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They are hiring, but the reason they can't find people isn't because there aren't people out there willing to do the job if it's fairly compensated. The problem
by RankingMember 1y ago
They are hiring, but the reason they can't find people isn't because there aren't people out there willing to do the job if it's fairly compensated. The problem is that trucking has lost a ton of upside over the last few decades, particularly after the Motor Carrier Act of 1980. Drivers are often paid per mile instead of per hour, which means long unpaid periods waiting for loads or stuck in traffic.
- imglorp 1y agoSo as usual, "we can't find people" is code for "we tried to exploit the workers until they bled and for some reason we can't figure out, they went elsewhere."
- RankingMember 1y agoBingo. "No one wants to work [for a wage they can't live off of with pitiful benefits] anymore!"
- hbsbsbsndk 1y agoIt's an incredibly dangerous job, both in terms of chronic health and acute risk.
- 9rx 1y agoSince COVID happened until this year I would have told you "we can't find people" too, but this year the applications have flooded in. So at least they'll come crawling back eventually.
- PaulDavisThe1st 1y agoYou're citing a 45 year old law as the reason why, say 35 years in the future, it leads to notable shortages of people who want to be truck drivers? Doesn't hold water for me. Do you have some specific idea about how this law only had this effect decades after it passed?
- bryanlarsen 1y agoI've been hearing about the truck driver shortage for > 30 years. Back then it may have been more local, though. Places like North Dakota have been short of drivers for at least 30 years.
- RankingMember 1y agoThe Motor Carrier Act of 1980 deregulated the industry, which led to a sharp increase in competition among carriers. Over time, this pushed down freight rates and put pressure on companies to cut costs at the expense of drivers. Many drivers are now classified as independent contractors rather than employees, meaning no benefits or wage protections. Obviously this also happened against the background of a broader trend towards deregulation that proceeded under Reagan, so it's not just that act.
- lewdev 1y agoRegardless of the pay, I just can't imagine people really being excited to drive all day alone. I hate driving and I do it as little as possible. People like to be around other people when they work too.
- bobthepanda 1y agoTo each their own. I’m not a driver either but I could see how trucker life harkens back to the American mythos of the solitary pioneer calling their own shots and working hard as they see fit. Modern trucking is nothing like that, and often they are independent contractors in name only, driving someone else’s truck and being evaluated against strict performance criteria.