As I wrote last week, the driver is the thermostat to trucking capacity. In my work, I have the greatest opportunity to meet and facilitate driver advisory boards. These driver advisory boards are made up of professional drivers and independent contractors that have open discussions with carrier management on how they can both make the company, the lifestyle, and their chosen career better. It’s a refreshing engagement with the folks that just plain get it done every day. The most impressive part of their background is how they all got into trucking. Many times, they were struggling with their current employment, from diverse professional backgrounds – school teachers, single moms, military veterans, law enforcement, and many others. These career changes were driven by two things (most of the time): 1) Disillusionment with their current profession; and 2) A desire to drive and witness our great country firsthand. Many of these people were trained by their employer, and now they give back to the profession by training new drivers as they were trained.
I have never seen such uniform character, and passion for their profession. Then you are confronted with all their challenges:
AB5 – The AB5 dictate that is moving throughout the nation that is totally disrupting the lives of great Independent contractors who live in California. Now the US House has taken up this onslaught against the American Dream! There are more states taking a look at these same tactics. I wish someone in mainstream media would actually report on the whole story of this great industry, until then, I will keep promoting this Great Industry. I have documented my thoughts on many occasions
Nuclear Lawsuits – Then we need to address the Nuclear lawsuits that are destroying Drivers profession. Then we see situations, as described in this article “Five Plead Guilty to Staging Truck Crashes in New Orleans Area”. Let’s review the details of that suit. Attorneys were found guilty of faking accidents, using special doctors to support their fraud. Did you notice the pending results? Up to 5 years in jail, and $250,000 judgement. That seems very light compared to the multimillion-dollar suits that these weasels defrauded the carriers and their insurance carriers. Who is protecting these jackasses???? I did not see any reference to Covenant getting their legal and investigation costs fully reimbursed, I haven’t seen any class action lawsuits from the multiple drivers that had their careers ended by fraud. This embodies the complete atrocity the trucking business faces every day, and which these drivers ultimately face!
Then you listen to their challenges with parking everywhere! There are just not enough spaces, and now some of these places are going to the highest bidder. Then the challenges of the ELD restrictions, non-uniform enforcement of the rules through many diverse states and counties. not to mention the weather, traffic, and distracted drivers! Change needs to happen now, not later! Do something about it!!!