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Truck Driver Shortage worsens
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Rule #1 You will always need a truck to get the stuff to and from a train. (Not 100% of time but betcha majority of time) <br /> <br />Rule#2 With the demands bordering on the insane imposed on the drivers in the current age of "Equiptment Usage", "Service Failures" and "Hours of Service" being the three biggest problems. <br /> <br />Rule#3 No human alive will endure the conditions occasionally encountered on the road for whatever amount of money that they pay today. That 2000.00 paycheck is not worth anything when you have a week's worth of laundry rotting away and in bad need of several good meals, personal hygene and sleep -not necessarily in that order. <br /> <br />Churn is directly related to finding greener grass at another company. The first 4 of my jobs is considered "Churn" Here is the reasons <br /> <br />1- Work Local sleep at home every night (End up being out 24 hours dependance on caffine pills) <br /> <br />2- Powered steering and better cabs (Older trucks are for those who are "New" and are expendable) <br /> <br />3- Sleeper Berth (Daycabs just cannot keep rested unless only out 8-14 hours a day) <br /> <br />4- Pay more pay and recruiting bonus. <br /> <br />When I started off, pay was premium .16 a mile, day wages on the clock at least 14.00 hour and other forms of pay made you money every week. Food was about 3.00 or less each fine meal. You actually have time every day to take care of yourself. <br /> <br />When I finsihed, pay was .42 a mile for the cream of crop, rest expect .27 or so, trucks far advanced, meals 12.00 and sometimes more, no time to take care of yourself and if anything interrupts delivery schedule driver is usually "deemed" responisble. <br /> <br />I edited and reedited this post as it turned into a endless list of reasons why there is a shortage. Let me sum it up this way... <br /> <br />1- there will be continued increases in driver shortages until the long haul is actually threatened with extinction. <br /> <br />For the attention to detail, every second of demanding alertness and prepardness for a variety of emergencies, brutal and demanding schedules and extensive time away from home that threatens the very fabric of Family life and marriages. <br /> <br />Marriage? If I leave my wife and go truck, there will be divorce papers 3 weeks from today because it takes two to run a household. You cannot get any work done in just three weeks or less. And this is from a wife that drove with me as second seat for a year. <br /> <br />I rather be a airline pilot if I was going to put up with all of the issues related to work. The pay is fantastic, people very respectful, rules very clear cut and schedules easily met within limits of rules. And only work 40 hours a month instead of only sleeping 40 hours a month. <br /> <br />The losses in the drivers will worsen until the very ability of America to execute "Long Hauls" is a lost art alongside wooden sail-driven ships.
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