After 4 years, still the same lost soles

[KurtisKraft]

After taking a bit of time off for a family related health issue, we have returned.
The company we were with had us take class all over again. No big deal, understood.
What did surprise us, after more than 4 years, you still see "some" of the same type of Americans showing up for a job in expediting.
This business seems to attract many who see this only as.
A: I'm unemployed and this is my last option.
B: "Heard" you make excellent, EASY money.
C: ANYONE can do this, just sit behind the wheel of a van, drive and make money
or,
Just get a class B and you become a truck driver overnight with no experience, city or over the road.
Just like over 4 years ago, we paid for two different students for a night in a motel because they ran out of money before they even started their vehicles.
Showed 3 drivers how to use load bars and strapes to secure loads.
3 trucks that were seen for the first time could not pass DOT inspections.
2 of the drivers thus did not have enough money to stay over the weekend waiting for repairs(one slept on the steel floor of the van he was supposed to drive)..
One person came on a bus from the east coast with only enough money to last a week and his truck failed inspection so he was out of money.
I could go on with these true horror stories but I think most get the picture.
Seems more are getting into this by force or false hopes than educated research on the business.
Just like we saw 4 years ago.

For all you folks who are thinking about doing expediting.
This is a career choice for those who must "want" this kind of a life style.
Not because you feel forced to do it or you "hear" it is good or easy money.
You will fail and you will be worse off than before.
For those driving for any owner: HAVE A FEW THOUSAND IN THE BANK.
Trust me, you will need this at sometime. Could be sooner than you think.
Owner Operators, even more $$$$, way more.

My wife and I came back because we love expediting.
We had 35 years of trucking (owner tractor trailer) experience before and have "learned" how to make a good living in expediting. Yes, even we had to learn about the world of expediting.
Notice I said learned because even with all those years in over the road trucking, we had to adjust to be successful in expediting.

I misspelled soles (souls) for a reason. Some will get it.

KurtisKraft

 

[BigCat]

I don't agree with the statement that you have to want it you will fail. I don't by any means want to be away from my wife or my 4 year old son. I do this because there are no jobs in my area and relocating isn't an option. So I guess you can say I'm forced to but I do very well for my family so I consider myself successful. I mean I could be on welfare, right?

 

[paullud]

There certainly is a failure by the individual to research the profession and I think it happens for 2 reasons. The first would be TV, with fake reality shows like Shipping Wars or the commercials that make trucking look glamorous. The freight industry is not the only victim of this, I'm sure many went to culinary school thinking they would make some stupid cupcake and become famous. The reality shows seemed to have forgot the 70 hour weeks for years just to get the opportunity to work at a great restaurant. The commercials seemed to neglect telling potential students that the education they spent tens of thousands on was nothing more than wasted time since they get the same job as someone with no training.

The second issue is the companies are failing to properly prepare these people or at least make sure they understand what is required of them. It is much easier to keep a person with the company when they are a financial hostage. The driver should be researching things and asking questions ahead of time but the company should be weeding out the clueless in their screening process.

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[ATeam]

The driver should be researching things and asking questions ahead of time but the company should be weeding out the clueless in their screening process.

This would not be difficult for motor carriers to do. Why is it that they do not? If there are companies out there that do, I'd love to hear more about them.

 

[paullud]

This would not be difficult for motor carriers to do. Why is it that they do not? If there are companies out there that do, I'd love to hear more about them.

The following is from this article http://www.joc.com/trucking-logistics/truckload-driver-turnover-tops-100-percent_20120912.html

"The annualized driver turnover rate at large truckload carriers shot past 100 percent in the second quarter, rising above that percentage figure for the first time in more than four years, according to the American Trucking Associations."

It appears that companies cannot get rid of recruiters with the idea that their job is just to find someone to warm the seat. Turnover costs large carriers millions of dollars a year which might be better invested in finding ways to keep drivers around.

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[ATeam]

The following is from this article Truckload Driver Turnover Tops 100 Percent | Journal of Commerce

"The annualized driver turnover rate at large truckload carriers shot past 100 percent in the second quarter, rising above that percentage figure for the first time in more than four years, according to the American Trucking Associations."

