Foriegn Drivers

[Broompilot]

Can one please explain how one could fill out a log book if you cannot speak our language English?

What about directions unless it is a deadicated route

What companies are hirring immigrants, I know Pam hires alot of people from Baltic States but they are still advertsiing along with JB Hunt, US Express, etc... here in Charlotte NC everyday.

 

[miko]

I would think that one has to attend class in order to at least speak and understand basic English. I know for a fact that proof of an English course is required for immigrants who don't already speak the language.
Written test for the DL is available in a number of languages, but I guess for directions they have to have some sort of training on how to do things. I really can't imagine one driving a truck with no language skills at all. Maybe one could find out by talking to one of those drivers at the companies named above???

 

[Loose_Cannon47]

My SO is a dispacher for a major trucking firm that hires only O/O's...they have some drivers that are non-Americans...they must meet ALL INS requirements, and obviously must speak and understand English in order to perform their jobs...they receive the same pay that any American driver would receive for a given load...I find it hard to believe that any company would load $100,000 worth of product on a truck driven by someone who could not communicate with dispach, can't read a map, can't ask for directions, can't fill out a log book, and the list goes on...sure, trucking companies want cheap workers...EVERY American company wants cheap workers...that's why they pay top management millions of dollars in salaries and benefits...to find more ways to cut the bottom line, and put more money in the pockets of the upper class...as I mentioned in another post, we will soon reach the point where the average citizen (who might still have a job) can no longer afford to purchase the products and services that American companies are providing, trying to survive on Wal-Mart's level of pay and benefits...

Loose

 

[davekc]

Alot of these carriers have full blown operations down on the southern borders. Laredo, Nagales, and San Diego.
JB, Schneider, PAM, Swift are just a few of the bigger ones with terminals there.
Some we have run into speak some English but many don't, or pretend they don't.
The bigger issue is that these foreigners are driving for .10 to .12 cents per mile.
Several of these carriers were running ads in Jaurez (by ElPaso) last year.
Davekc

 

[Drluvv]

I said the same thing in another post, a lot of these drivers are driving for less due to the fact that some of these trucking companies are doing so much for them like helping them with INS, english, and a job. Soon some of these companies JB, Swift, etc will soom be putting three drivers in a truck paying them 50 cents spilt. In five to ten years there's gonna be no need to hire a solo drivers when you have a bunch of unemployed mexican drivers that don't mind teaming up two three or four drivers to a truck and making 10-15 cents per mile.

 

[Crazynuff]

I'm expecting to see log books in Spanish and all scales required to have a bilingual inspector .

 

[The Gibster]

I'm not trying to anger youz guys . . .

Kraig, DrLuv, others,

Let's look for just a moment at the Mexican drivers side of it. NOT the carriers, who I think are trying to take advantage of them.

Imagine someone so desperate for money, to provide for their family, to put simple food on the table that they are willing to plant flowers and cut grass in 100+ degrees and direct sun, or bent over all day slicing vegetables off at the root, or to be lucky enough to be able to sit in a truck and simple drive forever (so it seems) to bring home a paycheck and then send it down to mamma and the family in Mexico.

I can't fault their work ethic. I can't fault the up-hill climb they will endure just to make a buck. An honest, hard earned buck.

I don't agree with illegals being here, but I'm not threatened that any of these folks want, or would take my driving position. I just can't cut the legs out from under a man or woman trying at all costs to keep food on the table.

Now imagine if I could put 3-4 trucks on the road and pay these guys many times more than .15 cents a mile! Would I have a valued partner?
Would they be and continue to be thankful just to work?

I don't think we are at the complete end of the freight, I don't think their loads are going to cost me anything (now my dispatcher - that's a different story).

I think we should just cut them a little slack. If I had a little baby and wife and whatever crying at the table, my focus wouldn't be getting an A in 'English as a 2nd Language' class.

It would be on rolling them tires.

Just like you and me.



Just my point of view guys.


The Gibster

 

[Crazynuff]

Immigrants should have an understanding of the language for safety reasons to know of lane closures , construction , restricted lanes , etc. . If their family is hungry enough they can take the initiative to properly qualify for the job . Also keep in mind most of the monet they earn goes out of this country .

 

[Broompilot]

The post is not to put them down Legal Workers
. This is my past expierence with hirring South of the Border Workers. They give you there all when they are there. Generally show up on time and do a good job without Supervision as long as they work alone or without another Spanish Speaking person.

Problem for me has been Monday AM blues, hung over, and after a period of time when they meet a financial goal. They are gone, no
notice, no good bye no nothing. It usually comes as a big shock. Thats life and the culture does not blend with our work ethics for long term. This has happened more than once to me. You would think pay this person a good living wage, all your doing is speeding up the exit.

These companies are doing just as I did spend $ on training think you have a wonderfull arrangment and then its over.

A person can work here for two possibly three years and than go back home and live like a very rich man. REALITY at our Expense, we foot the doctor bills, subsidize there S.S. they are entitled to all of the benefits we are without being US citizens. Most of us have family members who Sacrificed alot of time and put there lives on the line to keep this country free and to benfit us, not people entering this Country Illegal, and than be granted a pass once across the border. Maybee President Bush should be reading this.

Just my thougths, I for one am not worried about loosing my job over this. When I learn Spansih maybee I could than begin to Benefit from this.

