Wanted: Unskilled, Professional Truck Drivers
Professional Truck Driving
With millions of people out of work and no future signs for economic growth, many are looking toward truck driving as a possible career. Truck driving schools and trucking companies continually advertise for the need in drivers and the promise of a new, exciting and high paying job.
The commercial CDL driver will average 100,000 miles per year, transporting a variety of goods across the country as they continue to be the backbone of the American economy. Should all the drivers in the U.S. come together for a major, long-term strike, the way of life for Americans would see a drastic change within a matter of weeks.
A strike of this nature could never take place and we should all be thankful, but for those who are considering truck driving as a new vocation, they should first understand that trucking is a lifestyle, not simply a job.
Truck driver wages have remained the same for decades with no adjustment for inflation or other such economic factors. In fact, drivers were actually earning more money in 1980 than they are today in 2013.
One factor that determines the wage for a particular group of workers is the classification of the employee per the United States Department of Labor. Although organizations such as the American Trucking Association (ATA), the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), truck driver training schools and countless motor carriers refer to the trucker as a “professional”, the DOL classifies them as “unskilled.”
It is this unskilled classification that results in the continual low pay for CMV operators. Newcomers to the “profession” will be lured in by cleverly designed recruiting ads, along with the promise of big money. However, a new company driver can expect to earn an annual average gross income of $27,000 with the experienced driver earning an average gross of $34,000 per year.
With the constant implementation of federal regulations being placed on drivers, many truck owner operators are abandoning the vocation due to the financial burden being placed on them via government policies. Many owner operators and independent contractors, once considered the Knights of the Road, are now earning as much as or less, than the company driver.
Truck drivers are true professionals who account for the safe transportation of nearly 70% of all the freight in the United States, generating over $255 billion in yearly revenue. Commercial motor carriers collects over $97 billion and private fleets earn well over $121 billion.
Yet, the nation’s truckers average an unskilled wage of.34 cents per mile and they have seen their earnings fall by 40% during the past 33 years.
© 2013, Allen Smith. All rights reserved.
Tagged with: ata • cdl • ooida • truck driver wages • truck drivers • truck driving • trucking jobs • unskilled labor
Filed under: Jobs and Careers • otr trucking • Truck Driving Jobs • trucking • trucking life
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Wow, after reading this, I’ll stay in my current desk job where I make 1.5 times more money staring at the computer screen all day. My goodness utter disrespect towards the drivers delivering America’s economy.
And I can assure you that there are some truckers out there saying, “You better stay at your job” and even those who wouldn’t mind having your job!
Thanks for commenting.
trucker report
Just wondering if you could answer a question for me. Do you know any trucking company that is a little slack on the dac report. I have three non-reportable incidents (not major accidents) and they are not even on my dmv,but can not find that will give me a break. I know there is a company out there,but dont know how to look for them. If you can send me some information,I would appreciate it.
Thank you Robert
Incidents or accidents are serious business with motor carriers, especially when a CMV is involved, as you know. The major carriers, most all belong to DAC, but with over 500,000 carriers in the U.S., this only makes up a very small percentage overall.
With a major carrier, chances are slim due to the CSA and newer regulations. Your best chance is to apply with the local, smaller carriers (and there are thousands of them) who have nothing to do with DAC.
Not sure of what your state residence is, but I’ll send some info via email.
Allen
I think someone should go to the department of labor with an 18 wheeler and have the members of the responsible department drive one from DoL to NYC, keeping a log and obeying HOS and deliver a load. Since truck driving is unskilled this should be a simple task that any moron can do after 15 minutes of job training and easily complete the task by the next day. Then, the CDL should be eliminated as unskilled workers shouldn’t need any special license to drive trucks. There may have been a time when that fit, but those years are long gone. The DoL should have to go to trucking school and get trained. I wonder how many of them could pass?
Of course not! The ones making the rules for truckers are many who have never even been inside a truck.
I have been driving for about 15 years. A long-time friend of mine and I pursuade an unemployed young man to get into truck driving. He went to a local driving school where, after about three weeks of training, he told us he needed a cosigner for a loan. Two of us went into the school to cosign – one at a time – and neither of us had good enough credit. So, on the internet I stumbled across CR England advertizing free CDL training with a guaranteed job afterwards. Then, today, I researched CR England on the internet and found a pretty serious complaint. I remembered your e-newsletter about which trucking companies are good to work for. I really want this young man to get started with a good company who will put him through their own school, and will do what they sat they are going to do. This man studied in the local public library and past the written portion of the CDL test on his own. He got some training at the driving school before they made him leave, and he is anxious to get started. He’s just delivering pizzas to get by for now. Can you recommend any companies he can look into?
You can download the 3 books with a wealth of info, including best truck driving jobs. People are charging over 50 dollars for info ( not even half as complete)