The US truck driver shortage

What will happen trucks and drivers will be able to run 24-7 365 because the driver can sleep. Might be a few years away

a reply to: mikell

Personally I'd rather they come up with parking. The parking situation out here is so far beyond stupid it's not funny.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I didn't mean that as a negative at you, most working class people are being screwed by middle men and mega corps mixed with corrupt regulators

a reply to: toysforadults

Oh, I didn't take it that way. We've been out here going on 6 years and are both sick of watching it get turned into something nasty and over regulated.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I was installing some carpet yesterday and a regulator(inspector) showed up asking us for permits (flooring doesn't require a permit, eletricians and plumbers do) saying they were going to shut down the job... we literally had 12 hours worth of work left on the job it's done by Friday.

I look at him at say, "the government has to get involved in everything doesn't it"

his response, "I'm just doing my job man"

yeah we know, doing your job... great excuse

a reply to: toysforadults

It wouldn't be so bad if they at least had people that had driven before involved in making the regulations, but they've got people commenting, and lobbying for laws that had family killed in accidents with trucks. In at least one case, the person that's head of an organization that's lobbying for more regulation, had his son killed in an accident involving a truck, and it was his son's fault. But he's always going on about how dangerous trucks are.

a reply to: Zaphod58

it's exactly like that in professional combat sports that's why fighters can't stand the industry after a few years they begin to hate it

I have inexperienced judges with little to no combat experience judging my ability to win a fight

then they have the oversight committee's or commission's creating a bunch of rules such as size of ring, glove size, what kind of safety equipment what kind of strikes are legal

all with zero experience fighting makes no fricken sense

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: toysforadults

It wouldn't be so bad if they at least had people that had driven before involved in making the regulations, but they've got people commenting, and lobbying for laws that had family killed in accidents with trucks. In at least one case, the person that's head of an organization that's lobbying for more regulation, had his son killed in an accident involving a truck, and it was his son's fault. But he's always going on about how dangerous trucks are.

It cuts both ways, lets use the banking industry as an example. When people from the industry regulate, they tend to get caught up in regulatory capture because regulation isn't a career path, it's just something you do for a couple years before you go back to the industry where you'll need to have shown you're friendly to business.

When someone from outside the industry regulates, they don't know what they're doing.

There's not really an easy answer there.

originally posted by: Aazadan

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: toysforadults

It wouldn't be so bad if they at least had people that had driven before involved in making the regulations, but they've got people commenting, and lobbying for laws that had family killed in accidents with trucks. In at least one case, the person that's head of an organization that's lobbying for more regulation, had his son killed in an accident involving a truck, and it was his son's fault. But he's always going on about how dangerous trucks are.

It cuts both ways, lets use the banking industry as an example. When people from the industry regulate, they tend to get caught up in regulatory capture because regulation isn't a career path, it's just something you do for a couple years before you go back to the industry where you'll need to have shown you're friendly to business.

When someone from outside the industry regulates, they don't know what they're doing.

There's not really an easy answer there.

Yup, it's entering 'strawman' territory when using a single anecdote (his lobbyist-is-a-dad-whose-son-was-killed-and-it-was-his-fault whining) to paint the entire regulation picture. I wholly believe in less regulation, but we shouldn't throw out the baby with the bathwater when discussing regulations -- there are some sensible, cost-effective regulations that have had net positive impacts on GDP.

Moreover, you're exactly spot-on with how the revolving door works -- spend some time at the SEC and get a board seat/executive position at JP Morgan as soon as you walk out the door.

a reply to: Aazadan

In this case we need outsiders to see things, but we need drivers as well. People that have never run a load don't understand the difficulties in trying to park, and how hard it is to park after about 8pm. But because of the HOS regulations, we have to deal with that. There has to be a balance between the two.

a reply to: BeefNoMeat

It's not a strawman, it's an example of the people writing the regulations. Very rarely is an actual driver involved in working out regulations. Most of the FMCSA, and lobby groups with the most power are non-driver related. The OOIDA is only worried about Independents, and not the industry as a whole. I'm not calling for an end to regulation, I'm saying that we need actual drivers involved in writing the regulations. You don't have people that have zero experience in the aviation field writing regulations for aircraft safety, so why do we have people that have never driven a truck writing regulations for trucks?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Sure it is. Your assertion is that regulations are being heaped upon you by parties that have no interest, but self-interest ("In at least one case, the person that's head of an organization that's lobbying for more regulation, had his son killed in an accident involving a truck, and it was his son's fault. But he's always going on about how dangerous trucks are.") Out of the other side of your mouth, you say, "I'm saying that we need actual drivers involved in writing the regulations." I qualified what I said with, " I wholly believe in less regulation, but we shouldn't throw out the baby with the bathwater when discussing regulations -- there are some sensible, cost-effective regulations that have had net positive impacts on GDP." So either you're being completely obtuse or making a strawman argument based on one interested individual's perspective by bookending your argument with a plea to have drivers write the regulations. It's not exactly asking the fox to guard the henhouse, but it's close enough to point it and remind people this is a "woe is me" appeal.

