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Why is it I get the same feeling reading posts here its like when I hire drivers?

I read well over half if not 3/4ths of the posts do not have a clue what truck driving is and are just posting here because they are too lazy to get the facts right, like its too hard to substitute real knowledge in a forum with a quick Google search?

I have had my CDL for 14 years now, I manage a concrete batch plant, supervise, drive a mixer truck and hire, teach and eventually fire all kinds of drivers, my dad was a long haul driver most of his life starting as an owner operator and I lived in a sleeper, ate at the truck stops and loaded or unloaded the rig.The trucks nowaday cost more than most homes and offer almost everything a person could want, I have even seen a jacuzzi in one once.

The last couple of years its been a nightmare hiring decent drivers, I usually get seasonal drivers that drove school busses or fresh out of a school, the requirement for this skill area is actually demanding as delivering concrete requires not only the ability to drive a heavy turning top heavy liquid load it involves being able to offload it in a safe and timely manner that is extremely varied from sidewalks to runways, back yard porches to bridges, post holes in a backyard to underground vaults, its very demanding on the driver to jump into totally green, at best it takes a smart guy at least a week to handle the basics, it took me to years to master it.

As far as the trucking industry fuel charges is of course the problem, and after that its the need for profit margins, the days of drivers of loading their own rigs for the most part are gone because theses trailers are too big and most loads are palletized anyway so its too much for a single driver to handle, as a kid my dad hauled me and my two brothers with him to load/unload USPS mailbags or crates of motor oil, if I was told I had to load a 48 ft. trailer now in many states turnpike doubles or B-trains like here in Alaska I would just laugh and say what the forklift guy got a hangover?
And yes after 9/11 security got tighter but after the majority of drivers got screened, got their endorsements they got the wages, anybody here check out what the actual pay is first, if its low its probably a company skirting the edges anyway and are hiring cheap to pay cheap and we all know most people have different levels of skill. Truckers by and large are uniquely skilled and in the last decade are threatened by groups from all areas from those that hate big rigs and the noise, the green groups, the stigma that truckers are stupid greasy fat rednecks and I will go out on a limb and say to me the biggest threat is the most common fear of the other driver and his/her lack of attention because they are distracted while on a cell phone.

Good drivers get good wages, bad drivers get less wages and I think the ratio of jobs is that its an economy thing and everyone is pinching the belt, they want drivers, the drivers are there but who wants to load a rig, pay for the fuel and get paid idiot cheap wages, I sure as well won’t, its the 21st century now.

Will the trucking industry go cheap like Walmart? it could starting with hispanic drivers, I’ll really get scared when I see Chinese truck drivers appear, then I know the end is coming.

You’re right - most don’t load their own trucks. I do, but I’m hauling propane (and that’s a different cat completely).
It is still quite common to have to unload the trucks - though most pay a lumper to do that - or to re-stack part of the load onto acceptable pallet ties. As for me, I’d either pay the lumper or haul the load back. I didn’t buy the stuff and I’m not going to re-pallitize it for them either.

That said - I do unload my truck, but again - it’s propane and I have to pump the load off (and into their tanks).

As for the wages - they haven’t done a thing since the background checks (for Hazmat) were required. Some thought they would, since so many drivers refused to oblige (or failed the check) but there isn’t a bit of difference thus far. You find the wage difference is experience - safe driving records combined with multiple years of experience equals higher pay. Even that hasn’t really kept up with inflation. I know many drivers who are making 34 cents per mile and happy with it - that was decent pay 25 years ago.

The companies paying the least tend to be the bigger companies. They also tend to be the companies who will train the driver and send em’ on their way - often without a clue as to what they’re doing. These companies do this in order to offset their wages paid, which is done to offset the cheap freight bids they’ve given (which were given to undercut the competition). The trend isn’t really higher wages; it’s flooding the market with lower paid drivers.

Here on the east coast we see (hear actually) lots of drivers who can’t speak but a few words of English - that’s the trend, as they’ll do the job for far less and the companies simply hire more of them. Run with your radio on and you’ll hear plenty of them; all selling noise and jabbering up a storm. Most have governed trucks and get in the way; refusing to move when you try to pass them (I hate them). I usually run with the radio off - it’s just too much of an annoyance and I don’t feel like listening to them.

I think your fears are warranted and the end is here. There aren’t many old-timers left: they all sold their trucks and got out of it.