The US truck driver shortage

One of the big numbers that has come out with regards to the US economy is truck driver employment, and it doesn't look good. Trucks are responsible for 70% of all freight moved in the US by volume, but overall employment numbers are staying relatively flat, while demand is increasing.

A recent BLS report shows that employment numbers in the transportation industry are similar to what they were in the middle of 2015. Hershey, Clorox, and Sysco, all $10B companies are looking at 4th quarter drops because of increased transportation costs.

The biggest problem is that it can cost almost $3,000 and take a month to get your CDL,only to go into training with whatever company hires you. While training with them, your pay is barely enough for you to live on. You then go out on your own, barely prepared, and don't make much more. Now you have all these stories about self driving trucks coming, and the incentive to I into the field isn't there.

Eventually, the cost of transportation is going to get high enough that it will be passed on to prices at the store, or for whatever you order online. Something needs to be done and soon.

www.bloomberg.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Free market will solve this.

Pay'em and they will drive.

a reply to: Zaphod58

he biggest problem is that it can cost almost $3,000 and take a month to get your CDL,only to go into training with whatever company hires you. While training with them, your pay is barely enough for you to live on. You then go out on your own, barely prepared, and don't make much more. Now you have all these stories about self driving trucks coming, and the incentive to I into the field isn't there.

I know a couple of CDL holders in my age group who won't drive for this reason. They want you over the road for months at a time and they are taking home like 3-400 a week with tons of down time after they drop off each load. Not getting paid for shipments and tons of other hassles.

That's not everyone though I know some truckers making real good money too.

My uncle is taking home somewhere over 100k a as an owner operator and he has the sweetest deal worked out with a shipping company where he only pays .99c a gallon for gas no matter what.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: Zaphod58

Free market will solve this.

Pay'em and they will drive.

Pretty much. Essentially everyone wants you working for nothing. If the shortage was that bad they would start paying better. Some do. Then you have companies like Swift.

I almost made an investment into trucking with a friend of mine who was a trucker for a while. Got way into it and realized me behind the wheel of a truck wasn't safe for other drivers and stopped.

a reply to: toysforadults

What seems like a lifetime ago I worked cooler service for Coke, and it required a CDL. The Teamster Union job gave me a truck-time-and paid for the test. . All I had to do was pass it, and I did.
Now the pay started at $11.75 in the mid 1990's and I think it ended in around $20ish with a pension and full benefits Good job-left to become a craftsman at a HUGE manufacturing plant here in Michigan.
If these very profitable corps (tax cuts) want to have skilled drivers til the automated trucks take over, got to pay-em.

a reply to: seasonal

Yea that's the thing. They see someone as a Millennial and feel they don't deserve better money then when that Millennial doesn't want to work for a pittance after paying 5k to get a license and going to school for six months they blame them for being lazy.

Go on Glassdoor and read some reviews about trucking companies.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Being a truck driver is awesome. I would recommend it to many people. Many CDL drivers dont even touch the freight.


The pay is great. A young single person can even live in the better trucks and save rent. I know some that did /do that for a year or two.

Its also a real world experience builder.

a reply to: seasonal

The problem is that they aren't paying them. Driver wages are the equivalent of 1985. When you come into the industry and get paid $0.26 a mile and have to go four and five years to really see a decent paycheck, and 10+ to really be making a living, there's no incentive.

a reply to: toysforadults

I didn't like the big truck, oddly enough it reminded me of wearing a football helmet during highschool ball-didn't like that either. I don't like not being able to really see. Knowing our limits saves us time and $$$$.

Got way into it and realized me behind the wheel of a truck wasn't safe for other drivers and stopped.

a reply to: tadaman

There is a lot of opportunity in driving triaxles for the frack pads those jobs typically pay 80k+ a year.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Same all over the economy-pay is stagnant and I havn't seen any real wage growth that makes my loins burn.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: toysforadults

I didn't like the big truck, oddly enough it reminded me of wearing a football helmet during highschool ball-didn't like that either. I don't like not being able to really see. Knowing our limits saves us time and $$$$.

