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5-6 Milestone 1
Eng – 123
Professor Mort
“Massive Truck Driver Shortage, It’s Just a Cover Up!”
Jennifer Moore
October 1, 2020
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“Massive Truck Driver Shortage, It’s Just a Cover Up!”
There have been several warning bells sounding off about a massive truck driver shortage
in America, but this is just a cover up for trucking companies not wanting to innovate. There are
many individuals with the training and skills needed to fill truck driving positions, but due to the
lack of respect towards drivers, low wages offered by trucking companies, and truck drivers
being taken advantage of many are leaving the industry to search for a better career. Most of the
often-echoed claims of a truck driver shortage are overblown. The ‘driver shortage’ gets thrown
out by the powers in the industry to explain nearly every major problem or issue that the
transportation industry encounters.
To begin, being a truck driver is an unvalued career. There are many unpleasant labels
towards truck drivers but the lack of respect towards drivers is a main reason trucking companies
cannot fill the seats in their trucks. Drivers are treated poorly, like trash with no rights by their
employers, the Department of Transportation (DOT), shippers and receivers, and believe it or not
the public. In an interview with William Dush, who is an over the road driver for twenty-eight
years, made a comment that the, “solution begins with the industry and the public showing
drivers a whole lot more respect.” He also stated, “Drivers get their homes (the cab of the tractor)
invaded by DOT officers without cause, they get screamed and cussed at by the public, and they
sit for hours at the shippers or receivers waiting on someone to unload or load them. So, by the
lack of respect these drivers undergo, how could you keep or get drivers in your trucks? A good
solution could be with the industry and public showing drivers a whole lot more respect.
There was a time when a truck driver made a fair amount of money. That is no longer
true. Some wages are so low with trucking companies, that is it plainly clear as to why truck
drivers do no want to continue driving. Statics show that median pay for the trucking industry is
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$42,000 according from what drivers told The Washington Post. As for any kind of bonuses that
are acquired, the drivers said that they are a “complete joke” because of all the strings attached.
Joyce Brenny, head of Brenny Transportation in Minnesota says, “America has a massive
shortage of truck drivers.” She has increased drivers pay 15 percent over the past year and
offering sign on bonuses to attract more drivers, yet she still cannot find drivers for the job. But
here is why she is unable to fill her empty seats in her truck, the 15 percent increase in pay is still
not enough to cover inflation and those bonuses, are a big joke, because what those trucking
companies do not tell you is what it’s dependent upon to get those bonuses. As long as trucking
companies continue to pay drivers for only the amount of pieces or miles they can produce only,
and not for all their time, which does in fact exceed the average US employee work hour week,
there is going to be an industry-induced churn resulting in the perceived driver shortage.
There are some trucking companies that treat their drivers fair, but for most companies
they take advantage of them. For example, trucking companies that use a mileage pay system
may expect drivers to carry out other tasks or duties when between loads without supplying extra
pay for their extra time. Drivers are being taken advantage of at every stage of their careers but
more importantly the new drivers. The trucking industry frequently takes advantage of new
drivers and shoves them into unsuitable conditions and work environments developing in
frustrated employees. Over a dozen drivers have testified against a company stating that, “they
were being taken advantage of because they were being overcharged for truck insurance, as
much as twice the going rate.” I am taken aback as to how many drivers who do not fight for
their rights. They are money generators and not just a number. For example, a trucking
company can take a load that pays $1,500. If the load is completed, the trucking company will
receive $1000 and the other $500 goes to the driver. Why are they taking advantage of these
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drivers? Why can’t they just split it 50/50? The drivers are doing all the work and paperwork?
Many drivers are protesting and saying the same thing. In current time, truckers have been
working harder than ever to keep the nation moving during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the
rates from the companies are plummeting. The drivers are saying that these companies are
taking advantage of the chaos to slash the rates and pad their own profit margin during the
pandemic. Another great example of a truck driver being taken advantage of is that these
trucking companies use a mileage pay system, and they can short drivers easily on miles they
have driven. The companies can print out the route and will pay the actual miles or the shortest
route, and in the real world this is not always the case. They sometimes must go off route to get
around an accident and there can be many more factors. The point of the fact is that these drivers
go above and beyond to get shipments delivered in a timely manner, why do they have to be
taken advantage of?
