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Alleged trucker shortage

simpsontruckdriver

simpsontruckdriver

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It's been in the news constantly, there is a trucker shortage! Facts are, there is NOT a shortage of drivers. Instead, it's a shortage of drivers willing to be paid less than $0.53/mile. In 2004, I had 365 days of experience as a truck driver, I moved from Werner Enterprises (aka slave-driver, they paid the least while worked the most) to Shaffer Trucking (aka Crete Carriers). I went from $0.30/mile to $0.36/mile. In 2021 money, that is $0.52/mile! Training carriers like CRST, Werner Enterprises, CR England, etc are screaming that they need drivers, so they got the American Trucking Association to petition Congress to allow 18-20 year old kids to drive nationwide AND to allow drivers who only have a temporary CDL permit to drive without a trainer in the passenger seat. All so they can pay drivers so little, which also saves shippers (distribution centers, factories, etc) money. As a side note, I was delivering a trailer full of Sparkling Ice to a distributor in Deerfield Beach FL the other day. I talked with one of the receiving managers, he said they ordered a trailer full of product 2 months ago, the broker who they are working with can't find a truck (who is willing to be paid low wages) to bring it down. I told him we have plenty of drivers who can haul it, but obviously we charge more. I drive for Heartland Express, I make real good money regardless of miles, inexpensive benefits, and I am home every weekend.

So, any time you hear "trucker shortage", know that it is a shortage of drivers willing to be paid little. Or, it is like a person with experience in cashier/restaurant, they have a choice of $12/hour at one or $16/hour at another, both with 40 hour work-weeks and benefits.

TS
 
Heard same from a gal I know whose other half is an independent driver. They don't want to pay for the increased costs of fuel either.
 
Why is the solution not this simple? Trucking companies charge shippers more in order to pay drivers enough to entice them to drive. Shippers pass on their increased costs to Merchants by increasing the price of of their goods. Merchants pass on their increased cost to customers. If this isn't practical long term, how about a temporary surcharge. Isn't this what it will ultimately come down to or is their some legal impediment to doing this...

George
 
In the late 1990s, when diesel started to be priced over $1/gallon, all trucking companies imposed a Fuel Surcharge to essentially give truckers a financial "break". So, surcharges work. But ultimately, prices must be passed on to the consumer. And, if you think about it, why do trucking companies want electric automated (driver-less) trucks? Is it for efficiency or emissions? No, it is less companies will need to pay for. Yeah, prices will go up, but that is the price to pay to move products from the factories to your store, but they should not go up by much in the short-term.

TS
 
We just spent two days on the road from South Carolina to Massachusetts and we saw more trucks on the roads than in pre-COVID days.

Could it be that in addition to whatever other effects are impacting real or perceived driver shortages, COVID resulted in a whole lot more people using mail-order and delivery services than ever before?
 
Correct, Amazon and other online shippers are doing major business since March 2020. Both WalMart and Amazon have been able to keep their costs low since they hire both independent truckers (bringing products from the factory to their distribution centers and/or stores) and delivery workers (from DC/stores to home).

TS
 
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SueDonJ said:
We just spent two days on the road from South Carolina to Massachusetts and we saw more trucks on the roads than in pre-COVID days.

Could it be that in addition to whatever other effects are impacting real or perceived driver shortages, COVID resulted in a whole lot more people using mail-order and delivery services than ever before?
Click to expand...


Yes! And starting yesterday, our US Postal Service (USPS) will NO LONGER FLY FIRST CLASS MAIL. All their first class mail will move through out the United States on trucks. This will mean many more trucks filling the roads.

It used to be that any First Class mail going over 200 miles would automatically fly, but that is no longer the case. In essence, a First Class letter going from New York to San Diego will now take at least 5 days.

Priority Mail will still continue to fly (for now).



.
 
It is not as easy as just raising prices for all products. Some products are very price sensitive. A small price increase can result in a big drop in sales for some products. Other products can have a larger increase in price with a very small decrease in sales.

Many major retailers have seen increases in sales over the last 18 months. It is being attributed to higher incomes for many people.

The bottom line is that there is more demand and the supply has not caught up. Trucking shortages are just one facet of the supply chain that has become constrained.

But not every tractor trailer is carrying the same product. More price insensitive products are moving first and truckers are being paid more to move them.
 
I'm surprised they aren't upping the wages to entice more workers. Even places like McDonalds are sweetening the pot to attract workers now, you'd think something as important as the trucking industry could do the same.
 
The entire transportation industry is constrained. Read about the Ports on the West Coast and how they have opened up to 24 hour operations. It is not working because a variety of changes have to occur first for everything to operate on a 24 hour basis. So more drivers is not always the answer
 
It doesn't matter if you open ports for 24 hour operation. You still need more drivers. Drivers are constrained to work (simplified here) 10 hours at a time then a federally mandated 8 hour break. To cover 24 hours, it still takes 2 operators for each vehicle. Anyone who has been on duty18 out of each 24 hours knows how difficult and unworkable that shift is.

Sure, truckers can make a very good living for a person without an advanced degree, but it's a hard way to do it.