 

[Drluvv]

Amen Crazynuff and Broompilot, I second what you guys said. Gibster I know your not trying to anger us and I appreciate your opinion, besides this is a "free" country with freedom of speech. But what gets me is a lot of Mexicans coming into this country are poor, uneducated, can't speak the language and have family back home. With all that said, they don't know any better and will work for chump change. Most of that money goes out of the country and doesn't benefit you or I as Americans or the American economy. I shouldn't have to worry about some foriegn driver who can't put food on his own dam table in his own dam country to feed his family. If your poor you shouldn't be having sex and making babies. Why is it that poor who can't feed themselves have childern? I bet if some mexican business men opened up a condom making factory in Mexico not only would they be able to employ hundreds of workers, but they'd also be helping that countries problem of kids starving and growing up poor.

Back in the day when import cars were introduced to this country they were laughed at, and now they are out selling domestic brands by 2 to 1. Gibster if you don't think the same thing is going to happen in the job market if we start hiring Mexican drivers then your wrong. I live in Miami, Fl. and everytime I look in the paper there are good paying jobs but paying less than what they should. The reason why is that theres a boat load of Cubans and South Americans coming to this city and will do the work just because they don't know any better and are desperate. Why should an employeer pay me $15 to $18 an hour driving locally when he can hire a spanish driver to do the same job for $10 to $12 with a .50 cent raise every year? Thats the frustration I used to go through when looking for a job when I first got my CDL. The same thing is gonna happen in the trucking industry if this "foriegn driver hire campaign" keeps up. If your not worried now, then when you can't find a good paying job you will be.

In Miami if your not billingual a lot of jobs won't hire you, whats up with that?

 

[kg]

you are correct, many mexican workers in all industries have a good work ethic.

an employer should abide by the laws of the land and only hire those with proper documentation no matter what the industry or who the job applicant is.

many people leave jobs after 2-3 years.

illegal entry to the U.S. should be stopped.

trucking is not the only industry to face stiff competition and be forced to look for cheaper labor, example the construction industry.

where should this problem be placed in the list of the U.S. economic woes?

i don't know , the list is too long.

just my opinion

 

[The Gibster]

It's 2005. We live in a market driven, global economy.

When the oil embargo of the 70's happened everyone grumbled we would be stuck in Yugos from then on. Didn't happen. The industry changed.

Carbs went to the wayside, fuel injection was the devil - all those workers out of jobs. They found new jobs. The industry changed.

Recently Amtrak was on the brink of disaster, if it shut down gazillions of commuters along the Eastern Corridor would of been stranded. It didn't happen. The industry and company changed.

When the 'imports' came over the US autoworkers would all be thrown out of jobs. Didin't happen. Foreign plants opened in the US because we are know to have pride in our work. The industry changed.

And if we continue doing the best jobs we can, and not sit on our laurels and expect a living in any industry, we will all continue to prosper and enjoy our great country.

As a small business owner I must change to meet market demands to remain profitable. Will my business change in the future? You bet. Do I think it will go away completely? I don't think so. The industry changes. The Gibster changes.

Here's a little aside for everyone's entertainment:
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=47725

The Gibster

 

[greg334]

Let’s look at another point of view.

I am/was an IT worker here in the Detroit area and lost my job due to downsizing at the world’s largest pharma company. The position I held wasn’t important but the work was and they made me train my replacement for that work.

This person was part of the two hundred or so contractors that were at the site. A great number of these contractors are from India, China, Pakistan and Taiwan and most lived in Canada. One of them told me that companies hire people who are living in Canada because there is no H1-b visa needed, just a green card. (Please don’t hold me to the details; it was over two years ago.) This means that there is no real sponsorship needed to work in the US and they can go from job to job just because they reside in Canada; all they have to do to work here is drive across the border and pay taxes.

Most of these people are not afraid of doing labor intense things and the ones I worked with made half of what I was making and they thought it was great. Most if not all of them had masters’ degrees and I even worked with one who was doing the simplest tasks that had three doctorates. By the by; the company actually paid more for the contracted workers per hour than employees, which was a direct write off and their return was somewhat higher than the employees.

Not to single out any group, they all have to make a living.

 

[redytrk]

SPECIAL REPORT: New CVSA criteria would put drivers who can't speak English out of service

A new addition to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Out-of-Service Criteria would allow enforcement officers to place truck drivers out of service if they were unable to "communicate sufficiently" in the country in which they are operating.

The new out-of-service provision, which has been debated for some time, was recently added to the CVSA criteria and becomes effective April 1. It affects commercial drivers operating in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The new addition to the criteria says:

"In recognition of the three countries' language differences, it is the responsibility of the driver and the motor carrier to be able to communicate in the country in which the driver/carrier is operating so that safety is not compromised. Driver is unable to communicate sufficiently to understand and respond to official inquiries and directions. . Place driver out of service."

Rick Craig, director of regulatory affairs for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said that previously, nothing in CVSA's out-of-service criteria allowed enforcement officers to place a driver who could not speak or understand English while in the United States out of service. However, Part 391.11 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require that drivers be able to read and speak English.

OOIDA, he said, has pushed to add violations of the English-speaking requirement to the out-of-service criteria for some time, but political considerations had prevented it from being adopted by CVSA.