Posted on 08/03/2018 7:32:32 AM PDT by mac_truck
Some 500,000 nonlocal, for-hire truckers are delivering freight in the U.S., and the industry needs 51,000 more, experts say.
The average driver is 50 years old, and only 6 percent are women.
Trucking companies including Saia, Titanium Transportation, ArcBest and Ryder System have all noted wage increases for drivers on recent earnings calls as the shortage worsens.
Trucks hauled more than 70 percent of freight tonnage in the U.S. last year, generating $676 billion in revenues, according to the American Trucking Associations. But the industry is grappling with a growing problem — a shortage of qualified drivers, as its current workforce ages and the labor market continues to tighten.
"We have more freight than we know what to do with, but in order to haul that freight, you've got to have more drivers — trucks don't drive themselves," said Bob Costello, the association's chief economist. "We have a couple of demographics problems in the industry — we have a high average age of the current truck drivers. We need to do a better job to get females in as truck drivers. The supply side is tight as well."
The crunch is being felt in industries from construction to retail as the labor shortage's ripple effect grows.
C.R. England, a Salt Lake City-based trucking company, works with big companies like Nestle and Walmart and employs some 6,500 drivers, but Chairman Dan England said it could use 500 more.
"It's frustrating for us not to be able to meet the goals we have set in terms of growth. … We do have to disappoint customers on a regular basis. Every day we have many loads that are called in, we just can't answer the calls and put a truck there," said England, whose company has been in his family for four generations.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
I will NEVER get in a "self-driving" vehicle...Ain't gonna happen.
Oh...before you say...well there are planes with auto-pilot!! Of course...I am very well aware of that.....BUT...there is a pilot right there...and maybe two...watching what is happening..
I'd rather ride my horse...than get in a "self-driving" anything...on the road.
Railroad stocks have done well....here of late!!
Maybe you and Drango have some history....I don't know...don't care.
But if you talk about me...somewhere..please ping me...so I can reply.
FReeper etiquette............applies.
Mea Culpa.
Good to know. Maybe I’ll check into buying some today or tomorrow!
He looked into flying commercial...they wanted him too.
But...$25k a year...flying to and from nowhere, SD...and nowhere...MT.
Of course he said...."NO".
Just was not worth it....That said...if he had been 22 yrs old...and free and single.
Maybe different story.....
They are offering $65K a year to start. Lotsa applicants - and drug fails.
“I have been in the IT field since the 70s and have ssen more technology that was new and innovative die on the vine than you can imagine. This - driverless cars - will be another one. The markets for it will not sustain it from an early wave point to mass market”
It is certainly possible that the initial investment into this technology will not pay off with widespread adoption and subsequent profitability. That is really what you are describing. Early attempts at the smart phone failed. There was a brief trend with PDAs like Palm. The market was not ready, but even more importantly, the tech was not mature enough.
There are endless reasons why self-driving cars will eventually outperform human-driven cars on nearly every metric. It will eventually be too unsafe to entrust most driving functionality to humans for direct control. Most humans could not safely drive on the freeway at speeds of over a hundred miles per hour. Computers have no problem with this. Humans lack the reaction speed to drive at high rates of speed when cars are closely packed together. The average human reaction time to a visual stimulus is a quarter of a second. Computer technology is not bound by such human limitations. This human limitation adds an extra 36+ feet of stopping distance at 100 mph.
Self-driving cars will offer greater safety and convenience, at a far lower total cost of ownership. They will drastically reduce traffic congestion and the length of time required to complete daily work commutes. And they will free passengers to make better use of this time as well.
It really is not even a question of IF it will happen. It is only a matter of WHEN widespread adoption will happen. I just had a 20-minute conversation yesterday with a Google rep who came to Houston to speak at a big tech conference. I mentioned our discussion about self-driving cars, and he said he has personally seen many cars at Google that are fully autonomous. It’s already happening.
Then that is not enough. PAY MORE. See how it works?
They also need to widen the recruiting net and compete more aggressively for the available talent. Maybe do some outreach to local community colleges and/or high schools.
A good paying trucking job could be a real motivator for some of these kids.
Reread the second sentence. See how it works?
Lots of applicants that are druggies. So pay more and you will get a higher caliber applicant. See it works? More pay then you get a better applicant. That's how free markets work. Are you 5 years old or just economically stupid?
More pay then you get a better applicant. That's how free markets work.
Give us a number that you consider sufficient starting pay for railroad work.
Are you 5 years old or just economically stupid?
At 85, I have probably been in the labor force longer that you have been alive and have learned some economic realities. Something that apparently has escaped you, since you prate that "better pay" mantra on almost every post on this topic. And what's with the infantile name-calling?
Sir, don't you get it? It doesn't matter if we feel $65K is enough. The figure is insufficient to get qualified drug free candidates SO IT IS TOO LOW.
No, other factors are involved.
“The study found that much of the pickup in participation had come from Americans with some college education or less, as the labor market has tightened and employers have relaxed hiring requirements in order to find workers.”
Too many are/were asking for scholastic levels beyond that required – many times only for bragging rights - "All our personnel are college graduates", etc.. (personal experience)
It is supply and demand. Same with bacon. I don’t think I should have to pay more the $2.00 a pound for it. $2.00 is a fair price to me. But I cant get any so their is something wrong? Is there a bacon shortage? No it is what the market price is $5.00 per pound. Labor is the same. Get used to the idea.
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