Need a Job?

[Filroy77]

Decisions made around the wuhan China virus pandemic are far reaching. People sitting at home cuz they can make more money on unemployment than if they went back to work is crippling America. There was a shortage of workers before the virus but now it’s become glaring.

Plenty of jobs to be had in the trucking industry if you’ve a mind to work. No drivers (or workers for other industries for that matter) means shortages of food and other essential necessities but it doesn’t stop there. Think of all the things trucks are used for. Garbage hauling is pretty important. Lots of disease and stink and other things associated with that.  Nancy Pelosi’s ice cream supply could be in jeopardy.

I was at Costco over the weekend and they had 88% lean ground beef for under $4 a pound. Around 7 lbs per package was $25ish. I bought one but wish I had got 4 now.

Stock up, the times they are a changing rapidly.

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/food-prices-climb-trucking-companies-look-drivers

[ahudson]

I've been stocking up the pantry and freezer pretty good for the last few years. The last few weeks I've been adding canned meat to pantry pretty heavily. Just the canned beef is already priced higher then the chicken, turkey and pork. Just last month there has been a 5% increase in prices and some other thing more.

[Danjal]

Trucking is a **** industry that does everything in its power to screw the professionals in it. Like overtime? They've got ways to screw you out of it. Like going home at the end of the day? Kiss that good bye. Like obscene amounts of liability and always being at fault for the screw how of others? They've got that too. Like middling wages and you get to see others making twice as much in an office? They've got that too. Cops hassling you and looking for violations? Yep, got that too. And it's get better because every factory new truck and trailer cannot pass an inspection 100%.

Trucking has a lot of problems. The first and foremost is driver retention. Most trucking outfits are over 100% turnover rates. So for every 10 guys there, they're going to hire 10 more because at least 10 will quit.

[LESchwartz]

A couple of young men I know (they're brothers actually) started in the trucking industry a couple years ago.  When the pandemic hit they volunteered for the layoff.  They took their $600 a week and never looked back.  When the company called them back, they said "no" and found other jobs -- that's how much they hated the trucking industry.  One of them when back to fixing cars.  I'm not sure what the other is doing.  But neither said they would ever go back to trucking, as trucking companies treat their workers like crap.

Plus, it's a career without a future . . . forget that nonsense about "self driving cars".  When the freight companies can deploy "self driving trucks", drivers will be replaced on mass.  Maybe local delivery drivers might last a little longer, but over the road, terminal to terminal, will be gone.

Larry

[cvasqu03]

A couple of young men I know (they're brothers actually) started in the trucking industry a couple years ago.  When the pandemic hit they volunteered for the layoff.  They took their $600 a week and never looked back.  When the company called them back, they said "no" and found other jobs -- that's how much they hated the trucking industry.  One of them when back to fixing cars.  I'm not sure what the other is doing.  But neither said they would ever go back to trucking, as trucking companies treat their workers like crap.

Plus, it's a career without a future . . . forget that nonsense about "self driving cars".  When the freight companies can deploy "self driving trucks", drivers will be replaced on mass.  Maybe local delivery drivers might last a little longer, but over the road, terminal to terminal, will be gone.

Larry

For what it's worth, I don't see self driving trucks becoming a thing any time soon.  Maybe the driving part wouldn't be that hard, but lining up and backing the trucks safely into the receiving gates just seems like a bridge too far for the foreseeable future.

[Danjal]

The industry won't do it. It needs a scapegoat in its current form. It might go from driver to "attendant", but that still leaves someone that place the blame on. If anything it'll lower driver wages.

Very few trucking jobs pay well, but that said, they own you for it. Those are the places making over 75-125k a year. And there's not many of them. Your typical driver is out working 10-14 hour days on no schedule, are out 2-3 weeks at a time. And they only take home 50-65k a year at best.

[thresher_593]

My wife's company just hired two new drivers, one on a fuel truck, the other driving a box.

Fuel driver started at $28 per hour, box driver at $25. Both jobs are home every night. Wage increase after 90 days.

Fuel driver is doing OK.

On his first trip, the box driver drove 75 miles and parked the truck. Called the office and told them where the truck was, with the keys in it. They haven't heard from him since.

They had to interview and screen a dozen drivers to fill those two positions. Most of the applicants fail the drug test because they think weed is legal.

The world we live in.

[thresher_593]

On another note, I have a plan that involves becoming a part time worker as of December 31, 2021.

My employers have asked that I stay on to help locate, hire and train a replacement and I have agreed.

Once that person is capable of screwing things up on their own I will go to part time performing quality control.

My employers asked me to write up an advertisement for my replacement and I started researching and looking at other ads for similar positions.

Well,,,,,I found out I'm underpaid by a third.   

Gonna have to have a chat about that.   

[Danjal]

They had to interview and screen a dozen drivers to fill those two positions. Most of the applicants fail the drug test because they think weed is legal.

The world we live in.

Quite a few thin CBD is legal also. We had a guy lose his CDL for 7 years over it. He's been on appeals for over a year now.