Lemme guess, you don't believe regulation written by disinterested parties is a good thing? Too bad, that's the world you live and in and if you don't like it, pick a different profession. Because I asked you once before about the hindrance to a driver's livelihood with specific regulations, you deflected and simply answered the part of the question relating to autonomous drivers. Funny how that worked. Maybe pick a new profession, or better yet, adapt -- that's the wonderful thing about capitalism.

a reply to: BeefNoMeat

I have said that we need a mix of people that are in the industry, and people that aren't in the industry, instead of entirely one side or the other writing the regulations. We've had a number of regulations that did absolutely nothing to increase safety passed and repealed recently, that shouldn't have been put into place in the first place. I don't want to see all drivers writing the regulations, just as I don't want to see what we have now continuing.

Regulation is absolutely making things harder on keeping and getting drivers into the industry. The ELD regulation is chasing drivers out, the lack of detention regulations is driving people away, the lack of parking and lack of doing anything about it is chasing drivers out. We're two years in after a nationwide study showing the utter lack of parking across the nation, and all they've done is shut down parking areas. The HOS regulations are so confusing that drivers don't want to stick around when they come in.

Right now we have hours of service regulations that are so freaking confusing that no one can understand them, and I used to teach HOS as part of orientation. We have regulations that are written so that people try to use them for things they're not supposed to be used for, because it's not clear what they're for. They need to clean up several aspects of the regulations, and the best way to do that is to have drivers involved. I have never once advocated for removed all regulation, or even most regulation. I think the industry needs fairly strong regulation personally. But it needs regulation that makes sense. Having nothing but people that have never once been part of the industry writing all our regulations doesn't make sense.

originally posted by: mikell
What will happen trucks and drivers will be able to run 24-7 365 because the driver can sleep. Might be a few years away

Reminds me of one old guy who brought his old truck to the shop for a new set of tires he ordered from 4WheelOnline. He drove trucks for more than 4 decades. A few of his most complaint was lack of sleep and a kidney problem due to holding a pee for long.

I'm curious what the Teamsters Union is doing to try and resolve a pending shortage?

a reply to: Gazrok

Not much. They have a very limited presence in trucking now. According to their website, they have 75,000 members in the freight division, which includes drivers, dock workers, mechanics, and office staff.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I just logged in for the first time in a minute...I'll get back to you. You're condescension in the aviation forum won't be meet in-kind/equivocally, but I'll be sure to 'school you'....I'm sure you've heard of OTAQ (much like the 'commenter who had a kid die because he [kid] was an idiot [paraphrasing your straw man]) and I've got some 'ugly secrets' to tell.

Sidebar: You're beyond naive about the autonomous freight driver...but as mentioned, I have been MIA for a minute, so I'll stay above your usual condescension and tear you apart with facts. Challenge accepted? I mean, all those H1-B Visas going to truck drivers should reinforce your intellectual take, no. No.

Much ado about nothing.

originally posted by: toysforadults
Much ado about nothing.

Dude, do you roll? Spar with headgear?? Are you really an active combat sports' practitioner? There are several of us on ATS who have some some salient, cogent discussions. What do you train (your go to discipline)?

I used to drive trucks. In truth it was the only job I actually sort of enjoyed. What got to me after a while was how much of my life I was wasting sitting in the traffic of the urban sprawl of Boston; a route that would take no more than two hours to complete on open roads was routinely taking 10 to 13 hours. It was stressing me out. I got laid off several years ago and haven't been back since. I couldn't be bothered with having to get to a doctor's office ever couple years and spend $100 on a check-up for the required medical certification just to prove I was medically fit to drive a truck, so last year my CDL A was downgraded by the RMV to a non-CDL class D driver's license. I'm pissed about that, because I'm not sure I want to go through the hassle to get it back, but I'm tired off all the rules and regulations.