If the RR industry was remotely functional, we'd be OK - long-haul trucking is a bad idea, just off physics.

As it is... There's a shortage, and its nuts. The younger folks are, in large part, really good kids, but the drug stuff is an issue.

Regardless of the influence of pot, if I a worker cannot "test" sober, he's too dangerous for many jobs.

Let alone, ones where he actually has to be sober, and on call.

One of my duties at 3 of the custom cabinet shops that I worked at was to drive deliveries in a 25ft box truck local as well as cross country. Yes log book required... These shops were well aware that if I got stopped by the police for any violations (on the vehicle) and not on me as the driver that I would tell the officer/s that they would need to call a wrecker and impound the vehicle even if I could physically see the delivery site........ Saw another driver get stopped and received 5 tickets on the vehicle status and was told by the company that the company would take care of the tickets but approx 4 months later 2 deputies showed up at work location and he was taken into custody because the tickets had not been taken care of..... When he got out of custody the next day he returned to the shop looking for the boss and he was not a happy camper. ........... Yes the driver shortage is real but to a lot of the rules / regulations that govern the drivers as to how they conducting their driving activities. .....Also companies not wanting to pay drivers a worthwhile wage...... Company drivers as well as owner operators are effected....... And with some of these vacancies some drivers are not willing to put up with all of the new rules / regulations / pay scale. .............. drill sgt.

I have a friend that lasted 9 months.
Parked his truck and told them to come get it.
Took a bus home.

I agree that drivers are being over regulated. All these never ending dictates are supposed to make sure they are well rested and safe but all it does is make work aggravating and inefficient. I to hate paperwork and obviously arbitrary deadlines.
On the other hand, these is no way we need 20-30% more trucks on the road. The highways are already choked with semi traffic. It’s beyond ridiculous. These trucks must be underutilized. I’ve seen it in my limited time pulled out for inspection at weight stations. Lots of semis in the low 30k weight range over the scales. Shippers are surely loading light for time crunched dedicated runs rather than a full truck with more stops along a route.

I can assure you there is a shortage of drivers willing to deliver groceries at the store level.

This outfit has had to offer as much as $600 above and beyond the normal pay to get a single trailer delivered. One day’s work!

Few new hires last 3 months. The job is labor intensive and young guys just aren’t interested in working hard.

I’m pulling an extra load right now. I could do an extra every day for the next month. I’m too old for that shit now.

quote:

Originally posted by jed7s9b:
I agree that drivers are being over regulated. All these never ending dictates are supposed to make sure they are well rested and safe but all it does is make work aggravating and inefficient. I to hate paperwork and obviously arbitrary deadlines.
On the other hand, these is no way we need 20-30% more trucks on the road. The highways are already choked with semi traffic. It’s beyond ridiculous. These trucks must be underutilized. I’ve seen it in my limited time pulled out for inspection at weight stations. Lots of semis in the low 30k weight range over the scales. Shippers are surely loading light for time crunched dedicated runs rather than a full truck with more stops along a route.

Then tell Bounty how to fit more than $30k lbs of paper towels into a tractor trailer. Some loads are large in size but lighter weight.....fiberglass insulation is another......that will fill the trailer and be underweight.

I think the DOT Physicals are playing a big part in older drivers leaving the industry. I am 61 and planning to give it up in the spring. Every physical there is always a new agenda they push. CPAPs are the new rage. And getting letters from your Dr. for every med you take. I just don't need the hassle anymore.

I'm not so sure of a shortage as it's a bidding war right now and the load paying the most wins.
Repeatedly for the past few months, loads I've scheduled to come in or go out have been "driver fell off the load".
I finally got an explanation from a broker that I've dealt with for years.
They'll book your load, delivering or picking up. If someone (company) beats your price or offers more, they'll drop your load in favor of the higher paying one.
I've had 40,000 pound loads being delivered to me dropped at a moments notice. Same with outgoing freight.
I'm in Ohio and ship to California, Oregon, Nebraska, Florida and more. Probably since April of this year, I've had 8 loads dropped shipping out. About the same amount dropped shipping raw meat to me from the Midwest.
It's infuriating.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
We have had a standing ad for the last six months. Starting salary around $75,000 with a $3,000 signing bonus. We are not even getting any applicants, so yes, it seems real. I've seen advertisements around here for Walmart OTR that has a starting wage of $92,000.

In this area, all the Walmart trailers I’ve seen for a couple months are being pulled by Crete Carrier tractors.

In this area, all the Walmart trailers I’ve seen for a couple months are being pulled by Crete Carrier tractors.[/QUOTE]

Very likely those are grocery loads.

Let me oversimplify things a bit.

You can say, generally speaking, there are 2 kinds of trucking.

The 1st is what may be referred to as Local Trucking Jobs. They're usually home every night and one can live a normal lifestyle with this.

The other is known as Over The Road trucking. (OTR).

OTR drivers do not have a job, per se, as much as they have an alternative living style.

They're gone and away from home usually for 3 weeks to 2 months or so. They're living and sleeping in that truck, it has a Sleeper Cab. Now these sleeper cabs can be pretty nice, for what it is, but still the Driver is not home. He's doing laundry on the road, he's eating crappy truck stop food and/or eating out of a cooler he keeps in the truck.

One day they drive all day, then the next load they have to drive all night. Poor sleeping habits develop health issues.

Since he's away from home, he misses all the birthdays, holidays, important family events, etc, and maybe his wife, out of loneliness, is screwing around on him.

Because he's working for 14 or so hours per day, he doesn't get exercise, develops health issues, gets fat then fatter, doesn't get to see the doctor for regular checkups, doesn't get regular dental cleaning and checkups.

The list goes on, but the point is, he's IN THAT TRUCK basically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for weeks and weeks at a time. He just can't get away from it.

They live and work in bad weather, bad roads, insufficient parking to rest and sleep, and to dine in. They are over regulated, inspected at random times on the side of the road or scales, and have to accept the fines that are written and levied against them.

It's more or less a very thankless job.
That's why OTR driving is considered to be a lifestyle and not just a job.

Yes, I know I said that from the male perspective, but it's the same truth for the women out there trucking.

Bless the American truck drivers. They haul everything that we go and buy and use. We'd rapidly fall apart if it were not for the drivers running up and down the roads.
.

I just now read through this thread and must say it's been educational. It seems on one hand there's a *lot* of BS regulations and sometimes an undesirable lifestyle, for long haul truckers in particular. On the other, truckers can now earn a very good living.