Many will argue that there is really a massive truck driver shortage in America in present
day. Trucking companies have increased pay, given more home time, offered bonuses, and
benefits. A very well-known trucking company called, CR England, went as far as building a
multimillion dollar home aware from home in Salt Lake City, Utah for them over the road
drivers. The truck stop includes a dormitory, restaurant, grocery store, credit union, barber shop,
movie theater, pool room, and even doctors. A source from CR England stated that, “this truck
stop and other efforts are being used to help retain and obtain truck drivers, but we are still
struggling every day, week, and month to get these trucks filled.” They are unable to get their
seats filled so in return the company feels as though there are not enough drivers in America to
employ. Thus the ‘massive truck driver shortage.’ All these so-called improvements are
wonderful, but these are just temporary fixes. This industry needs to have a new standard for not
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just the trucking companies but the drivers too. The reason their pay increases, bonuses,
benefits, and multimillion-dollar home away from home truck stop are not working. Because
that is just it, these driver are away from their homes for long periods of time, sleeping in trucks
or at truck stops, not eating properly and spending way to much money on to go or eat out food.
They need consistency in pay, they need to be respected and valued as a businessperson, and
they need to be wanted not taken advantage of.
So, what does all this convey for the future of truck drivers and trucking companies?
Truck drivers will continue to look elsewhere for a better opportunity and ways to get away from
the trucking companies if these issues are not addressed properly. Lack of respect, low wages,
and being taken advantage of are just a few of the real issues that are happening in the trucking
industry. There is no real ‘massive truck driver shortage in America’, it lies deep within these
companies and powers in the trucking industry and these issues must be resolved. This shortage
has been happening for years and will continue to happen. These problems are not related to a
shortage of drivers, but these problems give these trucking companies a high turnover. Which in
return make the industry think there are no drivers available. There will soon be large fleets of
trucks sitting in parking lots with no one left to drive them, then where will that leave the
transportation industry and the nation?
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Works Cited
Long, Heather. “America has a massive truck driver shortage. Here’s why few want an
$80,000 job.” Economic Policy, The Washington Post, 28, May 2018,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/05/28/america-has-a-massive-
truck-driver-shortage-heres-why-few-want-an-80000-job/
.
Premack, Rachel.The federal government just confirmed what America’s 1.8 million truck
drivers have been saying for years: The truck-driver shortage doesnt really exist.”
Transportation, Business Insider, 19 March 2019,
https://www.businessinsider.com/truck-driver-shortage-not-real-bls-2019-3
.
Macmillan, Catherine.The truck driver shortage-The dirty truth no one talks about.
Smart Trucking, 22 February, 2020, https://www.smart-trucking.com/truck-driver-
shortage/
.
"Truck driver shortage boosts benefit offers // Driver shortage increases trucking company
benefits."EAustin American-StatesmanE[TX], 30 June 1998, p. D1.EGale In Context:
Opposing Viewpoints,
https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/apps/doc/A67192285/OVIC?
u=nhc_main&sid=OVIC&xid=7baa5791. Accessed 18 Sept. 2020.
"The Truck Driver Shortage Is Back."EJournal of Transportation, 26 Mar. 2011, p.
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83.EGale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,
https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/apps/doc/A253009919/OVIC?
u=nhc_main&sid=OVIC&xid=2078d9e0. Accessed 18 Sept. 2020.
"USA industry: Driver shortage over in trucking industry."EEconomist Intelligence Unit:
Country ViewsWire, 29 May 2002.EGale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-
galecom.ezproxy.snhu.edu/apps/doc/A86441068/OVIC?
u=nhc_main&sid=OVIC&xid=f24aaae6. Accessed 18 Sept. 2020.
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