Qualified truck drivers are rare

In response to the Tuesday letter “There’s no shortage of truck drivers” from Monte Wiederhold, there actually is a shortage of truck drivers. Many companies are having difficulty hiring what is called “qualified drivers.”

Qualified drivers are those who have no felony convictions, no drug use, no DUIs on their record, few if any traffic violations, and can pass a Department of Transportation physical with no problems. There are many drivers who don’t meet these qualifications but who are hired by some companies that are not as stringent in their requirements.

Wiederhold indeed operates a small trucking company. Records show that he has five trucks in his fleet. He owns no tractors or trailers.

He also said that drivers should be paid about 80 cents per mile. After more than 40 years in the industry, the top pay I received was about 60 cents per mile. Trucking is a very competitive industry. Shippers want to pay the least for the most service, to help their bottom line. Companies paying that high rate would be forced to charge the shippers a rather high rate, which other companies would eventually undercut. No profit, no jobs.

Most drivers “churn” because of low pay, lousy benefits, rotten treatment by management of the trucking companies, spending too much time on the road, and the list goes on. If companies really want to retain drivers, maybe a little realty check on their part is needed.

I retired from my last company after 24 years. I received 2 million miles’ worth of safe driving awards, along with a 1-million-mile award with a previous company. I was the lead trainer for the region I worked in for the fourthlargest freight company in the United States.

James Pittfield Lancaster