"[Truck drivers] typically live paycheck-to-paycheck while employed, and then suffer a big step down in income when they retire with only social security." Uh.

"[Truck drivers] typically live paycheck-to-paycheck while employed, and then suffer a big step down in income when they retire with only social security." Uh..... Doesn't sound like the ideal job you're making it out to be to me... If turnover is so bad there's got to be a reason, thus the job must not be as cushy and perfect as you claim. If 100% of people are quitting their job there must be something very, very bad about that job. Anyway, the point of that article was for some moron to say how awesome ESOPs are. I once worked for an employee owned company, ESOPs are no silver bullet to a toxic work environment. They aren't going to do anything at all on their own. If you go to a shitty company to work for and make them an ESOP that doesn't do anything. ESPOs help in that better companies to work for are the ones who tend to consider being employee-owned. $54k is median salary, not starting, entry level, salary. Your starting salary is more around $35k-ish, from what I've seen. Where are these magic 5 figure sign on bonuses for people without a CDL? Are you a truck driver? What was your sign on bonus? Did you have to get a CDL on your own time?