QUOTE: Originally posted by greyhounds QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill Perhaps they left out the part about the LOW NET PAY? Considering the hours, expenses, and lack of having a life? Yes, "disconcertingly few Americans" want to work for an effective sub-minimum wage, not when they have a choice -- and yes, that does tend to result in the job applicant pool being dominated by the people who can't get a job anywhere else, e.g., ex-cons, illegal immigrants, etc. Go figure. The Economist is stumbling onto actual economics and like Claude Rains, they're shocked, shocked, that even truck drivers and other ordinary wage earners have figured it out, too. Any commercially driven media outlet tends to reflect the beliefs and mores of the people who read it, and since The Economist doesn't have wage earners as a high percentage of their readership, they probably don't feel much need to address the wage earners' point of view. So they tell their class of readers what they think those readers want to hear, and the readers apparently are only too eager to have their belief system reinforced. The readers of such a magazine then resemble the drunk looking under the lamppost for his keys dropped somewhere on the block, while the magazine helpfully points the way to the lamppost. I read The Economist for amusement, not enlightenment. This article is just more mirth. Aside from that, Mark, what do you think of the magazine? Long haul trucking is a terrible job. Just today, east of Chicago, Yellow/Roadway was involved in a wreck that killed four people in a SUV. Big winds today. Imagine driving for 11 hours through a Montana winter storm - then sleeping in the back of your truck - then driving 11 hours through a North Dakota winter storm. $0.40/mile is considered good pay, but you're never home. You won't keep a marriage or relationship together. The truckload carriers have a driver turnover of over 100% per year. The drivers take it as long as they can, then quit. Only to go back with a different company in a few weeks when the money runs out. Of course, some just love the life. Ain't enough of them to go around.
QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill Perhaps they left out the part about the LOW NET PAY? Considering the hours, expenses, and lack of having a life? Yes, "disconcertingly few Americans" want to work for an effective sub-minimum wage, not when they have a choice -- and yes, that does tend to result in the job applicant pool being dominated by the people who can't get a job anywhere else, e.g., ex-cons, illegal immigrants, etc. Go figure. The Economist is stumbling onto actual economics and like Claude Rains, they're shocked, shocked, that even truck drivers and other ordinary wage earners have figured it out, too. Any commercially driven media outlet tends to reflect the beliefs and mores of the people who read it, and since The Economist doesn't have wage earners as a high percentage of their readership, they probably don't feel much need to address the wage earners' point of view. So they tell their class of readers what they think those readers want to hear, and the readers apparently are only too eager to have their belief system reinforced. The readers of such a magazine then resemble the drunk looking under the lamppost for his keys dropped somewhere on the block, while the magazine helpfully points the way to the lamppost. I read The Economist for amusement, not enlightenment. This article is just more mirth.
QUOTE: Originally posted by jruppert QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill It burns very poorly. Too much clay. I find clay based paper wanton as a substitute for toilet paper (too slick).
QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill It burns very poorly. Too much clay.
QUOTE: Originally posted by macguy Here in Canada you only have to be 19 to get a truckers license, though you only have to be 19 to drink too.... Something interesting about trucking, I was watching a documentary about trucking, and one truck driver was saying that he was making basically the same pay that he was 20 years ago... I thought that was interesting, 20 years ago he said he was making a great living and now he's glad he's near retirement. There aren't many people out there willing to dedicate their lives to a job that doesn't pay enough to make a great living, the expected quality of life is much higher now than it was a few decades ago. Either raise the rates, or suffer worker shortages, it's the simple principal of supply and demand. ....if they paid truckers what they paid longshoremen, there would be line-up's at every trucking company for people wanting to drive.
QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt Pay for a subscription just to read and understand the article?! HA HA HA HA HA Highway robbery at it's best?!?!
QUOTE: Originally posted by Junctionfan I wi***hease businesses would stop their whining and excuse making and get going with the solutions. They are really starting to get annoying.
QUOTE: Originally posted by dldance Anyone seated in business class of an airplane - at least that's the only place I see The Economist. dd
Being Crazy,keeps you from going "INSANE" !! "The light at the end of the tunnel,has been turned off due to budget cuts" NOT AFRAID A Vet., and PROUD OF IT!!
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