4 ms·

On one hand, I think it's good that high school kids are getting into blue collar work like trucking. We can't complain about lack of people doing these jobs a

by leros 5y ago

On one hand, I think it's good that high school kids are getting into blue collar work like trucking. We can't complain about lack of people doing these jobs and then also be upset that young people are taking these jobs.

toomuchtodo 5y ago
This is a symptom of the decline of union labor in trucking and deregulation causing a race to the bottom. I'm unsure we should be happy high schoolers are being pulled in, versus making trucking jobs more secure and paying a living wage. There is no lack of workers, only workers willing to tolerate poor working conditions and pay. "This paper examines the forces that have reduced truck drivers' earnings. First, using 1973-91 Current Population Survey data, the authors find that deregulation accounted for one-third of the decline in drivers' wages, with a larger negative effect on non-union workers than on organized workers. Second, using unique survey data gathered in 1997, they explore the effects of three specific factors frequently cited as sources of blue-collar wage decline. This analysis indicates that only one new technology, satellite communication systems, had important effects on drivers' earnings, increasing them through improved efficiency and work intensification; education had no important influence; and union membership increased earnings by between 18% and 21%. They conclude that the two dominant and intertwined sources of wage decline and increased wage inequality among truck drivers have been deregulation and de-unionization. (Author's abstract.)" https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5119434_The_Effects_of_Deregulation_De-Unionization_Technology_and_Human_Capital_on_the_Work_and_Work_Lives_of_Truck_Drivers https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5119434_The_Effects... (can get the paper from SciHub, a family member is a truck driver)
- throwaway0a5e 5y ago
  Unions are a red herring, they've been mostly confined to specific economic niches (like port work) for decades and in trucking being in a niche pretty much always pays better. This has nothing to do with unions and everything to do with regulation and better administrative technology making the "mega-fleet body shop" business model more viable and owner operators and small fleets less economically viable. Swift has always paid crap and we've regulated everything else out of existence, same story as many other industries.
  - toomuchtodo 5y ago
    Citations?
    - throwaway0a5e 5y ago
      I'll play this one the way you play them. I'm gonna post my disagreement and then take my sweet time finding some links (of dubious relevance and quality) and then I'll edit my post to add them. Or not. Time will tell. Edit: That was too easy. https://truckingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ATRI-Operational-Costs-of-Trucking-2019-1.pdf https://truckingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ATRI... https://truckingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ATRI-Operational-Costs-of-Trucking-2018.pdf https://truckingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ATRI... From the 2018 report: "driver wages were highest in the “Other” category at 67.7 cents per mile, reflecting the specialized skills and credentials that carriers in this group require. For instance, many Tank haulers are involved in the movement of hazardous materials, which require a special endorsement on a driver’s CDL."

by leros 5y ago

toomuchtodo 5y ago

This is a symptom of the decline of union labor in trucking and deregulation causing a race to the bottom. I'm unsure we should be happy high schoolers are being pulled in, versus making trucking jobs more secure and paying a living wage. There is no lack of workers, only workers willing to tolerate poor working conditions and pay. "This paper examines the forces that have reduced truck drivers' earnings. First, using 1973-91 Current Population Survey data, the authors find that deregulation accounted for one-third of the decline in drivers' wages, with a larger negative effect on non-union workers than on organized workers. Second, using unique survey data gathered in 1997, they explore the effects of three specific factors frequently cited as sources of blue-collar wage decline. This analysis indicates that only one new technology, satellite communication systems, had important effects on drivers' earnings, increasing them through improved efficiency and work intensification; education had no important influence; and union membership increased earnings by between 18% and 21%. They conclude that the two dominant and intertwined sources of wage decline and increased wage inequality among truck drivers have been deregulation and de-unionization. (Author's abstract.)" https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5119434_The_Effects_of_Deregulation_De-Unionization_Technology_and_Human_Capital_on_the_Work_and_Work_Lives_of_Truck_Drivers https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5119434_The_Effects... (can get the paper from SciHub, a family member is a truck driver)

throwaway0a5e 5y ago
Unions are a red herring, they've been mostly confined to specific economic niches (like port work) for decades and in trucking being in a niche pretty much always pays better. This has nothing to do with unions and everything to do with regulation and better administrative technology making the "mega-fleet body shop" business model more viable and owner operators and small fleets less economically viable. Swift has always paid crap and we've regulated everything else out of existence, same story as many other industries.
- toomuchtodo 5y ago
  Citations?
  - throwaway0a5e 5y ago
    I'll play this one the way you play them. I'm gonna post my disagreement and then take my sweet time finding some links (of dubious relevance and quality) and then I'll edit my post to add them. Or not. Time will tell. Edit: That was too easy. https://truckingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ATRI-Operational-Costs-of-Trucking-2019-1.pdf https://truckingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ATRI... https://truckingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ATRI-Operational-Costs-of-Trucking-2018.pdf https://truckingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ATRI... From the 2018 report: "driver wages were highest in the “Other” category at 67.7 cents per mile, reflecting the specialized skills and credentials that carriers in this group require. For instance, many Tank haulers are involved in the movement of hazardous materials, which require a special endorsement on a driver’s CDL."