R-E-S-P-E-C-T

We are all aware that we are currently experiencing a growth in freight volume and that the trucking industry appears to be on the front edge of what many do believe an economic recovery; if this is the case, why does there appear to be a driver shortage?

Tonnage is up.

Equipment cost is coming down.

The price of fuel is becoming manageable.

In some segments, driver pay is increasing.

With all these favorable indices, why is it becoming harder to find drivers and owner operators?

I would submit to you, that it is because truck driving is no longer a glamorous or desired career. For some reason the general public has a very poor opinion of truck trailers. They think of truck people as being dirty, smelly and rude. Trucking, for some reason, has the appearance of being a last resort career.

I don't personally understand that as most of my friends are truckers and most of them are not dirty or smelly.

The dangerous aspect of this is that this public perception has started to transition into the industry itself. Many dispatchers and the members of management have a very low regard for those behind the wheel.

Why is that? Is it something that the drivers are doing? Is it because of the drastic culture change in the industry? Is it because management is not simply looking at freight volumes and TEU counts instead of looking at the contribution that the average driver is making to their profitability? 

I know that this argument has two sides. I have seen them both.

 I just recently had a situation with customer, who is complaining that they were not earning enough to make their payment, but upon further research, I discovered that they were turning down over half of their loads.

If the driver is not accepting loads that are offered, how do they expect to earn enough to make a living?

Conversely, I have also seen dispatchers assigning priority loads to companies in which they had a financial interest in, leaving other owner operators under contract with this company, insufficient loads.

I am a firm believer that respect is to be a two-way street.

Drivers need to step up the respect that they show to  others, even the four wheelers on the freeway, and management needs to start viewing drivers as more than a simple CSA number. 

We are all in this together and if we do not show the proper levels of respect towards each other, we will soon see an imbalance in the transportation industry that will either result in reduced driver compensation or in continued driver shortages.

EDIT::::::

I was informed today that 300 IOO's hauling for a sizable regional fleet have been handed pink slips.

Is it any wonder why IOO's are leaving the industry?
How many of these 300 will stay in the industry?
I wonder why this is happening in a positive business cycle.

Any Ideas?

**If you have any room in your fleet for these Drivers/IOO's please post them here ( https://www.facebook.com/notes/allen-smith/ffe-transportation-is-letting-drivers-go-in-their-dallas-yard/279845655370477 )