With the pandemic wearing tons of people out, especially mothers and women in the healthcare profession, many of them are turning to the truck driving industry as a break from the grueling day-to-day of their previous professional lives. For example, Chelsea Ferguson was feeling burned out as “she was doing strenuous work cleaning patients and turning them over. She was on her feet some days for 16 hours.” As a result, Chelsea turned to the trucking industry, as have many other women, making females in the trucker workforce at 18%, an all time high. Read more..
Category Archives: Trucking
NO HOURS OF EXEMPTION FOR LIVESTOCK TRUCK DRIVERS
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has “rejected a petition from several agriculture groups asking for more Hours of Service flexibility for drivers hauling livestock and other animal goods.” The petition had asked for the FMCSA to allow truck drivers “hauling livestock, insects, and aquatic animals, after 10 consecutive hours off duty, to drive through the 16th consecutive hour after coming on duty, and to drive a total of 15 hours during that 16-hour period.” Read more…
EVEN MOMS LOVE TO BE TRUCK DRIVERS
Challenging stereotypes, Clarissa Ranking, a 36-year-old mom from Charlotte, North Carolina, is a professional truck driver transporting all kinds of goods across the East Coast. From hauling diapers to TVs to canned goods, Clarissa is making $144K a year while loving her job. Ranking exclaims: “people always have this image in their mind of a truck driver being a man with a big old stomach, big old beard and wearing overalls… I love to get that expression on people’s faces like, ‘Can you really drive that?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes, I got this honey.’” Read more…
NORTH AMERICAN TRUCK DRIVERS STILL IN HIGH DEMAND
With a shortage of drivers “impacting the ability to get goods, merchandise and other items shipped around the country,” the American Trucking Association believes the country needs at least another 80,000 more drivers on the road. On the bright side, requests to enroll in trucking schools have increased due to the desire of applicants to have a guaranteed job if a recession hits. Read more..
LAWMAKERS STILL BELIEVE THERE’S A TRUCK DRIVER SHORTAGE
While many truck drivers and economists no longer believe there is a truck driver shortage, there are many lawmakers in Washington who do. Recently, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona introduced a bill that would “do away with certain requirements for obtaining a commercial’s driver license.” There are lawmakers who believe such a law would help ease the purported shortage by “helping hardworking Americans and slashing costs for all.” Read more…
NEW TRUCK DRIVING COURSES COMING TO HIGH SCHOOLS
With the trucking industry in dire need of workers, high schools such as Williamsport High School are introducing trucking courses as part of a nationwide push to steer young drivers towards the industry. As the American Trucking Association “projects that trucking companies will need to hire nearly 1.2 million drivers over the next decade,” it is imperative that an aging workforce is supplemented with more youthful recruits, including teenagers. Read more…
MATCHMAKING STARTUP TO MATCH TRUCKERS AND JOBS
A Cleveland-based startup has decided to tackle the supply chain trucker shortage head on – they’ve created a “matchmaking site” for truckers and jobs. The software company Drive My Way “lets drivers create profiles where they describe what they’re looking for in a working relationship. And then the algorithm finds employers that can meet their wants and needs.” If it can work for popular dating websites, why not for the trucking job market as well? Read more…
THE TRUCKERS CHRISTMAS GROUP BEGINS ANNUAL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
The Truckers Christmas group, an organization that helps to raise funds for truck drivers and their families in the United States and Canada for the holiday season, has begun its annual fundraising campaign. Since 2008, The Truckers Christmas Group has raised $150,000 and helped 244 families in need thanks to its sponsors and donations received.” Anonymous nominations can be made through December 17. Read more
CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT PAYS OUT FOR TRUCKERS
After a week-long trial in Chicago, BNSF Railway Co. has been ordered to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars to truck drivers following a class action lawsuit alleging that the company violated Illinois privacy laws. Read more...
HOW MUCH CAN TRUCK DRIVERS ACTUALLY MAKE
Due to the fact that many people are averse to stuffy, nine-to-five office jobs, many are drawn to the truck driving industry when choosing a career. But how much can one actually make as a truck driver? Though salaries will vary depending on many factors, “according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, truck drivers’ annual mean wage in 2021 was $52,240 with full-time employment – but depending on the employer and role, truck driver salaries can be over $200,000 per year.” When you add to that the flexibility of hours and appeal of apprenticeships in lieu of expensive schooling, it’s easy to understand why truck drivers are one of the most in-demand jobs in the country. Read more…