Posted on 06/25/2012 11:40:15 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The U.S. economy can't function unless goods get from point A to B.
That's why we have air carriers like FedEx, railroaders like CSX, and truckers like J.B. Hunt.
Truckers are a crucial component in this equation because a plane or train can't exactly back into the loading dock of the local grocery store.
Unfortunately, America can't seem to find enough people to fill the cabs of their 18-wheelers.
USA Today's Paul Davidson reports:
A worsening shortage of truck drivers is pushing up freight rates and delaying some deliveries, defying the weak economy, high unemployment and falling gasoline prices.
Davidson identifies a few reasons why we can't seem to higher enough truckers:
* training costs are high and typically lasts weeks
* minimum age is 21 years
* safety ratings are horrible, causing the screening process to be stringent
However, the shortage is causing pay in the industry to rise. According to a consultant in Davidson's story, the average drivers' annual salary has increased 5 percent year-over-year to $50,000.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Pretty simple.
Boomers are to Obama as Young folks are to the Occupiers. Simple as that
Nice try, you still are not making a valid case.
So how exactly am I wrong here?
Obama is equally as representative of boomers as the occupy wall street folks represent young people.
If these are so hard to fill then there is a reason. The low pay and difficult working conditions are just two of the most obvious ones.
Mr. K, with an Ipod or smart phone you can download Rugh daily. Plug it in to your trucks radio and listen at your leisure.
what kind of a job is it for “owner/operators” ?
I can afford to buy my own truck, might as well go into business for myself.
I am a computer software engineer now, and I think this new-fangled interweb thingy is a fad that is going to fade out real soon...
“Dump the Mexican Trcuks rule, and trucking industry will hire again”
According to what I am reading and seeing the trucking industry is hiring and cannot find enough drivers. I don’t buy that Americans wont drive trucks because they are afraid of Mexicans driving trucks. Hard to argue that Mexicans are taking jobs when you cannot get enough US drivers.
But then its the same thing with ditch digging, drywall, and seasonal crops. The fact is that a very significant portion of our workforce cannot pass a drug test, have erratic attendance, are dishonest, want more money than their lousy skill set and work ethic are worth, or simply cannot drive.
The there is the problem of that sitting on your arse pays pretty good in this country and making $50K is only marginally better than welfare especially after taxes.
Bash the Mexicans if you want but many US workers are no better.
I interview people with regards to their jobs and I am telling you, I see more laid off truckers than I have ever seen before.
I doubt this article.
If anything, there is so much regulation that there are less OWNER OPERATORS.
And where there is not, there is comedy, good music, it is well worth it
I actually have done a LOT of cross country driving by car and noticed what they go through. I also worked for a guy that owned three Peterbuilts back in 1973 as his repairman and undloader. I abandoned it as a career when I started listening to the stories the truck drivers told.
I am a lot more mellow about this stuff now, but it’s just something that crossed my mind.
There are Truck Drivers, then there are “ Truck Drivers:”My Uncle was a “ Truck Driver” drove for over 49 years, never hauled a thing except Oil Field Equipment. I have seen the time he had to chain up 6 times in one day.Cold Hard Steel and Iron, no Plum Pullers, or pear pushers. If you want to become a real Truck Driver, give Oil Field Hauling a go.
There is an iPhone app, plus “I heart radio” will stream any station at all. It’s the Hulu of radio.
Not to mention peeing in a bottle while driving down the road.
And most force them to keep double DOT books to drive outside the limits.
Could be all the training and DMV test was done on a 28 ft box van.
And customers complained they didn't get hired as the requirement is to be safe driving and backing a 54 ft box van....almost twice the length...so upscaling from a 28 ft to 53 ft is difficult.
Or maybe he just packed up and moved his trucks to ND.
Awhile back, he was routed off an Interstate heading into north western New York state, because it was/was becoming a toll road.
It was already snowing.
Then it was a snowstorm.
After two-and-a-half hours in the snowstorm, on a two-lane country road that constantly went up hill and down hill, he made the final turn onto the route where the client's receiving docks were located.
Four miles later he saw the neon signs for the client's location.
He also saw signs pointing to a junction with the same Interstate he had been instructed to leave. The exit/on-ramps for it turned out to be a quarter mile from the client.
If he were a much more experienced driver, and if he was being paid more, for that experience or any reason, he could have sucked it up and paid for the tolls himself, and arrived sooner at the client. In his financial situation, he takes the expense “savings” the company demands, even though it makes the trip harder, for him.
One has to wonder if the “savings” on tolls is essential to the profitability and competitiveness of his company.
The young voted for Obama by 66% that means they are his peeps, he owns them.
“2) it’s getting harder and harder to find people who aren’t strung out on Crack, Smack, Bath Salts, Angel Dust, Roofies, Meth, Acid or Marijuana who can actually obtain a CDL.”
3) Trucking was a significant draw to ex-cons but now insurance companies will not insure felons.
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