The head of the National Transportation Institute recently spoke in Alabama about the made up drivers shortage and actually made the case against a shortage in his own remarks. He commented that the "Truckload driver turnover rate is stranded near 100%". How exactly can you have a turnover rate of 100% if there is a shortage of drivers? If you have 5000 drivers and you actually hire 5000 new drivers every year is there an actual shortage of drivers? NO. It would seem these companies have no issue finding drivers. They have an issue KEEPING drivers. In fact, the ATA says the industry is short 90000 drivers but the government issues 400000 new CDLs every year. Folks, there is no shortage of drivers, there is a shortage of good paying jobs. As we go along the article we see that trucking pay has increased 19% since 2007 while McDonald's wages have increased 113% in the same period. The issue, of course, is pay. The solution is paying drivers by the hour. I have found a few companies doing this but not many. To ask a driver, or any employee, to sit for hours with no pay is ridiculous. What other industry does that? No wonder there is a 100% turnover. Who wants to work for free? Until there is change in the way drivers are paid there will be no solution to the driver turnover issue. Check out the article HERE.
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AuthorHi! Welcome. I'm Mark and I've been a professional truck driver for over 33 years, the last 19 years at the same company. It is time that drivers got paid for every minute that we work and we are treated like the licensed professionals we are. Archives
February 2022
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