Truckie shortage

atkipete wrote: There is no real shortage of truck drivers. There is a shortage of people prepared to work for the money and conditions currently offered.

I agree with the above.

The real problem is the lack of those long term unemployed loafers, once a government
employee finds a few and trains them up with a fork and truck ticket like they've done in
the past we'll be all good again. Thus continuing the circle of more bad drivers on the
road, While good drivers that love what they do, take the day to day flack and battle on.

My two bobs worth.
Some very good points raised here, but personally I think it is a lot more involved than simply saying that the younger brigade are more interested in driving computers and such. The industry itself has to shoulder part of the blame for any shortage of skilled drivers. Back in the seventies/eighties there was also a shortage of skilled apprentices coming up through the ranks in the mechanical types of trades. All of a sudden, there was a panic because someone realised that if they didn't start getting a few of these youngsters back into trades, we would suffer as the older brigade retired or simply gave it away. OH&S also has to answer to some of this. I would be the first to agree that a lot of areas needed policing, but in my humble opinion they went overboard with it!. The last 10 years of my working life (been retired for seven years now)I saw this first hand in not only the transport but also the mining/earthmoving sector. When you have one OH&S rep implementing and enforcing their rules per 4 or possibly 5 "workers_ be they drivers or operators, the system tends to be overloaded.
As I said, I have been out of it for a while, (with no desire whatsoever to rejoin the ranks under the way especially transport is administered these days), but how are you going to entice the next era of drivers when there are simply so many restrictions imposed? A bloke tells me that the way things have developed, and this was a bloke who had over thirty years in the game,where else could you seek employment in ANY trade that is so over-policed?.
I got out (thankfully) just about the time that all the new raft of legislation was being forced through and from what I have seen of it, all it appeared to do was put more and more responsibility back onto the drivers shoulders, possibly because he was the last link in the chain of command.
The industry itself was it's own worst enemy for many years. Anyone who remembers the truck drivers nationwide strike in the late seventies would be able to tell you that they had the best chance for many years to sort out a lot of the problems inherent in it. It was fashionable to bash the unions in those days, not to say that they also needed a shake up. I can remember when the strike was on and a meeting was convened at Yass, a meeting which degenerated in to not much more than a mud slinging contest. Being a company driver for one of the "big four" in the transport industry, I was perhaps "blinkered" in my outlook, but what really struck me was the amount of drivers working for "trip money", something that the TWU was at least trying to stamp out at the time. It was so rampant that drivers were lining up to undercut each other to get on trip money, they changed the wording to "contract driving", but the job was unchanged. Subbies were just as guilty also, willing to do just about anything to get a load to get them home. It's well known that when B-doubles first came into vogue big time that blokes were offering the A trailer at no cost to the forwarder, just to secure a load. Don't know if this still goes on or not, wouldn't surprise me.
But, back to the main topic of driver shortages, I don't know what the one answer is. I think it will take more than a "standing committee" to sort it out. Import drivers? NO, we don't want to go down that road, heard too many horror stories with that approach. It may take one of the leading/larger transport giants to implement their own training regime but with some sort of guarantee that the driver returns to the company, some sort of loyalty. Incidentally, they tried this approach with plant operators over in the mines of Western Australia, had a mate who used to put prospective employees through their courses. Failure rate was around 40% and of those who actually landed a job, about half of them had moved on within the first six months! But then again, in the construction game, operators used to be well known for being Gypsies.
I suppose you can also add to the mix the fact that State Governments who subsidise railways so heavily (at least they used to) and yet tax and slug the guts out of the road transport sector. I think that thinking may have modified the past few years inasmuch as rail tends to rely more on point to point bulk loads these days.
But seriously, why would you want to join the ranks of truck driver even a local driver (town clown) has to carry a briefcase full of paperwork these days, whether he actually has to fill it in or not. I was approached through a mate to help out with the harvest in the Western districts of Victoria at the start of the last season. All they could offer was fifteen bucks an hour and throw in a cabin at the back of the local pub. Still have to keep yourself, unlimited hours. Wasn't the rate that I knocked it back for, was simply the amount of paperwork involved, plus you were expected to keep yourself mobile (and that wouldn't have fazed me too much, at least I know my way around my toolbox).

If you do speak to the younger wannabe's, there is also quite often an expectation of once they have an articulated licence, they want to jump straight into some 600 plus HP jigger. Add to that and most states have a 25 year old age limit before you can graduate to B-Doubles.
So? Some sort of National training scheme? Doubt that will eventuate, Federal government isn't interested, or have any money. State Governments can't even agree on standardised time zones!.
If it all sounds like doom and gloom, well it's harder every day to see any real positive outcomes. Maybe simply better brains than you and I can come up with something. AND, probably either get a government grant for doing so, or some overpriced 'consultancy fees', doesn't seem to be any shortages of them yet!
Cheers, Dave

The problem is how to ensure standards in a profession everyone over the age of 17 is already half qualified for as dno says.

In this day of every four wheel drive and grey nomad having a radio, thousands of people hear the mostly professional transmissions of the highway drivers. They then arrive in the cities and are confronted with a continuous barrage of foul mouthed puerile transmissions from urban bottom feeders. These characters have no respect for their professional image and this is reflected often in some of the driving. It only takes one tipper or tilt-tray to scare someone or abuse them on the radio to brand all the blokes doing the right thing with the same mark.

The career blokes who are willing to be reliable, work hard, do the right thing and operate their machinery to a high standard will always be valued. The question for employers is how to pick those blokes from the last 3 who sadly disappointed them? With a basically unlimited supply of "drivers" available, will paying more actually get the best or will everyone just step up to a higher pay level with no change in general quality?

