Posts Tagged driver shortage

Trucking Abuses Against Drivers Gaining Attention

Posted by Allen Smith in Truck Driving Jobs, dac report, otr trucking, truck driving schools, trucking, trucking companies, trucking life, trucking show on November 11th, 2009

Allen Smith with Dan Rather

Dan Rather Reports Episode 2″ Trucker Talk”

I have said many times that there exists good trucking companies and CDL schools within the United States. There are also many success stories by both company drivers and owner operators. When you have large numbers such as nearly four million active truck drivers and about eight million CDL holders, you are going to have success stories. These successes, however, can and do not automatically strike out the fact that many scams and abuses exist within this industry. Abusive programs that are specifically designed for the driver to fail.

If the truck driver is the company’s greatest asset, as which they are always advertising, then why are the “handful” of trucking companies and CDL schools which operate in these abusive manners, allowed to continue? If maintaining the integrity and upholding a positive image for the industry is a primary goal, would bringing a stop to these abusive systems against our drivers not be upholding integrity and improving the industry’s image?

For the past several years, we have been working to expose such scams and abuses being imposed on many of our nation’s drivers. Suddenly, we are hearing from a few industry leaders that they have been “saying these things for years.” Where? Where have these things been specifically fought against and more importantly, if so, why do these abuses continue? Specific scams and abuses such as:

The abuse of CDL students and new drivers as a means of cheap labor.

The starving out of veteran drivers by those companies who continually maintain the rotation of newer, less paid drivers into their system.
The driver shortage and driver retention problem that have been purposefully created by the companies themselves.
The Owner Operator Lease Purchase Program that is used by those companies as a means to a driver’s failure.
The truck drivers DAC Report which has become nothing more than a retaliation tool by companies against drivers.

I recognize that issues such as the lease programs have seen support by way of utilizing The Truth in Leasing Law for drivers, but where has it ever been exposed before that the leasing program, in many cases, is nothing more than a scam and abuse used against drivers? Where? It’s not difficult to find information on how to get a copy of your DAC Report . . . but where has it ever been mentioned that the DAC Report is a tool often used to ruin truck drivers careers? Where? Before we publicly exposed these scams and abuses . . . where were these issues being raised? Furthermore, if so, why after “so many years” do they continue?

Talk is cheap. Let’s see action . . . action such as bringing it to the public as in the Dan Rather Reports . . . action away from just cheap talk and action that can and will eventually bring change to rid the trucking industry of these scams and abuses that have been going on for years against our men and women drivers in trucking. Finally coming together, as drivers and industry leaders alike, for the sole purpose of raising the standards of the trucking industry.

Allen Smith

: abuse, abuses, CDL schools, dac report, Dan Rather, dan rather reports, driver retention, driver shortage, drivers, good trucking companies, media, owner operator lease purchase, Scams, truck drivers, trucking

abuse, abuses, CDL schools, dac report, Dan Rather, dan rather reports, driver retention, driver shortage, drivers, good trucking companies, media, owner operator lease purchase, Scams, truck drivers, trucking

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Truck Driver Jobs

Posted by Allen Smith in Truck Driving Jobs, otr trucking, trucking, trucking companies, trucking life on January 22nd, 2009

There is still talk about the truck driver shortage in our country. The shortage of over the road truck drivers have been an on-going topic for years. Truck driver jobs have become harder to come by in recent months, mainly due to the present state of the economy. The business practices by many trucking companies have created this factor that has become known as the truck driver shortage.

There are still truck driver jobs available. What continues to keep this driver shortage topic alive, is the problem that so many newcomers and even veteran drivers can often experience: finding the right trucking company. The current economy situation has, without a doubt, placed thousands of experienced truck drivers into the truck driver job search market. With an influx of experienced, professional drivers suddenly searching for a new employer, the ones who have felt the impact of the economy the most, are the student drivers just breaking into the trucking career. Now, with so many experienced drivers available, many trucking companies are not bringing in trainees. As the economy stabilizes, and it will, this too will pass.

