One of the more frustrating aspects of the Transportation Industry is that turnover within virtually every trucking company out there well exceeds 100%. In fact, I think it exceeds 150% in many cases. One of the funny things about this is hearing admin and office personnel wonder and whine about it, simply exasperated by this painful phenomenon. If they would give it two seconds thought, they just might work out some of the issues. For the sake of some fun and insight, we'll explore this here.
For those unfamiliar with my situation, I am a truck driver. I have been in the Transportation racket since 2004. I have driven truck (which is a present role) and I've also worked a couple of office positions. If there's one thing I found fascinating while being on both sides of this fence is how far apart they are from one another. I have never done anything else in my life that harbors such a disconnect from the roles of labor and administration. There is a veritable alien construct in place here that, while common, doesn't really have to be.
Part of this has to do with simple job description. The bosses and office lackeys have to do what they have to do, and the drivers have to do what they have to do. While the observation that these two things are completely different is obvious, but what's less recognized is the realities between the two. Now, some companies out there bridge the gap some through promoting drivers into other roles, such as in safety, dispatch, routing and logistics, and so on. Those who have tread both sides do offer a unique advantage, but it is positively bizarre how those who have not just don't want to fully extract from it. Some desire to pull from the wealth of experience what benefits them (not unwise) but from there really cannot appreciate the full extent of the benefit, so they dismiss what doesn't gratify immediately. Further, there seems to be an attitude to mindmeld the former driver away from driver concerns and push them into the accepted reality of the office.
While that offers some benefit, the mileage is low. Office personnel in various positions having practical knowledge of driving offer benefits otherwise unattainable, yet many drivers who made the transformation are often seen as some dumbass who slipped through some crack. Those who place too much value in the sticker price of their educational pedigree or (far worse) the accident of their birth (most companies are family owned and operated with the highest ranking personnel sharing the name and blood of the founder) often fail to recognize what knowledge of driving can offer. That isn't an absolute situation, but it is common.
So, many drivers feel as though most people who work in non-driving roles in (insert company name here) have this bizarre acrimony for the drivers. There are good reasons for them feeling this way, often supported through blatant rudeness, bullying and a complete disdain for professional manners on the part of those who somehow find themselves superior to those vulgar, nasty, drivers. Everyone has seen the pathetic aspect of humanity (an agonizing need to act superior to as many people as possible) in virtually every company and human role out there, but trucking companies have a penchant for letting drivers know they're hated for everything they are while they're attending orientation. From there, the asshole factor just continues to escalate until the driver has had enough and moves on.
But this isn't the only reason for the transient nature of drivers. While the position of Driver is a decent job with decent blue collar pay (bringing home well over $800 weekly is not uncommon) it seems that so many people are going to combust into flames of agony and hellfire if they don't make the driver's job as difficult as possible. First of all, when new people come into this job after being told by shanghai-style recruiters how awesome it is to be a driver, they've invested a lot of time and money into getting the job. I have seen people pay nearly $10,000 for instruction and class to obtain their CDL license (commercial driver license) and be forced to place all their eggs in that basket in order to get the job. These days (and I find this horrifying) many new drivers are being duped into lease/purchase programs that tie their spine to the purchase of a truck they'll almost never actually own. The first 1,500 to 2,000 miles they drive are required just to pay their bills, and many rarely receive the needed miles to even function let alone live and support their family. They end up dumping the truck and suffering the credit loss. This isn't always, but far too common. Common enough that this particular driver would NEVER consider it.
Another major factor in chasing drivers away (not just from the company but from the industry) is that the planet hates truck drivers. The government of the United States of America has created several departments, mainly the Department of Transportation, seemingly designed to hunt and destroy truck drivers at every opportunity. If you find a DOT officer that doesn't shriek at a driver for (insert dumbass reason here) at every available opportunity and then treat that driver like a satanic criminal, make sure you play the lottery that day. I have talked to countless people who have escaped the Transportation Industry simply because they despised being treated like a retarded monster at every turn by everyone they met.
Another thing driving these people from company to company is niche and daily process. Many drivers seek a dedicated run that has them working with the same customers and sort of workload. Many drivers remain with flatbed work while many have never done anything but refrigerated transportation. Many want just one customer to work for (such as primarily delivering to, say, Home Depot). Many drivers will run from any company that delivers in New York City (a place where truck drivers are despised and destroyed) and many of them will avoid any job having them put their hands on the freight. It isn't that they're disdainful of manual labor, but they may harbor all the responsibility of every piece of stuff and whatever when there might literally be dozens of people moving this stuff in and out of their trailer and/or all around them. They have to take complete charge of an environment where everyone there perceives them as the moron in the corner. It's just smarter to pick up and drop off loaded trailers. That is more efficient and minimizes the time wasted by the driver. You see, most drivers are paid only by the mile and yet are forced to work numerous hours doing things that do not pay a cent.
There are really good jobs out there that have very little turnover and many drivers vie for these jobs. But they may not live where such jobs are available or they might have to wait for a plague to kill off a bunch of people before openings come up.
Another thing is home time. Drivers know they are going to be away from their homes and families for what can amount to months at a time (no kidding) but may gravitate to companies promising great home time and great miles (such as two weeks out and three days at home) but find if they get home at nine at night, the rest of that day counts as the first day. They'll have the next day to prepare for the road and then be on the truck the next afternoon or earlier, with any part of that day being at home is considered a day at home. Thus, the three days at home see no quality time at home. Such jobs are marriage and family killers.
Many jobs offers great pay per mile but then offer too few miles for the driver to make a living with. When a driver is sitting (sometimes for days) at a truck stop while waiting for the next load, that driver is hemorrhaging money by eating and so forth. Those that own their truck are burning expensive fuel. In trucking, when money is not made, it is being spent anyway.
With so many of the above situations, the response on the part of the companies and their people (who often simper about driver turnover) is: be grateful you have a job...click.
More and more these days, many companies are demanding Team Operation (with two people in one truck) but so often entirely dismiss the needs of these people. So, two complete strangers might be coerced into that tiny space and have to modify their entire lives' operation to compensate for one another, not to mention endure that sort of close confine with someone they just might like a little bit. Some do well with this, but for many drivers it will never be an option they'll accept. But many companies push new arrivals into the industry into this, doing very well into driving them out, running and screaming.
A big issue is that there are no rainbows and unicorns in this industry. Many drivers jump out of frying pans and right into fires while seeking greener pastures that they ought to recognize by now just don't exist. I have known drivers to work for a half dozen companies a year, and sometimes more. These people are endured because the industry has few choices; they have a waning pool to choose from and get when the getting is good. It makes one wonder why a company would treat a good driver with a good reputation as though said driver is the bastard child of a Satan's whore, but it is as common as daylight.
To make a long (and pathetic) story short, many drivers keep moving on because things suck at least some everywhere. So, kudos to those drivers who endure (they don't give a fuck about what you think) and to those who found a spot that works well for them. As for the rest, they're more than happy to drive your HR and training budgets right up your ass. That is, until you recognize the realities and choose to confront them with some intelligence and adult maturity. We're all watching for pigs on the wing.
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