I would surmise that this is probably due to many companies having to not only insure but bond their drivers. Some trailer loads are worth many thousands of dollars, sometimes millions, a bondable driver becomes a necessity for insurance. The transportation companies don't want the risk. It's going to get even more interesting as more states legalize recreational marijuana and drug testing becomes mandatory as marijuana is still illegal on a federal level and the trucking companies are involved in interstate commerce.
Is there really a shortage of truck drivers?
- Thread starter ekrampitzjr
- Start date
- Status
There is definitely a shortage of qualified drivers. When I got my CDL 25 years ago I had to know how to adjust brakes,look for missing cotter pins and drove a manual. Most new drivers can't do these 3 things.
There are a few exceptions.
Also when you figure out the hours worked vs pay you are lucky to make the $15/hr min wage.
There are a few exceptions.
Also when you figure out the hours worked vs pay you are lucky to make the $15/hr min wage.
You can get a CDL @18. You can't leave your state till 21
You wouldn't know that there is a truck driver shortage if you drive any distance on the Interstate highways, some highway routes (like I40) are literally PACKED with trucks 24/7. The one thing that you will easily notice is that MANY of the truck drivers on the road now days are VERY discourteous.
Truck driving typically didn't pay much in the past. I can remember older guys complaining even as little as 10 years ago about the low pay and terrible hours. Alot of people decided it wasn't a viable career path. Now there aren't any truckers to be had.
Who said college kids were sitting around. I guess when I went to school I had to get a job or I didn't have a place to stay or food to eat. Not everyone can get 100% tuition paid. Not everyone is making 200K outside of Silicon Valley either.
Isn't that only if the felony involved controlled substances or a driving violation?
As are most drivers in passenger vehicles.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
So an 18 year old can join the military, get trained up and go to war but can't get trained well enough to drive a truck until 23? Not buying that.
Driving truck is a tough job no doubt about it. I don't know how it's thought of now but in my younger days back in Pa when I knew lots of people the drivers I knew did it because 1.) it was the best job they could get or 2.) it was a last chance job after losing whatever labor class job they had and lost. I can think of nobody who always wanted to be a truck driver but I'm sure there are some. They accepted the pay and working conditions because it was better than nothing. Things are different now with younger workers it seems.
Last edited:
Trust me, whatever you think you understand about that water debacle is filtered through one of the most inept media in history.
An 18 year old can join the military, but he won't be in charge of much at that age.
Maybe in 3-5 years he would be a CPL or SGT in an infantry platoon. But until then, he's going to be a PVT of some sort.
Kind of the same thing here. One is not going to put an 18 year old in charge of a million dollars worth of merchandise and turn them loose alone on the road.
They can drive for agricultural purposes, but not over the road.
I can see the reasons for this. But should the 18 year old who is in the military be able to buy a beer? Yep! He's in charge of himself and his sobriety, that's all in that circumstance.
It dawned on me that the UK is having the same issue here. Not enough folks in the trucking industry and now they have good shortages.
www.bbc.com
Key takeaway: "...Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told the BBC on 10 October, two weeks after the 5,000 extra visas were announced, that there had only been about 27 applications."
I doubt these are poverty wages in the UK, so it's likely folks not wanting to do this sort of work in the 21st Century.
How serious is the shortage of lorry drivers?
The industry says there's a shortage of 100,000 drivers but why is that and what is the likely impact?
www.bbc.com
Key takeaway: "...Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told the BBC on 10 October, two weeks after the 5,000 extra visas were announced, that there had only been about 27 applications."
I doubt these are poverty wages in the UK, so it's likely folks not wanting to do this sort of work in the 21st Century.
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2009
- Messages
- 7,262
They made a movie about it lol
Yeah, the whole 5k visa thing sounded like just posturing. Who in their right mind would want to move to another country for basically the same wages and only be able to work there for 3 months. I'm not surprised at the 3 months. Now they expanded I think to 6 months. But still many of the same problems.It dawned on me that the UK is having the same issue here. Not enough folks in the trucking industry and now they have good shortages.
How serious is the shortage of lorry drivers?
The industry says there's a shortage of 100,000 drivers but why is that and what is the likely impact?
Key takeaway: "...Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told the BBC on 10 October, two weeks after the 5,000 extra visas were announced, that there had only been about 27 applications."
I doubt these are poverty wages in the UK, so it's likely folks not wanting to do this sort of work in the 21st Century.
Looks as if that's correct, but some sources online say each state can be stricter on CDLs. In a quick search I could not find a state that prohibited all felons from having CDLs.
Flat legal prohibitions from allowing a felon to work a particular job that has nothing to do with his past conviction are not constructive policies in my view. People should be able to start over and make a decent living doing something. Prohibiting all felons from driving trucks by a law seems excessive.
Websites do point out that felons will still have a hard time finding a job with most trucking companies.
- Status