It appears that companies cannot get rid of recruiters with the idea that their job is just to find someone to warm the seat. Turnover costs large carriers millions of dollars a year which might be better invested in finding ways to keep drivers around.

That view has been around for a long time but I'm not buying it any more. It's as if the carriers are saying, "Gee, ain't it awful that we have no choice but to hire every scum bag that walks through the door." They could up the standards anytime they wished on their own initiative. And where price competition becomes an issue, the ATA could rise to advocate for legally required driver training and continuing education that is more stringent than it is now.

The reason we have so many "lost soles" entering the industry and washing out is that the entry standards to be a truck driver are so very low. Instead of upping the standards and reducing turnover, carriers are keeping the standards low, and with them, driver pay. I believe that the big carriers decided long ago that it is more profitable to churn and burn than it is to train and retain.

 

[cheri1122]

In the recent political climate, it IS more profitable to churn & burn than train & retain, because tax and regulations encourage the former instead of the latter. Lower taxes and less regulation will make it even easier to do, and how that makes for a stable and productive society is just beyond me. As far as employment goes, it looks like a race to the bottom.

 

[paullud]

The companies could raise the social status of our job with proper training and education but they don't want us getting uppity.

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[iceroadtrucker]

Everyone out here has their own reasons why they are doing this vice doing somthing else. Each individuals reason has purpose for that individual. There are those that come out here spend a few months with one owner then jump and move on to the next then to the next. Sometimes there are those that Jump from one Carrier to the next Carrier then back again. There again each individual has their own reason for doing so. The Grass seems to look greener on the other side of the fence till you get there then realize its not so green. I've been with the same Carrier working on 8years that should say somthing. I see Side of Beef and I'm Hungry got to go have a nice weekend. BZ

 

[skyraider]

There certainly is a failure by the individual to research the profession and I think it happens for 2 reasons. The first would be TV, with fake reality shows like Shipping Wars or the commercials that make trucking look glamorous. The freight industry is not the only victim of this, I'm sure many went to culinary school thinking they would make some stupid cupcake and become famous. The reality shows seemed to have forgot the 70 hour weeks for years just to get the opportunity to work at a great restaurant. The commercials seemed to neglect telling potential students that the education they spent tens of thousands on was nothing more than wasted time since they get the same job as someone with no training.

The second issue is the companies are failing to properly prepare these people or at least make sure they understand what is required of them. It is much easier to keep a person with the company when they are a financial hostage. The driver should be researching things and asking questions ahead of time but the company should be weeding out the clueless in their screening process.

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Try this and listen: Go to a truck stop where they still have a counter and sit down on the stools and just listen to the truckers talk. Just try it and form your own opinion on what their thoughts are and what is important to them. No, you probably will not meet the stock market crowd here, just hard working guys trying to eek out a living.

 

[xmudman]

Companies in all kinds of industries have been depending on churn for years. When I ran ambulance in the 80s, I learned very quickly that your fifth month on the job would always be the worst. Sloppy partners, 10-year-old vehicles, ghetto runs all day; these were par for the course in your 5th month.

Why? Because they wanted you to get disgusted and quit before your six-month anniversary, when you'd be eligible for benefits. As for me, I had a wife & child, so I hadda put my head down & chug on. It's a duty thing, y'know

 

[paullud]

Try this and listen: Go to a truck stop where they still have a counter and sit down on the stools and just listen to the truckers talk. Just try it and form your own opinion on what their thoughts are and what is important to them. No, you probably will not meet the stock market crowd here, just hard working guys trying to eek out a living.

That would require people to think outside the box.

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[paullud]

Companies in all kinds of industries have been depending on churn for years. When I ran ambulance in the 80s, I learned very quickly that your fifth month on the job would always be the worst. Sloppy partners, 10-year-old vehicles, ghetto runs all day; these were par for the course in your 5th month.

Why? Because they wanted you to get disgusted and quit before your six-month anniversary, when you'd be eligible for benefits. As for me, I had a wife & child, so I hadda put my head down & chug on. It's a duty thing, y'know

You could be onto something there. The drivers are told they are a precious commodity so when they are unhappy they just quit and save the company money.

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