Posted on 09/13/2019 1:02:11 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
In 2018, the trucking industry was short roughly 60,800 drivers up nearly 20% from 2017s figure of 50,700. If current trends hold, the American Trucking Association (ATA) says the shortage could rise to more than 160,000 by 2028.
The driver shortage is a problem for the entire supply chain, as 71.4% of all freight tonnage is moved on the nations highways, ATA says in its Truck Driver Shortage Analysis 2019 report.
The increase in the driver shortage should be a warning to carriers, shippers and policymakers, because if conditions dont change substantively, our industry could be short just over 100,000 drivers in five years and 160,000 drivers in 2028, ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said in a news release announcing the report.
To meet the U.S. demand, the trucking industry must hire roughly 1.1 million new drivers, or an average of nearly 110,000 per year, to replace retiring drivers and keep on pace with the growth in the economy.
(Excerpt) Read more at agprofessional.com ...
Driving use to be fun, it’s a madhouse now. Alot of crazy people out there and in a hurry.
Had a Mexican trucker nearly run me off a mountain pass a few months ago, 80 mph on the interstate.
Not so much aggression as it was him being a crappy driver.
Down the road a ways I managed to get pictures of his company logo, truck number etc. Talked to his boss who surprised me by actually hearing me out.
Said he would look into it but—surprise!—I never heard from him again.
It was over so quickly that I really didn’t have time to get shook up. But he came so close to me that I couldn’t see his truck tires (I was in a pickup) over the side of my hood.
He was maybe a foot away when I made it to the dirt edge of the left side of the highway, pumping my brakes to stay out of the median, and to let him squeeze by.
He had been trying to pass some slower traffic going up a steep hill, then found himself about to plow into either the slower traffic ahead, or me on his left.
Pay more Fools. Get more drivers
Its a shitty life so pay has to be great
I thought laws said they could only drive/work x-hours at a shot...do you know if they get per-diem for being on the road-—or what the pay scale looks like?
I only know what truckers tell me and a few things I read in articles. I did hear the story where a long haul trucker was under five miles from his destination and he had to stop and sleep or he’d be in violation of “continuous hours”.
(spoiler alert) Reminds me of the robot cop in THX1138 that, after a long and violent chase of our good guy, the cost of the pursuit reaches a maximum budget, and just as the cop is about to grab the guy’s foot while climbing a ladder, the computer tells him the chase has hit a budget threshold and he is to cease pursuit. The guy goes free and escapes.
Government’s “one size fits all” take on things is just dumb. It’s horribly unnatural and frustrating.
The problem with trucking is that companies have to hold a high standard for driving records, and applicants have to pass a drug test.
True, but the max hours driving is a safety issue - almost been trampled by truckers who no longer seemed to be "with it"...not to mention how many were using amphetamines to extend their "useful" hours to make more money - many many moons ago, I stayed up 3 days with the help of a little speed...ended up with mild "hallucinations" and actually fell asleep standing up and leaning against the juncture of a wall and vending machine...regular use of speed will definitely modify one's senses/perceptions.
If they want more truckers they’re gonna have to pay more... that’s how it works in a free society. Thank YOU President Trump.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.