TRUCK DRIVER SHORTAGE
I wonder if brokers and shippers take a moment to think about the truck driver shortage......maybe they should. People aren't willing to drive for no pay. Maybe the brokers and shippers should have to pay all the expenses we have to. 1) Tags at $1,340 a year; 2) insurance at $5,400 a year, 3) adding a shipper or broker to insurance $100 per occurrence; 4) drug/alcohol consortium $100 to join and costs of tests; 5) overload permits; 6) vehicle repair and maintenance; 7) truck payments; 8) trailer payments; 9) fuel; and the list goes on. The amount it takes to keep one truck on the road is staggering.
There will be no young people interested in trucking if you keep paying these rates. Who can afford to work their ass off for $25,000 a year; no one! Brokers and shippers that are paying dirt because some trucker will take your cheap rates are killing the industry. Let's see how much you start paying to send your stuff by rail when this industry is short of drivers that you can't get anyone to haul; good luck with that!