Patriotic Truckers Jump at the Chance to Help Those in Need

 
I don’t think it is an overstatement to say that my peers in the trucking industry are some of the most caring, compassionate and altruistic people this country has to offer. When the going gets tough and one of the brethren is in a tight spot, truckers naturally rally together, pool their resources and offer much needed aid and assistance, often without any prompting whatsoever.
And it isn’t just truckers looking out for their own. The trucking community will bend over backwards for the good of the nation whenever there is a dire need. I’ve understood this for many years, because I’ve lived it and seen it firsthand.
A couple recent events have only served to underscore this truism and also help to generate some much-needed publicity for truckers across this great land. Slowly but surely, the country is waking up to the fact that the trucking community is full of good-natured altruists, always ready to lend a helping hand and help those in need.

 
This autumn, as the destructive Hurricane Sandy was blasting the eastern seaboard with howling winds and stinging rains of an intensity seldom seen before, the truck drivers of the United States of America sprang into action. We understood quickly that the people of the northeast would be in need and that our services could aid in their short-term survival and long-term recovery.
The enormity of the collective hearts of the trucking community was shown to have no bounds as trailers were lent, and time was devoted to assisting those in Sandy’s destructive path.

 
Here are a few specific examples to illustrate my point:
Food and clothing was collected and transported to coastal communities in New Jersey by a husband and wife owner/operator outfit.
Before the storm could even touch ground, thousands of dry goods, cleaning supplies, blankets and batteries were en route to Amityville, New York courtesy of a Louisiana truck owner.
Renowned charity United Way of New Jersey reported that several companies had donated trucking services to transport supplies up and down the coastline.

 
A trucking company out of Kansas City, Missouri jumped at the chance to donate their service to haul a massive load of children’s toys that were distributed to Sandy’s victims in the days after the storm passed.
Only a couple months later, truckers were getting headlines again for their generous nature. This time it was in support of one of the trucking industry’s closest allies, the United States Armed Forces. As men and women who traverse the Heartland of America and rely on the safety and security of our nation’s transportation infrastructure, we truckers are enthusiastic supporters of the men and women who come from that Heartland and risk their lives and well-being so that the open roads can remain safe for passage.
So for those familiar with the trucking community it was no surprise that we were particularly enthusiastic and motivated to aid in the pre-Christmas “Wreaths Across America” movement. On December 15 trucking professionals from across the nation donated their manpower and equipment to distribute over 600,000 fresh remembrance wreaths on the graves of our fallen heroes at almost a thousand veterans cemeteries from coast to coast.

 
Hundreds of truckers were on hand as local organizers conducted wreath-laying ceremonies at each location, including the famed Arlington National Cemetery, where 34 truckloads of wreaths were transported by freedom-loving truckers to honor those that made the ultimate sacrifice.
I hope you will keep these anecdotes in mind the next time someone questions the philanthropy and unselfishness of trucking professionals. For reasons that I can’t quite fathom, there are some circles that seem to be under the grotesque impression that truckers are averse to helping their fellow man out. Nothing could be further from the truth, and it was wonderful to see the above examples receive some positive publicity, so the rest of the nation could begin to learn what I already know:
Truckers are among the most generous, caring, patriotic folks in any walk of life.
Hank Barton is a second generation trucker-philosopher with a penchant for the written word. He enjoys blogging about long haul trucking, safe driving practices and life on the open road. He writes for E-Gears, an online CDL Test authority that specializes in a variety of study guides.

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“RENO, nev. – A Nevada trucking company has the balls to sue Amtrak and union pacific, claiming that they failed to maintain a safe railroad crossing at the place where one of their drivers crashed into the train last month. He killed 6 people and injured 20 more.  ”The reno gazette reports that in a document filed in the Reno federal court”, John Davis trucking  claims the company did not adequately warn all drivers of oncoming trains.  ”The train was en route from Chicago to San Fran on June 24th”, when driver Lawrence Valli’s 18 wheeler plowed through the gate, and into the train 70 miles east of Reno, Nev.  Then into one of the cars.  Amtrak filed suit against John Davis Trucking,  alleging negligence in training of its truck drivers.  Gonzotrucker

WOW what balls this company has what do you think?

