Over the years, military personnel wishing to obtain commercial drivers licenses had to apply through their home states of record. However, this is likely to change soon when President Obama signs the Military CDL Act of 2012 into law.

The bill, which is supported by OOIDA and other parties, will enable military personnel to obtain CDLs in the states where they are stationed. The bill was passed by the House on Friday, Sept. 28 and the Senate has already passed it.

The Truckload Carrier Association indicates that there are approximately 200,000 long haul CDL jobs available across the country. With the economy making modest but steady gains, industries are expected to hire more commercial drivers to transport manufactured goods. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that over 300,000 commercial driver jobs are expected to be created between 2010-2020. Veterans with CDLs are likely to find it easier to secure employment in the long haul transport sector.

However, according to the current laws, states cannot issue CDLs to individuals who do not reside there. In most cases, military personnel get their vehicle training at the locations where they are stationed rather than their states of residences. As a result, they cannot obtain a CDL before they leave service. The Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation have both pointed out this law as a barrier to CDL jobs for veterans.

However, with the passing of the Military CDL Act of 2012, military personnel in active duty, active Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary, National Guard and military reserves will be able to get CDLs in the areas where they are stationed, whether or not they are permanent and residents of the state.

With the passing of the bill, the Department of Defense will be able to reach agreement with states where it offers vehicle training to have active members of the military issued with CDLs. After leaving the military, veterans will be able to use their licenses for CDL jobs in other locations that have interstate agreements with the DoD.

In the House, the bill was backed by U.S. Rep. Larry Bucschon, R-IN and others while in the Senate, Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Olympia Snowe, D-WA, R-Me and the other eight cosponsors backed the bill. After the passing of the bill, Sen. Snowe thanked  the House and Senate for passing the bill, which she referred to as a “common sense, pro-jobs legislation.”

The New York senator stated that Congress should make it a priority to put the country’s veterans to work when they return from Afghanistan and Iraq. She continued that veterans can use the skills they learned in the military to contribute to the development of the private sector.

A large number of OOIDA memberships are of military families and veteran members, most of whom value trucking as a career choice. OOIDA Executive Vice President, Todd Spencer, applauded the House and Senate for passing the bill, saying that helping military personnel to transition into new roles by removing obstacles to CDL jobs is a step in the right direction.

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Why do Big Trucking Companies prefer young truck drivers they can train,  Instead of older drivers that need no training?

Big carriers are more willing to hire younger drivers than they have been in the past. Faced with high turnover and an excess of positions to fill, those companies that were once hesitant to give young drivers a try are looking at ways to not only recruit them, but also train them. The reason for this in my opinion is simple. New drivers get a lower truck driver salary. Older Truck Drivers demand a higher salary!  Also new truck drivers can be trained under all the new regulations we now have in the Trucking Industry.

Smaller companies tend to prefer older more experienced drivers because of the cost of CDL training. But the major carriers have a truck driving school’s  which cuts the costs of training a truck driver. A new truck driver will earn somewhere between $25,000 to $40,000 the first year on the road. Experienced Truckers can Earn $50,000 or more per year.  Like I have said in a previous post there is no “Driver Shortage” just a shortage of high paying CDL job’s out there.  Very few Truck Drivers stay with the company that trains them!  Why is this?  It’s simple “Pay”  Trucking companies tell drivers to look at the whole year’s  pay, and  not this week. Well my bills are due this week, and not at the end of the year!

Most young people don’t want to come into this Industry. This is because of the low wages, and time away from home. If these big carriers really wanted to hire, and retain truck drivers they would pay more. Simple solution to driver retention is pay, and Hometime. Not very many people want to give up their life for $40,000 a year or less. That is what being a truck driver is!  You give up your life at home for a life on the road. Now many of us enjoy this lifestyle, but many people don’t.   Many Trucking companies are even offering a sign on bonus for new truck drivers, and still they cannot get drivers. The truth is people don’t want to live on the road with no life. But you can change this by simply paying more!  Now I’m not saying all big Trucking Companies pay a very low salary because many pay very well, and most are on this website. What I am saying is take your time research the company you plan to go with. You don’t want to be a job jumper, and only stay one year with the company. If you have any questions you can always ask me. I’m on Twitter/Facebook and my email account every day.

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Luxor-al-Hurghada Road Egypt Worlds Most Dangerous Highway

Luxor-al-Hurghada Road Egypt

The 299 mile stretch of road that connects the tourist cities of Luxor and Hurghada in Egypt has become a notorious black spot, and one of the most dangerous highways in the world. Luxor is home to the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, and is recognized as a key tourist destination in the desert country. Grandiose temple ruins, historic monuments and tombs are scattered throughout the ancient city, which attracts thousands of tourists annually. Almost 300 miles away from Luxor is the city of Hurghada, a popular coastal town on the fringes of the Red Sea. This spectacular oasis offers visitors a chance to cool off from the sweltering heat of the countryside, providing modern amenities and fun activities such as snorkeling and recreational scuba diving in the calm clear waters. However, the journey by road between these two beautiful cities is ridden with peril, prompting many tourists to opt for rail or air transportation.