Been there, done that. Got the hat to prove it.

Jim
 
My brother in law is an owner operator. After expenses he earns over $150,000 a year working 4 days a week hauling fruit to California and produce back to Washington. He says he is full time but he only drives about 30 weeks in a good year. He pretty much takes winters off and travels in a new Ford F350 dually with a new camper pulling his Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

Bill
 
TheTimeTraveler said:
Yes! And starting yesterday, our US Postal Service (USPS) will NO LONGER FLY FIRST CLASS MAIL. All their first class mail will move through out the United States on trucks. This will mean many more trucks filling the roads.

It used to be that any First Class mail going over 200 miles would automatically fly, but that is no longer the case. In essence, a First Class letter going from New York to San Diego will now take at least 5 days.

Priority Mail will still continue to fly (for now).
Click to expand...

We finally have a business man, Louis DeJoy, rather than a political hack as Postmaster General. He is trying to run the Post Office like a real business. Wonder how long he will last...

George
 
Like I said, smart truckers are going where the money is, just like I went to Heartland Express for a $400/week pay hike! But, larger low-pay trucking companies are the ones yelling SHORTAGE. There is no shortage, only a shortage of low-paid truckers. If a shipper (let's say Florida-grown sugar) can not find a low-price carrier to send cases of sugar to (for example) Food Lion in North Carolina, they will call a higher-charging company like H.E. At first, they will "eat" the increased cost, meaning taking a cut in profits. After a while, they will be forced to raise prices as more and more trucking companies require higher shipping costs.

As a side note, the trucking laws have changed. At the start of a week, a driver has 11 hours driving/day, 14 hours shift (driving, not driving, and breaks)/day, and 70 hours in an 8-day period to work. Because trucks must have an Electronic Logging Device, there is no leeway to cheat.

TS
 
One part that I will add here is that are many different types of truck drivers. There are long haul, short haul and delivery truck drivers and then there are the different classes depending on the type of vehicle they can drive.

My company desperately needs delivery drivers. We are pay$10,000 sign on bonuses in many areas of the country. We still have problems getting enough qualified drivers. These drivers are making deliveries and are handling the product they are hauling. Many drivers don't want to do that.

So while there may be some truth to there not being a driver shortage. In some areas of the country and In some sectors of driving, there are shortages of drivers.
 
bogey21 said:
We finally have a business man, Louis DeJoy, rather than a political hack as Postmaster General. He is trying to run the Post Office like a real business. Wonder how long he will last...
Click to expand...
OR
We are unfortunately stuck with a political hack, Louis DeJoy, rather than an experierenced civil servant as Postmaster General. He is trying to run the Post Office into the ground. Wonder how long it will last ...

Now both our comments can be deleted.
 
simpsontruckdriver said:
It's been in the news constantly, there is a trucker shortage! Facts are, there is NOT a shortage of drivers. Instead, it's a shortage of drivers willing to be paid less than $0.53/mile.....

Training carriers like CRST, Werner Enterprises, CR England, etc are screaming that they need drivers,

so they got the American Trucking Association to petition Congress to allow 18-20 year old kids to drive nationwide AND to allow drivers who only have a temporary CDL permit to drive without a trainer in the passenger seat. All so they can pay drivers so little, which also saves shippers (distribution centers, factories, etc) money. ......
Click to expand...
Hi @simpsontruckdriver

Here is the Canadian interview / story I read today about a crash in April 2016 that killed 16 people.
It was front page news across Canada at the time
As is stated in the story - the driver was on one of his first solo trips after taking a one week course and had 2 weeks of supervised driving.

Jaskirit Sidhu,the"Humbolt Driver", speaks out

It is a cautionary tale
 
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T-Dot-Traveller said:
Hi @simpsontruckdriver

Here is the Canadian interview / story I read today about a crash in April 2016 that killed 16 people.
It was front page news across Canada at the time
As is stated in the story - the driver was one one of his first solo trips after taking a one week course and had 2 weeks of supervised driving.

Jaskirit Sidhu,the"Humbolt Driver", speaks out

It is a cautionary tale
Click to expand...

A lot more then just front page news. Wiping out a whole hockey team and town. Thankfully some feel good stories afterwards but will not be forgotten.
 
What "free money"? The federal, pandemic unemployment benefits ran out a month ago. But maybe people are reevaluating both their worth and what they actually want to do for how much.
 
amycurl said:
What "free money"? The federal, pandemic unemployment benefits ran out a month ago. But maybe people are reevaluating both their worth and what they actually want to do for how much.
Click to expand...
But there is now new money (or additional money) in the form of what is now fully refundable child tax credits of up to $3,600 a year per child. An additional change now allows for that to be paid out as monthly $300 payments instead of only being claimed at tax filing. So perhaps for what was before a two income household may now only be one because one of the parents can stay at home. Especially for households with more than one child. I am certainly not discounting the value of a parent in the home, that was instrumental in my upbringing, but it certainly can be one reason some people are choosing to remain out of the labor force. The money to run a household has to come from somewhere, whether it be "labor" or "free money".
 
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