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Surprise Found in my Sleeper

This happened in 2006 at the flying J in Winslow, Arizona.  I was doing a team run from phoenix to Columbus, Ohio.  I was sleeping when rob stopped to get some coffee.  He parked on the fuel island, and ran in to get a cup.  I was sleeping off a three day weekend of chasing wild women in phoenix.  We were rolling maybe 1 hour when i felt something rub my leg.  So i turned on the bunk light only to see a drunken Indian on the floor.  I was shocked i did not know what to say.  I opened the curtain, and asked rob hey do you know this guy?  “He did a double take”,  and screamed hey what the ****, who the hell are you.  Rob pulled over on the shoulder, and we woke him up,  and asked him what the hell!!   He said he was  drunk so he climbed in the sleeper to sleep.  Rob left the door unlocked something i told him to never do!  We made the Indian get out right there 1 hour away from his home.  That was one of the weirdest thing’s to ever happen to me on the road. Share your stories like this with me if you have any.  GONZOTRUCKER

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NEW FMCSA NEW RULES

“You can’t just get a truck driving job anymore like before.” In your desperate search for a job maybe you’re thinking ill just drive a truck.  Well think again its getting harder to get these jobs. “The problem is, you can’t find people you want to hire or who can pass the drug tests and all that,” said Karen Rasmussen, president and CEO of the Arizona Trucking Association. Even though there is a truck driver shortage right now and it’s getting worse.  According to one estimate the shortage is around 130,000 truck drivers nationwide!  Old truck drivers are retiring and younger people are showing no interest in becoming a truck driver, and trucking companies are being more picky because of safety concerns.

  It has become so hard to fill truck driving jobs that many companies began increasing pay and benefits to fill these positions.  The cost of delivery could rise and delivery times could slow or be late!  If the economy gets better we will have a shortage of truck drivers to haul the freight like never before seen.  Then everybody will notice when their food and clothing does not arrive on time.  Federal motor carries safety administration has enacted tougher regulations to crack down on bad drivers and companies.  This one motivating factor in the decline of truck drivers and causing a shortage.  The trucking industry has become so highly regulated that a lot of truck drivers are getting into a new industry all together.  But trucking has become safer over the years due mainly to better Trucks and a more quality truck driver training program.

Truck driver crashes have been falling for 6 years now, according to the American Trucking Association, which attributes that in part to 2005 regulations that restrict hours of service.The federal motor carrier’s safety administration last year implemented what they call the 2010 initiative pays close attention to truck drivers and their companies from faulty equipment to fatigue truck drivers, And is now considering reducing the hours of which we can drive and that my friend’s will cause an even bigger delay in moving goods across the country ho ho!! How will the nation’s roads look like with that backup?  They are now shutting down companies with a history of bad violations and some with a whole bunch of little violations!.  The FMCSA now has a truck driver pre hire screening program now that makes it easier for companies to see truck drivers past driving history including small violations.  And now all violations are going on the truck drivers license and with too many you can lose your commercial truck drivers license.

  With all these new rules it knocks a lot of truck drivers out of the industry thus making a new type of truck driver shortage.  Some truck driver training schools are being more careful about who there even willing to train now.  Even before these new rules it was getting harder to get young people interested in truck driving across the country anymore.  To leave the comfort of their bed every night and deal with the headaches of being a truck driver.  Before the recession there was a high shortage then during it got smaller and now its growing again.  Bob Costello, chief economist with the American Trucking Association, said, “I am hearing from companies daily saying,  ‘I can’t find enough drivers. ‘ Some of that is quality versus quantity.  They may not be finding the quality they want.” the freight business is coming back stronger than ever and growing at a rapid pace.  Many young people prefer jobs in the tech business now where they can stay home or be close to home working online instead of driving a truck across the country!!  Just take a minute today at the truck stop or shipper and receiver to see the average age of truck drivers around you i’m sure it will be in the 40s.  Or while standing in line to pay for your fuel look around and count how many truck drivers in there early 20s there is?

  From the truck drivers standpoint that is a good thing, but from an industry side its not good at all.  Just like any industry you need rookies they keep truck driving alive.  Who is going to replace you when you retire if there is nobody coming into truck driving and then in your retirement years you will have to fight people at the grocery store for the last loaf of bread until the truck’s arrive. Also that loaf of bread will cost you $10 dollars many truck drivers are switching companies now look for better pay so truck driver turnover is getting high again. And now with the loss of jobs in the economy there is a rush to these truck driver schools of people who have never driven a truck in their life.  They have been unemployed for a while and are getting desperate to feed their family’s.  A friend of mine Jeff is now going through a trucking school in indiana he was in construction for 20 years but he can’t find a job now. 

But like many new truck drivers Jeff does not know how hard it really is to be a truck driver now. Sure anyone can drive a truck but not everyone is cut out to be a truck driver!! If your a local truck driver you will have to unload in all types of weather conditions.  Over the road truck drivers have to deal with shippers and receivers long wait times which cut into your pay, not to mention the new regulations.  So to sum it up being a truck driver is getting harder and the industry is growing faster than ever.  So what will it be like to be a truck driver in 10 years?  I suspect good quality truck drivers will be in demand and can ask for higher pay. Maybe over the road truck drivers will demand an hourly salary and get it! Ho ho way more pay will attract young people into this industry no matter how hard it is or how many regulations are put on truck drivers.  With the right amount of pay most people will put up with any headaches. (Excert taken from an article in azcentral.com) GONZOTRUCKER

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Truck Driver Shortage In The USA?