Recently, due to this influx, the talk of a truck driver shortage has subsided. The fact is, there never was, or is, a truck driver shortage. The problem actually lies with the trucking companies themselves. More precisely, their failure to adjust the pay for OTR drivers. Until trucking companies accept the fact that there is a new wage increase reality in the truck driver market, the turn over rate among truck drivers will continue.

Why would someone want to endure the over the road trucking lifestyle for $35,000 per year, when they can make the same from an alternative career? There are those trucking companies who have taken the lead by increasing driver wages, home time and showing the drivers more of the respect that they deserve. The more experienced drivers have located these companies. You will find that these industry leaders have no problem with a driver shortage. The trucking companies who continue to abuse drivers by low pay, low miles, not getting them home and so forth, are the ones crying “driver shortage.”

Trucking companies having trouble recruiting drivers are normally those who:

Have a pay scale below the industry standard
Treats their drivers with no respect
Operates poorly maintained equipment
Has the attitude that drivers are a “dime a dozen”

Logic dictates that if a trucking company actually believes that a truck driver shortage exists, then they would work hard to keep the drivers they have. Thousands of professional truck drivers enjoy the over the road trucking lifestyle. Largely in part, because they have found the best truck driver jobs. There are many excellent trucking companies who have followed the rules of business in order to survive the current state of the economy. By adapting and restructuring, they have survived 2008, which turned out to be one of the worst years for the trucking industry in recent history.

Finding those trucking jobs may take a little extra work in these present times, but they are out there. The long time, experienced drivers know the good truck driver jobs and they like to keep this information to themselves, for obvious reasons. It is these trucking companies that keep America moving and will pay no attention to this problem that is known as the driver shortage.

: driver shortage, truck driver job, truck driver jobs, trucking, trucking companies, trucking company, trucking economy

driver shortage, truck driver job, truck driver jobs, trucking, trucking companies, trucking company, trucking economy

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Truck Driving Schools – Are They a Part of the Driver Shortage?

Posted by Allen Smith in Truth About Trucking Products and Services, truck driving schools on September 28th, 2008

We all know about the driver shortage, right? Just not enough drivers to handle the amount of freight that needs to be moved. What’s the truth about the driver shortage? Take advantage of downloading the chapter from my book, “The Truth About Trucking“, to find out more about this.

Through out life we are always bombarded by scams. Sometimes, we’re hit with one when we don’t even realize it, until it’s too late. The first and original, Truth About Trucking is all about spreading the truth.

Be sure to sign up for OUR FREE newsletter and OUR FREE 3 Bonus Reports at : http://truthabouttrucking.com/free-reports.php You may contact Truth About Trucking at 352-505-8162 . If we’re unavailable, simply leave a short message and we will return your call.

Also, be sure to check out our talk radio show program at Truth About Trucking “LIVE” and join us to be a part of the show. To check a suspicious article, you can see my originals at : http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Aubrey_Allen_Smith , or at : http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/author.cgi?C=45985 , or at : http://www.ideamarketers.com/experts/trucking.cfm , or at : https://www.amazines.com/view_author.cfm?authorid=49677 , or at : http://www.articleblast.com/option,com_comprofiler/user,3702 , or at . . . well, you get the point.

If you only have a question or concern about your trucking career or cdl driving training, write me at : allen@truthabouttrucking.com or call me at the above phone number. I’ll be glad to talk with you anytime. Again, if I’m unavailable, leave a message and I will always call you back.

And finally, if you would like to know the TRUTH about the driver shortage and what role trucking company driving schools play in the “shortage,” I would like to give you an excerpt from my eBook, Truth About Trucking . . . actually, I want you to have the whole chapter . . .

Chapter Six – The Driver Shortage – A Myth

Enjoy,

Allen Smith

: cdl driver training, driver shortage, trucking, truth about trucking, truthabouttrucking