[Alberta's Child]

There are three basic flaws in the industry that make it very unattractive for prospective drivers:

1. Drivers are paid by the mile, not by the hour -- which means their pay has effectively declined over time due to increasing congestion and regulations that limit the time they can spend on the road.

2. The barriers to entry in the industry are so low that the trucker's job has become completely commoditized and the only way to compete is by lowering costs and keeping labor costs down.

3. Now look at those two previous items in the context of the very strict regulations for a commercial driver's license. A lot of companies have a hard time finding drivers because too many of the ideal candidates by any other measure simply can't pass the drug tests and background checks that the industry uses.

[fudimo]

2. The barriers to entry in the industry are so low that the trucker’s job has become completely commoditized and the only way to compete is by lowering costs and keeping labor costs down.

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Did you mean the barriers to enter the industry are too HIGH ?

I think part of the large turnover rate in the trucking industry has a lot to do with overzealous enforcement when it comes to truckers and their equipment. An example would be that a company I used to work for will not take any jobs going into California due to the hassle of regulating authorities.

[Tailback]

The barriers to entry in the industry are so low that the trucker's job has become completely commoditized and the only way to compete is by lowering costs and keeping labor costs down.

Low barriers? Apparently insurance costs to the companies are way down from 1996 when you needed 2 years "over the road" or a truck driving school cert to even have an application accepted. Have you seen the new medical certificate requirements? Totally absurd, plus companies don't pay squat for drivers. In a true free market economy, as opposed to a fascist, gov regulated oligarchy, professional truck drivers would be paid much better than they are now. I'm really starting to dislike the chamber of (crony) commerce.