power units) has ever really done a single study on the reality of why drivers quit....and then tried to fix the problems.

Why would they not? Because in the industry there is a great deal of nepotism.....and someone may have to fire a family member, or a good friend. The truth is....until management takes the bull by the horns and makes the hard decisions....its not going to change.

I can tell you for certain...were I a company owner who had "anyone" in the company who cost me good drivers and all the associated costs putting red ink in a column....I would personally kick them out the door, regardless of who they were.

 

The only reason companies are crying "Driver Shortage" is they are aiming at being able to hire foreign nationals from beyond our southern border. There is no driver shortage. Schmucks are lined up a mile deep too get into CDL mills and lease purchase scams.
I recently heard of a Swift oreintation training program for new drivers that had over 125 people in it.
There is absolutely no driver shortage.
Companies merely want to have a fresh supply of drivers to churn through the industry , grind them up and spit them out. Why pay an experienced Driver that knows the Ropes and games when you can hire 10 newbies for chicken feed wages and treat them like garbage as was stated earlier in the topic stands true.
A new driver working for 500 dollars a week and getting the shaft at every turn is not in short supply. Chew them up make them quit snd get some more to fill their seats. This is how the mega carriers operate. Nobody ever gets to the top of the payscale and the pennies saved are justified.

 

Every company has a percentage of unoccupied trucks that need filling.
They are motivated by the frieght loads they are missing out on than anything else.
Trucking is a bottom line bizz like all other bussiness. $$$$$$
People are just an operating expense like desiel fuel.
Its nothing personal.

True on the driver shortage issue...I am out here on the road and simply do not see a problem.
Who ever is pimping the idea is just trying to turn a buck also I suspect.

Bussiness as usual