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I’m not sure if I totally believe this -

FMCSA: high driver turnover and crashes linked
WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concluded from a recent study that driver turnover has an impact on crash involvement for commercial truck drivers.

I’ve changed jobs more than a few times.
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Originally posted 2008-10-29 04:00:00.

In Sailors of the Concrete Sea,  Professor Belman concludes that the so-called driver shortage isn’t a shortage at all. It’s only perceived by the companies as a shortage because of all the job hopping drivers do. To let everyone know, I’m doing my part to keep that perception alive. We start driving for a different company in April. This was the longest I’ve been with one trucking company, almost made it three years.

If you’ve checked out my resume, you’ll notice I’ve had more than a few jobs and a couple of different careers. With all my talk about how drivers need to take advantage of this Capacity Crunch it’s time to put up or shut up. 

The office in Vegas shut down their Special Commodity division fired a bunch of employees and moved the drivers and equipment to the corporate office (after being offered straight household jobs which we declined). First I was pretty stunned, several friends were among the fired. It’s been six months and I’ve kept an open mind about working for the other office, but also have kept an eye out for something else.

The best jobs in trucking are often the ones not advertised. I started at Graebel with the help of a friend that knew the GM in Vegas and I was hired with no experience in household or pad wrap freight.

You will never see a Brand X advertisement in a magazine. After talking to a company driver and an owner operator of  Brand X while we were all getting loaded at the same place, they really loved working there and made more money than me for the same load. I’ve tried to talk to this company’s drivers every chance I get, but being a small company, it’s been tough. Everyone I have talked to has loved Brand X. The owner, the company, equipment, especially the pay, the whole nine yards.

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Originally posted 2005-03-23 04:34:00.

First and foremost – I am professional. Period. I try my hardest to be professional in all facets of this job that I truly love. I now own my own truck and am responsible for fuel costs, maintenance and repairs. I am responsible for over $100,000 or more of cargo that I am responsible for getting to it’s destination in one piece and on time. And more importantly I am responsible for the lives around me. Reckless as they may be. That’s just part of being professional. I can’t let the action of others determine how I feel or ultimately drive.

I get treated like dirt and looked down on like I was lower than scum.

It could be worse, I’m not wearing a name tag slinging burgers or a mop somewhere.

I have nothing, but I owe nothing.

Society needs me. Not every driver can be home every day or every weekend. I work weekends and holidays like they were any other day.

I can help someone in trouble along the road, I can kill a family of six in the blink of an eye.

Kids look up to me as their parents drive by cursing.

I’m tied between government regulations and trying to keep the customer happy and still make a living.

I can see the wonder and excitement in kids eyes as they stare upwards towards the cab, their arms pumping up and down pulling imaginary air horns, wanting to hear the real thing.

I am part of a culture that everyone sees, but no one understands.

Truckers still have that same mystique and romantic image of cowboys of long ago. Just like cowboys, people see the best of the job. The travel and adventure. The handling of a massive piece of equipment like it was another limb.

And like cowboys they don’t see the boredom and loneliness. The long hours, the hard work and small pay. I don’t get paid much, but I work a lot so it adds up.

The road turns from being a driver’s passion to a driver’s addiction. Just like any other addiction, it’s a love / hate relationship.

I have a several million coworkers, yet I work alone.

I am cursed when driving too slow, I am cursed when I’m driving too fast.

I am feared, I am respected, I am hated and despised. But I am still depended on to help others when asked.

I am King of the road with ethics of the Knights of the Roundtable. Yet I am looked on as killer and vagrant.

I am not responsible for my coworkers. But, when one of us makes a mistake, it is a mistake done by us all.

I am blamed if something is not on the store shelf. But I don’t get credit when the shelves are full.

I cause the accidents, I prevent the accidents. I can save a life or take a life.

No one watches over my shoulder, but I still have tremendous responsiblity. I am my own worst critic and slave driver.

If I made a list of positives and negatives about this job, the negatives list would be ten times longer then the positives. But I love the positives so much that the negatives aren’t that important.

My coworkers like myself, are independent, yet dependent on one another sometimes for survival. Most times just for companionship.

My mistakes can make the evening news. My accomplishments are taken for granted.

I have abandoned the material and “normal” world. I have nothing, yet I have everything.

I have not abandoned society. I work in order for society to be what it is, yet society has abandoned me.

I am not religious, yet I am incredibly spiritual. Seeing all the wonders of life as well as all the death and destruction, one can not help but believe there is someone higher and someplace better. I firmly believe that
I am unconditionally loved and forgiven in spite of the wrongs I have done. That Jesus died in order for me to have that love and forgiveness.

I have that love and forgiveness, understanding and acceptance in heaven. A little of that here on earth would be nice. I am finding out that finding someone to share the above mentioned life and to give that love and acceptance unconditionally must be asking even God too much. If it happens, it happens. If not I’ll still survive.

I am, and try to be the Simple Man. A man with honor and integrity. A Simple Man that knows the difference between materialism and realism and the importance of relationships. All relationships.

The importance of people and those relationships are first and foremost. The relationship of family and friends, to the janitor or waitresses. I feel that I treat everyone with the respect any human deserves until given reason not to.

Wayne Weisser, Driver.

Originally posted 2008-05-18 08:35:26.

Maybe I’m just paranoid and overreacted. My Bad News post bashed Mexican drivers being used in the US by US and Mexican companies. Maybe it will be good for everyone… if CFI isn’t concerned, why should it be a problem for me?
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Originally posted 2008-06-07 20:35:20.

This is from a letters to the editor about truck only tolls on I-81 in Virginia. Surprisingly, it’s not from a trucker, but an insurance executive.

roanoke.com – Commentary Stories -Increase the gas tax to pay for Interstate 81

“Virginia’s approach to tolling I-81 may need a change because of trucks’ ability to divert to other routes.”

“We will never improve Interstate 81 on the backs of the trucking industry. It’s never going to happen” because Virginia’s own study – and the history of truckers’ practices – shows that even a small fee will encourage trucks to use nontoll roads.

With a truck-only toll, “we run the risk of a failed project” in which there wouldn’t be enough fee revenue to pay off construction bonds. Virginia has no intention of asking its taxpayers to bail out such a project.

He goes on to quote the actual proposal and the numbers for costs and maintenance.
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Originally posted 2004-10-13 04:00:00.

Eyewitness News 11.com: Truck Driver Shortage Increases Prices — And Job Opportunities

Faced with a shortage of drivers, some trucking companies are charging more to move merchandise– costs passed onto you and me. The shortage is delivering a blow to the consumers, but a boon to people who are willing to make the long hauls.

The driver shortage is causing companies to offer better pay and benefits. Drivers can start at $35,000… eventually make $70,000 to $100,000 a year with overtime.

Anyone except for unions get overtime? I’m pretty sure that pay scale is union too. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn’t reflect the rest of the industry.
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Originally posted 2008-11-26 04:00:00.