Got way into it and realized me behind the wheel of a truck wasn't safe for other drivers and stopped.

Yeah you know I actually don't mind the lifestyle but for some reason moving a vehicle that big just doesn't work right for me. I can set tile like no other though.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: Zaphod58

Same all over the economy-pay is stagnant and I havn't seen any real wage growth that makes my loins burn.

This is one sector of the economy I can say still really does have a lot of opportunity however. Although companies like Swift and Mcabe and all these other giants really do a bad job of training and taking care of their employees.

No companies really train anymore, not enough to have a positive impact on the market.

The problem is my age group doesn't want to feel like slaves so if you treat them human they will love working for you but if you treat them like, "get the job done and shutup" well guess what, the compensation better be fantastic.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Similar problems are occurring in other industries as well and it appears that we may be seeing some "serious" issues coming in the future in regards to supply vs demands and consumers costs.

Unemployment is incredibly low and we simply do not have enough people to fill the positions we have. To combat that, wages will go up but that means the costs will be spread to the consumers.

The food industry, which is of course tied to the trucking industry, stands to see huge increases.

a reply to: toysforadults

Until recently there wasn't an incentive for the companies to increase pay. They've been undercutting each other like mad, and getting freight down to below $2.00 a mile for some loads, so there's not a lot left to pay the drivers. And drivers were a dime a dozen.

Now we've had the sleep apnea requirement that weeded out a bunch of drivers, people that have never even sat in a truck passing idiotic rules, and the ELD mandate. All the drivers that have been out here for years and are making the most money are hitting retirement, or are just fed up and getting out. There are companies that average a 200-250% turnover. And now there are fewer and fewer people to come in and take their place.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: seasonal

The problem is that they aren't paying them. Driver wages are the equivalent of 1985. When you come into the industry and get paid $0.26 a mile and have to go four and five years to really see a decent paycheck, and 10+ to really be making a living, there's no incentive.

You can luck out though, but it really is lucking out.

I know drivers on both sides of the equation so it's a mixed bag.

a reply to: Zaphod58

All the drivers that have been out here for years and are making the most money are hitting retirement, or are just fed up and getting out. There are companies that average a 200-250% turnover. And now there are fewer and fewer people to come in and take their place.

Leave it to DOT and the government to drive out people. I have heard the horror stories about drivers losing money because they sit in California or Dallas waiting 2 days between every load and they live in their truck the entire time. Or not being reimbursed for travel expenses or trucks breaking down. It's a tough industry and you are right these things just don't pay enough anymore.

originally posted by: toysforadults
a reply to: seasonal

Yea that's the thing. They see someone as a Millennial and feel they don't deserve better money then when that Millennial doesn't want to work for a pittance after paying 5k to get a license and going to school for six months they blame them for being lazy.

Go on Glassdoor and read some reviews about trucking companies.

I tell ya I have worked with some millennials and they dont take shLt.
Hats off, to them. I put up with a little-but holy cow, I have seen situations drop that make me laugh, managers that deal with us genX skilled trades guys start to say the same things to mills that they say to us and boom. Human Resources gets called in. Funny stupid managers.

a reply to: introvert

Unemployment is incredibly low and we simply do not have enough people to fill the positions we have. To combat that, wages will go up but that means the costs will be spread to the consumers.

I'll believe it when I see the wages increase.

originally posted by: seasonal

originally posted by: toysforadults
a reply to: seasonal

Yea that's the thing. They see someone as a Millennial and feel they don't deserve better money then when that Millennial doesn't want to work for a pittance after paying 5k to get a license and going to school for six months they blame them for being lazy.

Go on Glassdoor and read some reviews about trucking companies.

I tell ya I have worked with some millennials and they dont take shLt.
Hats off, to them. I put up with a little-but holy cow, I have seen situations drop that make me laugh, managers that deal with us genX skilled trades guys start to say the same things to mills that they say to us and boom. Human Resources gets called in. Funny stupid managers.

This is a good thing though. We have been on the internet our entire lives and we see how the rich benefit from our labor. We are putting our foot down and demanding more.