No Truck Driver Shortage says Government Study-ATA Fights Back

Its been fast and furious this week as an article came out from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that said there in fact is NO DRIVER SHORTAGE and that the poor old ATA would get enough drivers if they just paid them more and treated them better.  Well. Bob Costello, who is the chief economist and head of propaganda at the ATA, didn't like that article very much.  For many years the American Trucking Association has been lamenting the fact that their member companies, which include most of the mega carriers in the United States among others, just can't get enough drivers so therefore there is a driver shortage.  Now that this BLS article has come out and totally debunked that lie Costello has had a chance to better hone the message of the ATA and says now that the problem is not that carriers can't get enough drivers its that they can't get enought QUALIFIED drivers.  He said they get plenty of applicants but reject up to 90% for various reasons.  Costello says that since trucking wages consistently exceeded those of other blue-collar jobs that is proof that there is a driver shortage.  The problem is that he is wrong and that is not proof of anything.  Sure, our wages may exceed those of other blue-collar jobs but we are still severely UNDERPAID.  We have to be gone from our homes for weeks, sometimes months, we get looked down on by the public, talked down to by dispatch, despised by shippers, can't even use the bathroom at places and have to follow ridiculous governmental regulations that limit our day while there is no where to park.  An over the road truck driver today with experience should get AT LEAST $2000 a week.  Some of these ATA companies are giving 30 cents a mile and then complaining everyone quits.  DUH. Most of his member companies provide little to no training and then complain they can't find qualified drivers.  DUH.  Costello is just another corporate talking head who has never driven a truck (I think) and has no idea what he is talking about.  Check out the article HERE. 

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