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Quote of the Day
With all the discussion going on about the Great Recession and the Great Debate regarding the best way to stimulate the ailing economy, we thought a quote attributed to a long-deceased Irish wit and writer was appropriate:
“If all the economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion.”
-- George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
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Drivers Sound Off
For two years, the U.S. economy has been struggling to pull out of the “Great Recession.” No one knows that better than the trucking sector. The trucking industry, particularly the flatbed niche, was the first to feel the pain and history tells us it will lead the economic recovery.
When the economy does turn the corner for good and begins the long haul back to robust freight and rates, the issue of driver recruitment and retention will once again jump to the forefront as drivers suddenly find themselves once again on everyone’s wish lists and companies scramble to fill cabs with quality drivers.
With that in mind, Driver HEALTH magazine recently asked a handful of truckers the following question:
When changing jobs, what do you look for in a company?
Here are some of the replies:
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Dave Edwards, 54, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Professional driving experience: 7 years
“A really good safety record. I always do my homework before I sign on. I was lucky to get hired on to a premier company that has a good rating. We have pre-pass; we never get hauled into a weight station. We just drive on by. I’ve never had any infractions of any kind – no speeding tickets, no overweight violations – and pretty much all the other drivers at my company are the same way.”
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James Pate, 55, Utica, KY
Professional driving experience: 21 years
“I’ve probably been with every flatbed carrier there is and some people would say that’s my problem. I’ve jumped around a little too much. I’m always hoping I can haul more freight or the rates will be better. I’m always thinking I can better myself. Generally speaking, I’m led to believe that by a recruiter. I like it when I’m lied to. At least it gives me hope. I walk around hopeless most of the time. When I talk to a recruiter, at least he instills some hope in me. So I end up going to that company. Of course I lose a little money in the switchover and after a while I see it’s really not any different.”
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Ken Sargent, 54, Owensboro, KY
Professional driving experience: 32 years
“Freight availability in the areas I like to run. I like to be able to get home. Now, I’m home almost every day. I stay out sometimes, but I try to stay close to home as much as I can. I can’t go over-the road anymore. I can’t deal with the jam-ups at the truck stops when all you want is to get some coffee. People are stopping at the truck stops at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and that’s it for the day. It creates a big jam-up.” |
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James Gibson, 51, Louisville, KY
Professional driving experience: 3 years
“My next job is going to be with a small company, one that knows all of its drivers. Maybe 75 to 80 trucks, a company that can really relate to its drivers. That’s what I want. I don’t want a big company because then you have a revolving door. You get rid of one driver and there’s five or 10 more ready to take his place. Out of those 10, maybe two will stay. The other eight will leave because they become wise about the company’s policies and procedures, so they leave, too. I want a company that knows its drivers. I want to be able to reach out and touch the president and talk to him if I have a problem.” |
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