Wanted: 400,000 truck drivers

[sinkingfeeling]

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/09/news/economy/truck_driver_shortage/index.htm?hpt=T2

The U.S. trucking industry will need to hire about 200,000 drivers by the end of this year, and will need to add another 200,000 by the end of 2011, according to the state of logistics report from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.

A number of factors will feed into this need for drivers, including retirements, tougher safety regulations designed to get drivers with bad records off the road and the need to replace drivers who were laid-off during the recession, according to the report. Overall the industry lost almost 150,000 driving jobs since the start of 2008.

The median pay for a trucker stood at $37,730 in May of 2009, and Wilson said that wage probably fell in the last year as miles driven were reduced. But more miles and the driver shortage are likely to increase wages in the years ahead, she said.

******************************
My son drove for JB Hunt for awhile. Driving school is usually paid for by the hiring trucking company and then you need to drive for them for a set time. My son maintains his commercial license to this day.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Good news for truckers. :^)

[Nuclear Unicorn]

2. I blame Obama

:+

[sufrommich]

3. I have a cousin who drives for Budweiser, these are pretty

good paying jobs.

[guitar man]

16. I think that's a union job

:thumbsup:

[Old Troop]

18. Driving a truck. Delivering beer. If that isn't a public service job, I don't

know what is.

[mrmpa]

20. My brother loads the beer onto the trucks

Great paying Union (Teamsters) job. We love him at family outings, he brings the beer he gets at an employee discount.

[Oceansaway]

4. K&R...n/t

[MrScorpio]

5. I don't know the first thing about driving a truck,

I'm 48 years old and my back isn't in the best of shape.

And I have no money for trucking school...


But, I've got a squeaky clean driving record.

So, what's my first move for a new career in trucking?

[Statistical]

6. Without going to school roughly 0%. n/t

[MrScorpio]

7. What's the best way to pay for trucking school for those without means?

[closeupready]

8. Oprah Winfrey?

I dunno.

[Statistical]

9. I will ask my Uncle but...

Some ideas:
a) most schools have financing available and school is pretty short 5-6 weeks. Sometimes you do need to spend money to make money. I think cost is around $5K or so. Sadly that isn't going to work for everyone. I know at one time some trucking companies were offering reimbursement. So you get financing, go to school, and then trucking company pays a certain amount each month (say $200) towards you school balance. After say 2 years the schooling is paid off.

b) GI Bill will pay for trucking school so veterans can use that.

c) some trucking companies will pay for you school however be wary of this. You can get trapped (behind 2-3 year contract with massive penalty for breaking) at a sub-par company.

d) Credit cards. I know they are horrible but compared to being unemployed for a year, putting cost of school on a card, going to school, then getting hire and paying it off as quickly as possible may be cheaper in the long run than extended unemployment.

......

e) Obama needs to push for some government financing program for things like trucking school. Like a federal loan program. I mean govt could offer something like 5 year repayment (only starts once employed) @ 6%. $5000 would be $90 a month in payments.

[valerief]

11. Go to a civilized country for a free education. nt

[B Calm]

19. Go down to your local driver license office and get the material

to study for your CDL tests. (I have all the tests and answers and can e-mail them to you)

Then go back and pass all the written tests. They will then give you a CDL learners permit. This permit will allow you to drive an 18 wheeler with the accompany of a qualified driver. After you gain enough experience you then go back to the license office and take a road test.
Pass the road test and you'll have your CDL without wasting money on school!

Now you ask where do I find someone willing to teach me to drive. Check out your local farmers who own trucks. Or maybe someone you know is an owner operator.

Like I said, once you have a little experience, you can find a local driving job that will get you home everyday anywhere in the country.

I'm home every night and will make in the neighborhood close to 55 thousand this year. Some of my friends make around 80 thousand a year and they're home almost every night.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. See if a local trucking company is hiring. They will provide the training, but you will be

committed to working for them for a certain time period to 'repay' the cost.

[B Calm]

14. I started driving 18 wheelers at the age 47. I had back surgery

3 years before I started driving a big rig. All the trucks now days have air ride lumbar seats to cushion your ride.

Since you have no money for a trucking school, you can still sign up with a big company that trains you like Werner, Schneider, Swift, etc. Be careful with signing on with some of these companies. Some are crooked as hell and have certain requirements, like driving for them for a year! Any local truck stop has free booklets advertising jobs. Or if you know a local farmer with grain trucks, chances are they'll train you for free. Once you get approx. 6 months over the road experience, you can find a local high paying driving job.

[valerief]

10. I thought they were going to get them from Mexico. Why would they hire Americans?

Why, that's...that's...unAmerican!

[European Socialist]

13. There is a reason why there are so many openings...

Pay is by the mile and there are traffic jams around all major cities. You are a sitting duck for cops since you are out of state much of the time. These are the reasons I got out 20 years ago and I assume its probably worse now.

[guitar man]

15. good gawd

If it still isn't paying any better than that no wonder they are always needing help. x(

[Ikonoklast]

17. If all the drivers that got fed up and quit the industry ever decide

to go back into it, their would be no shortage.

After long hours, low pay, and months away from home finally get to you, they replace you with another n00b and run his sorry ass ragged for six hundred take-home a week...that's if you're lucky.


See this: http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2006/12/american-truckers-sweatshops-on-wheels.html


Most of the long-haul 'training' companies are lying, thieving bastards that have no problem starving you to death while they make a fortune off your labor.

And after drivers get a belly full and leave the industry, the big players of the ATA go crying to the government that there are no qualified drivers.

If there aren't, it's their own fault. They ran them all off.