Posted on 05/28/2018 12:38:19 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Retailers are facing a shipping squeeze, and the trucking industry just can't keep up.
According to the American Trucking Associations, there's a shortage of roughly 50,000 truck drivers across the country. And it's hitting both businesses and consumers in the wallet.
Companies are complaining about how the driver shortage is impacting their business. Meanwhile, the cost of convenient shipping is starting to catch up with consumers.
Amazon recently hiked its Prime membership to $119 a year from $99 a year. The retail giant said one of the reasons for the price jump was increased shipping costs.
But the driver shortage isn't just because of demand created by online shopping. There's a lot going on behind the scenes, according to Bob Costello, chief economist at American Trucking Associations.
"We have a demographics problem, demand is strong, trucks haul over 70 percent of the freight tonnage, our average age is very high, [and] we don't have enough females," said Costello.....
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Now if we can get POTUS to save the trucking industry by not taxing them out of existence.
Then again, I don't know if I want an angry feminist studies grad behind the wheel of a big rig.
When he said, "We don't have enough females," Mr. Costello cast doubt on the accuracy of everything else he said.
In economic terms, a truck driver is a truck driver is a truck driver. It doesn't matter whether he's a man or she's a woman or they're from Mars. They are all "Logistics Input = Truck Driver."
The age of the truck driver matters, just as the age of the truck matters, because an older unit will have more downtime and need replacing sooner than a newer one. However, the sex of the truck driver matters no more than the color of the truck.
Driver shortage was 50,000 over 2 years ago - it is closer to 100,000 now and growing. Average driver age is 60 - No one in their 20’s is even thinking about being a truck driver.
One reason for that is the way companies like May and Werner have been abusing drivers for the past 20 years.
I know 2 over the road truck drivers well. Too much pressure to work too long hours at too little money.
RAISE THE FRIGGIN' WAGES! PAY BONUSES!
Relax the standards some where if one gets a stupid parking ticket it disqualifies him for life.
Sheesh, none of this is rocket science.
Not many can pass the background check and drug/alcohol screening.
That is probably the #1 problem in trying to to hire blue collar workers right now.
The Drug Free Workplace Act is making it really diffcult for some employers.
Not many can pass the background check and drug/alcohol screening.
That is probably the #1 problem in trying to to hire blue collar workers right now.
The Drug Free Workplace Act is making it really diffcult for some employers.
Try raising the rate Drivers are paid. Isn’t that what happens during shortages?
You are correct....this shortage has been going on for a number of years. Pay scale is one problem....the days required for the long-haul guy is another.
I talked to a guy last year who had hazardous-materials certifications and was making a significant amount of money, with a contract that said a max of six consecutive days on the road.
It’s an excuse to try to allow more Mexican drivers on US roads.
>>Amazon recently hiked its Prime membership to $119 a year from $99 a year.
And that PURELY has to do with shipping and not the requirement of Amazon Prime annual membership to get preferred customer pricing discounts at Whole Foods? Poppycock.
Amazon is the 800 pound gorilla and it will raise rates to what market will bear.
You mean undocumented motorists, right?
Of course interstate shipments can always go back to using trains instead of a daisytrain of trucks all going the same route for several states.
Almost every cross country rig you see on the highway has a sign on the back: “Hiring drivers...”
.
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Or is it “unarrested felons?”
.
Guys with CDLs would rather go drive a cement mixer or even a trash truck rather than put up with all the BS that truckers have to.
So when you pass a trucker on the road, if he's not geriatric, he probably has less than a year experience and only plans to haul long enough to pay off his CDL schooling before he hightails it to the cement plant.
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