A trip along the notorious Luxor-al-Hurghada highway takes about 4 hours, 40 minutes to complete, if you can survive the journey. The tarmac road is relatively well-marked and frequently patrolled by security agents, on the lookout for bandits and extremist militiamen who reside in the rugged terrain. These criminal elements more than anything else contribute to the notoriety of the highway. Keen on undermining the bustling tourism business, these local terrorists, mostly members of the outlawed Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya Sect, are known to cause trouble for drivers along the highway at the slightest opportunity. Thus, normal drivers and truckers alike are known to avoid this route whenever possible.

Many local drivers narrate of their less than pleasant experiences at the hands of highway robbers along the Luxor-al-Hurghada. Tales of robberies, kidnappings, extortion and possible murder have given the highway a bad reputation. Paranoid drivers cruise along the road at high speeds for fear of meeting the shadowy thugs. This in turn leads to terrible crashes and collisions, as exhibited by the twisted vehicle shells that lie in some areas. Things take a turn for the worse at night. There are virtually no lights along the highway, giving robbers the perfect opportunity to waylay unsuspecting drivers. As a result, local drivers switch off their headlights at night, while cruising at deadly speeds. This is obviously a recipe for disaster, and numerous collisions along the highway attest to this fact. Some drivers and truckers are opting for night vision goggles to aid in crossing this perilous stretch of road at night.

The Luxor-al-Hurghada cuts through mostly uninhabited rugged terrain and bare hills. Thus, any driver wishing to cross the highway must make ample preparation for the trip, since there will be no stopovers. There are not pit stops along the way to fix flat tires or refuel empty gas tanks. There are no roadside motels or eateries along this treacherous road either. If your car stalls here, you are on your own, since few sensible drivers will be willing to offer assistance. Preparation for the journey is of utmost importance. Anyone who has driven in Cairo, or used the Autostrad, Alexandria Desert Road, or Ayn Sukhna Road is aware of how badly many Egyptian drivers behave behind the wheel. Incessant hooting, overtaking, cursing and jay walking are common practices on most roads. New and foreign drivers have to exercise lots of restraint and temperance while driving here. The best option is to hire a local driver, or use alternative means of transport.

Luxor-al-Hurghada Road Egypt Worlds Most Dangerous Highways

In Egypt, truckers and trailer drivers are closely regulated and checked by Government authorities. According to transport analysts in the country, almost 94 percent of the country’s trade logistics are facilitated via road transportation. This has created a perennial problem of congestion on the roads, especially in growing cities and towns such as New Cairo. In turn, this has led to a sharp spike in the number of fatal road accidents in the country. Statistics from the Central Authority for Public Mobilization and Statistics reveal that a staggering 7,000 lives were lost through road accidents in the country in 2010. A total number of 24, 371 car accidents were reported, averaging about 66 crashes per day. Truckers topped the list of highway offenders in the country, responsible for almost 40 percent of the total number of crashes reported on highways.

One of the laws governing truckers operations in the country is the ban on haulage of coupled trailers. Prior to 2008, these behemoths dominated the transportation industry in the county. However, a law was passed in that year, restricting trucks from pulling more than one loaded trailer at a time. A wave of protests from truckers followed the passing of this unpopular edict; forcing government agencies to extend the adjustment period for the new law to 2012. Another law requires truck drivers to stick to roads with a width of 3.2 meters or more only. The 2008 traffic laws also made it mandatory for trucks to be fitted with digital tachographs and speed limiters. Truckers who still view these laws as unfair recently staged protests, blocking the entrance to the Ministry of Transport offices in Cairo.

The escalating number of road accidents has spurred some action from transport authorities in the country. For instance, the infamous Luxor-al-Hurghada highway is constantly under security agency surveillance, with speeding cameras installed at renowned black spots, and traffic police patrol cars on high alert. Nonetheless, security agencies claim that most accidents in the country’s roads are caused by human error. A former secretary to the Minister of Interior estimates that over 70 percent of accidents are as a result of over speeding, drug and alcohol abuse, distracted driving, and failure to avoid pedestrians. In 2008 when speeding tickets were introduced in some areas, an average of 10,000 tickets was issued to drivers on a daily basis.

A major issue of concern among truckers is the use of drugs and stimulants on the road. A study by the Ministry of Transport recently established that roughly 30 percent of truck and trailer drivers used some sort of drug or stimulant while on active duty. This is a worrying trend, given that out of 1421 accidents that happened on major highways in 2010, heavy duty trailers were responsible for 1364.

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