DesertRat |
10-10-2006 03:34 PM |
So far, the replies have been dead on.
I will, however, add a few other variables to the list
1. Some (not all) of the larger companies use recruiters that are payed on a commision basis. When a recruiter gets paid by filling seats, he is more likely to give you the old hard sell, and more likely to gloss things over and overstate things to get you to sign on the line. This can lead to disappointment once you get in the system. It's similar to going to a used car dealer as opposed to a reputable car dealer with a "no pressure" sales policy.
2. A lot of people get into this business without fully researching things, and without being honest with themselves about what they can / cannot handle. That leads a lot of people to wash out in the first year. In our modern world, it has become almost second nature to blame someone else for our own shortcomings. Consequently, the big training companies get a bad rap from former rookies who, ultimately, have no one to blame but themselves for their failure. It is easy to blame your former employer for events that are common in the trucking industry when you don't know the industry well enough to know what is normal and what is not.
3. The "grass is always greener" mindset is entirely too common in the trucking industry. I think this is the fault of both the companies and the drivers. Many companies don't put the effort into driver retention that they put into driver recruting. By the same token, many drivers will jump ship at the drop of a hat, for a penny a mile or the promise of a newer truck. Whatever the reason, job hopping can lead to bad mouthing. A driver may jump to a new company and find it is worse than the old one, and he may run down his new company because of it. A driver may find the new company treats him much better, and that leaves a negative opinion of his former company which he may speak up about. In an industry with the disgustingly high turnover rate that trucking has, this is bound to be a common occurance.
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