USA Facing a Truck Driver Shortage?

Truck drivers form the backbone of the transportation industry in the entire world. A country may have the best roadways, ships and port systems and even air freight delivery systems in place but trucks and truck drivers will be required to transport the goods from the point of delivery to the point of use or retail sale. As a result,  the truckers are always going to be in high demand to transport goods from one location to another. On an average, more than 3.5 million truckers are employed in the USA on short haul and long haul transportation runs and the demand for trained truckers is expected to increase.

Ever thought of becoming a Truck Driver?

Although truckers are in high demand, the job itself is considered to be quite down-market. Very few people are interested in becoming truck drivers and the American Trucking Association says that the trucking industry is facing a severe shortage of trained and experienced truckers. In the year 2011, there was a demand for more than 200,000 long haul drivers and this demand is expected to double in the coming decade. This shortage is not apparent at present but if it continues, it could cause delays in nearly every industry in the USA along with increased freight rates and higher food and goods prices. According to the US Department of Transportation, more than 2 million truck driving positions will be vacant by the year 2018 as aging truckers retire. The average age of the current generation of truckers is about 51 and when they retire, the trucking industry is going to be severely hit with a sudden shortage of trained truckers.

What is the reason for this shortage? Why are people not interested in becoming truck drivers?
There are currently more than 2 million truck driving positions that are vacant in the USA for trained truckers. However, the trucking profession itself is filled with complications. These complications may make it difficult for an interested candidate to complete the course and start working as a trucker. A few of the immediate drawbacks that are apparent in the trucking profession are as follows:

• Cost of the course – Candidates who are interested in joining the course have to complete a four-week class. The course itself costs about $4000 to about $6000 which can be quite expensive.

• CDL of the Commercial Driver’s License – After passing the course, candidates have to apply for the CDL depending on the type of truck they are planning to drive. The CDL exam is quite strict with a skills test that involves a pre-trip inspection and a driving test. After the practical test, this is followed with a knowledge or theory exam that covers mechanical and commercial driving rules. Along with these CDL exams, the student has to pass a medical exam that will grade the student for the license. The CDL and the medical exam are difficult to pass and many candidates do not pass the exam. On an average, 18 out of every 30 candidates do not pass the training course and the CDL exam.

• Regulations – In the last decade, federal regulations have tightened resulting in large trucking companies being very careful about the candidates they hire. For example, most companies will only hire drivers with clean driving records and personal histories. This automatically cuts down the pool of eligible candidates for the jobs. Apart from driving histories, insurance companies also require national trucking companies to hire candidates with a certain amount of experience. As a result, fresh candidates are forced to work with bigger companies that will automatically make the person work more and for lower wages.

• Long Trips – Unfortunately, the sheer demand for Trained Truckers is the same aspect of the job that most new truckers don’t like. Due to the shortage of drivers, new drivers have to pay their dues in the form of longer Traveling times and longer distances. This results in a very difficult time adjusting to the job. New drivers have families and they want to have a weekend off but stricter regulations have made it mandatory for new drivers to get as much as experience as possible. Most Trucking companies will only accept drivers who are 23 years and over and with at least three years of driving experience. For more experience, it is also necessary for them to work longer hours. As a result, more than 30% of the new drivers who join the profession drop out and change professions in the first year itself. However, newer federal safety regulations have decreased the amount of time that a driver can spend on the road.

• Wages – Salaries are one of the reasons why candidates are not willing to join the trucking profession. Truckers are paid in a variety of methods. Usually, the more experienced the driver, the higher the salary. Most truck drivers get paid about 35 cents per mile. This rate may also depend on the method of payment offered by the company. On an average, truckers who don’t own their rigs may average salaries of $40,000. However, if they work for 70 hours or more per week, the rates may increase. These salaries are seriously limited by several factors. Raising the salaries will automatically mean higher freight rates. These rates are transferred to manufacturers and eventually to the consumer resulting in higher rates all around. With experience and clean driving records, companies are willing to pay as much as $70,000 – $90,000 per year.  $850 a week divided by 70 hours of work equals $12 an hour on average. Truckers give there life away for this low salary.

• Health and safety concerns – Truckers have to drive long distances and this can aggravate health problems. Truckers may also suffer from sleep apnea, asthma, high blood pressure, obesity and drug addiction. Safety is also a primary concern as truckers do have a higher recorded history of fatalities as compared to any other profession. Accidents, crime, hijacking, kidnapping may also occur in isolated areas of the truckers route resulting in serious problems.

Although there is a higher demand for trained truckers, stricter federal regulations and insurance regulations have resulted in several truckers being forced to take lower paying jobs.

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