Posted on 09/13/2019 1:02:11 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
So many disincentives to drive OTR, especially for a new driver who barely gets paid more than a minimum wage fast food worker.
The regulations are in-freaking-sane. Normal people just won't put up with the increasingly ridiculous micromanaging crap truckers have to deal with.
For those who don’t want sleep and don’t want a family or a home,...
Getting stuck somewhere waiting for a paying load can certainly be a problem.
There needs to be more of an emphasis on guys going into skilled trades.
Not everyone is college material and should not be forced to fit that mold.
A good job for young black men. Get them away from the killing zones. Truck stops/convenience stores can have ‘professional’ areas where drivers can eat without kids making noise and getting treated with the respect they don’t get at home.
My Uber driver yesterday was Ethiopian. We had a real interesting conversation. He’s an orthodox Christian and yesterday was New Years on the Gregorian calendar they use. We discussed the various countries, governments and challenges in East Africa. He wasn’t a big fan of Somalis.
It only takes a trip or two home like that to take the bloom off the “the good old country” rose. I’ve observed that, too.
My neighbor founded a trucking company in the Northwest about sixty years ago and expanded it greatly. He made out real well financially as the company owner. He has amazing stories to tell.
One of my sons did just that. He got his CDL at 19. He has a Class A license (semi and manual transmission). He worked driving Class B trucks for about a year (Straight trucks) then quit to volunteer at a summer camp.
He just got back and has a couple interviews next week.
A couple challenges are that since he hasn’t driven semi’s since his class a year ago, it’s hard to get hired unless the company is willing to team him with an instructor for a couple weeks. That’s pretty normal but until he’s 21, DOT rules require that he remain in his state of residence.
He moved in with his Grandma in a larger state just so he could get a better job.
I heard DOT is considering dropping the age limitation. I understand it but would rather see it changed to make younger drivers remain in contiguous states.
My current job has me driving a product demonstration trailer around. I’m under DOT rules which are pretty complex and limiting.
Yep. A friend works for wallymart in the logistics division. A driver working the max legal time makes 100,000 yearly.
Sixty years ago was the old outlaw days. ;)
A drivers license from three or four states. Three active log books in the truck.
Good times.
I bet he had some real characters work for him.
They’re coming. It’s especially applicable to the USA as well. A large country with long straight roads. They’ll just want drivers for the last mile (in & out of town), the 1500 mile part will be autonomous.
...just a matter of time.
There is a drastic truck shortage out there right now.
You can thank that piece of crap obama for this. His DOT changed up the whole medical requirements and just made it too annoying and expensive to keep a CDL Class A. Also, on his war against coal, he stepped up nit-picking inspections on any truck that entered coal mines. He did that under MSHA and the fines were over the top and the delays were hours at times. Yep, thank obama
Shortage at what price???
Be away from your family and spouse for 6 weeks, for $42,000 per year.
Median Trucker salary is a paltry $42,000 per year.
Trucking is a highly regulated undesireable occupation. The glory days are gone.
Trucking has a glut of foreign drivers from Mexico and Somali. GLUT.
Driverless trucks mean no future.
Lots of money being spent to make the trucks dock themselves, too. Maybe drivers for the last mile up to the destination, then the computers take over once again!
120% average turnover in trucking is asnine.
That means, due to management incompetance, your ENTIRE company employees have quit, plus 20% more.
LMAO
Trucking is a buzzard cluster ****.
It’s a standard in the industry with the larger transcon truckers especially. The drivers are treated like lowlife. It’s something to see, and yet the companies never learn.
ATA American Trucking A$$ociation is a cheap labor, lobbying group for foreign slave labor.
Same script, Shortage lie, bring in foreigners to degrade the industry.
Somali Muslim drivers, Walmart no less, unsafely leave their truck doors open to broadcast the Islamic Call to Prayer. — Walmart drivers gone Muslim.
These foreigner drivers are truly dangerous people.
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