Trucking is much different than it was only a few years ago. Restrictive regulations weed out what was anticipated as the dangerous truck drivers, but in the process, some good truck drivers can't get a commercial license, and their replacements may only have youth, and truck driving school credentials as their qualifications. With less drivers than needed, the only carrot for recruiting is more money, which increases costs, and the costs are passed on to the consumer.
I don't know where this will end, but we're all paying with higher prices. With a less mobile society demanding delivery to their front door, the prices are guaranteed to become higher. Those with a tight budget, or fixed income, will find meeting their monthly costs increasingly more difficult. Increasing fuel costs only exacerbate the problem, and there doesn't seem to be any relief in sight.
One other thing: Those that think a highly regulated, school trained truck driver is better might want to look at the results of these actions. Experience doesn't arrive with a piece of paper, and with treacherous congestion in urban areas, the inexperience leads to traffic problems, oppressive harassment by government entities, and the loss of good drivers that had enough. Even younger drivers don't want the constant headaches, and some couldn't be coerced back into the trade with exorbitant wages.
We have a lot of immigrant drivers here. Second language English.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Obama administration, I'd encounter Mexican trucks, with drivers from Mexico. The trucks were obviously not maintained to the standards required by the D.O.T., and there didn't appear to be any effort by troopers to stop the practice.
DeleteSince then, I haven't seen one, and troopers are now stopping all drivers to the point of harassment. One clearance light not functioning, ore slightly overweight can lead to fines over a thousand dollars.
With drivers losing their licenses, or being fired for the tiniest infractions, the pool of quality drivers is shrinking, and those still driving now have a strong bargaining chip for higher wages.
Nothing but respect for those old timer truckers. Man, that's a tough job. Sounds like its only getting worse. Gimmee Jerry Reed over any of these fool millennials with a piece of paper any day.
ReplyDeleteThe old timers are finding the DOT physical is much like that for air transport pilots, and losing their licenses.
DeleteI'm sure safety is what inspired the heavy regulations, but thinking a short time in the classroom, with rudimentary over the road training, will lead to more safety isn't working - in my opinion. Some of the new truckers are outright scary. Their lack of driving experience leads to some really dangerous events.