Truck Driver Shortage: Pay the Truckers, End the Shortage

The truck driver shortage issue lingers on in the North American trucking industry. Predictions are that within a few years, the number of empty seats will continue to grow, up to 100,000 truck driving jobs that can't be filled. It's no wonder there's a problem of such magnitude. There isn't a lot to attract new drivers to these jobs: extended periods of time away from home (weeks/months), living on the road with out of pocket meal expenses, stress of driving in bad weather and high volume traffic, the high cost of driver training programs and to top it all off, the job doesn't pay well. In fact, for the number of hours a driver spends at his driving job, his hourly rate is quite low. A truck driver's salary today, is comparable to the pay a trucker received back in the '80's. There have been few if any changes in the rate of pay to the trucker, for the past few decades. We are importing foreign workers to fill the empty seats in the truck, however that hasn't worked out so well. These unskilled drivers are quickly trained and put behind the wheel, creating a large pool of poorly trained truck drivers on our highways. If the trucking industry improved the rate of truck driver pay, the truck driver shortage problem would improve immensely. Drivers are getting out of the business, to find something better: a job that keeps them home with their families, is less stressful and pays better. Shipping freight rates need to increase. Since regulation was introduced to North America, the shippers have enjoyed low shipping rates. The rates need to increase. Redistribute the money in the trucking industry..... less in the pockets of the CEO'S in trucking and more in the pockets of the trucker. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you're a truck driver, or interested in becoming a truck driver, be sure to subscribe to our Smart Trucking Channel for tips and advice which may be useful in your trucking career. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL!    / @smarttrucking   CONNECT WITH US! Smart Trucking --   / smarttrucking   -- http://www.google.com/+Smart-Trucking --  / smart_trucking   --  / smarttrucking   Music Credits Song: Greasy Wheels Artist: Apple Inc.