I don't know the answer.

I think Dave might have the vision to try to make truck driving a "profession" rather than a job but how do you do that with so many actually able to turn a steering wheel who do not meet any sort of professional standards.

Lang

Some very good points raised here Lang, Dsve, Dno, and the rest. .
I guess we all have to admit, it's not a comfortable thing, where we are headed. But as Lang says, it's happening whether we like it or not, and we are extremely lucky that we have seen a little of the past. Perhaps that's why events like Crawlin and Haulin are so popular....
Ultimately, I reckon it comes down to one thing, for the transport industry- UNITY. Or lack of it. We haven't had it, ever, really. At least, not since it was forced upon us by the fellows that started the blockade in '79.
And that has meant that various government agencies have rolled us over, bringing in ridiculous fatigue rules and the like. It's also meant no "right of reply", and certainly no opposing view, when we are portrayed as idiots by the media.
It's a shame, because most of the problems in our industry could be improved dramatically by blokes standing together.
Apart from a few blokes that put effort into trying to help, eg Ken Wilkie, Rod Hannifey and so on, most of us (and I am guilty of this) are too busy earning a living to stop and join associations, and support our industry- and stand up to be counted instead of grumbling, but not doing anything!
So maybe once again, we get what we deserve????
Your thoughts?
Cheers
Richard

I have being umming and arhing about replying here as well Im just a farmer so what would I know SFA

however things dont have to go down a certain path its up to us to choose which path we go down
Nobody forces us to go a certain way we make those choices our selves in life and as result we make the bed we have to lie in
Driver shortage no way a shortage of people wanting to work for some people yes !!!!
If your 18 years old and come out of school how do you get started in the truck driving game any adds for drivers I have ever seen ask for at least 3 references a good driving history and so on and so on
At the end of the day how does anyone get started ???? to me standing from the out side looking in its almost impossible
So maybe the problem is a bit like the chicken and the egg as to which one comes first
If a company is going thru heaps of workers instead of blaming all the workers maybe they need to look at them selves a bit
I in general in Australia we hate rules big time so we have the law mans rules that we must abide by then the company makes their own rules and then to be OHS compliant they higher some OHS training company for all the workers to attend and they all must sign paper work to say they have been trained and understand the rules and will obey them,
I have been down this path and refuse to sign paper work and the boss says " just sign it its all bullshit and we can get back to work "
Pigs ass paper work and rules I dont like as most Australians dont we hate all these rules and extra rules oh and some more
If someone is good to work for you will just about turn up for nothing I know this for sure but unfortunately these places are few and far between

So in summing up we all choose how things are gunna go in life most times most of us dont wont to admit though and you can tell how good a company is to work for by how long they keep their workers
I dont think there is a shortage of drivers tradesman or most professions just people who sick of the crap

Paul

Oh and one more thing I have been driving trucks only my own farm trucks for 20 years (up to double road train) and filled out log books as required and have never been booked a few years ago things were really pare shaped on the farm (arent much better now) so I got on the computer and filled all the relevant details at some of these companies that are asking for drivers and what reply did I get nothing at all
So I gather these companies dont want middle aged men with a clean driving record !!!!!!!! dont tell me there arent drivers to bloody lazy to get back to people

What ever happen to starting out as an offside ??? Wonder if there was some way of turning that into a traineeship of sorts ... might encourage a few unto the game .... and they could be "trained" properly .... rather than a day in the truck with someone then off you go on your own ..... just thinking out loud

I think Werkhorse might be on to something.

If you want to be a 2nd Mate on a ship you must do time as a 3rd and pass extremely difficult exams and so-on right up to Ships Master. We do have a bit of that system in road transport now with age limits and time in different licence classes before upgrade. Unfortunately with trucks you are Ships Master of a small ship from the beginning and all time is doing is letting you get bigger ships under command. You don't have to show your ability as a rounded professional driver - just a lap around the block in the same make of truck you have been driving but with 3 axles instead of 2.

Everyone is complaining about Health and Safety and paperwork but what about a proper formal standardised course available at night school to get everyone on board with, safety, paperwork, basic small business accounting, formal first aid, load lifting slinging and securing and of course transport and road rules and regulations. Dare I suggest basic driver maintenance and on-road repairs (maybe even how to change a wheel).

The word "professional" is bandied around a lot. Maybe some formal training might justify the current good driver using this term. If it was adopted it might be a way of getting a decent pay scale for those willing to qualify as companies would now know who at least had a basic level of industry knowledge and were not just truck steerers. It would not stop non-performers being sacked but it would be a good baseline. Obviously there would have to be a grandfather clause for existing heavy drivers - the light guys would have to go through the training before upgrade.

Maybe dreamin'

Lang

Agreed, a truck licence is only the first step in becoming a truck driver. Dumbing down the licence test is not going to improve things, perhaps have the opposite effect.
After twenty years I still have a lot to learn. However very few managers appreciate this, what conditions are like out on the job and the pay rates certainly don't reflect it.

I hate to say this but the difficult process of getting rid of bad staff stops good staff being hired!

g'day all .. I like this topic and still like to think that I can move with the times. Lang's analogy to the T model Ford and the horsemen is very apt....In these times we are going through great upheaval in all kinds of facets of our lives, and road transport is basically just another one. Our kids will NEVER know the old days and I daresay they couldn't care less about the toils, trials and tribulations of their fathers and forefathers....it's what is called progress...sometimes hard to stomach, but brother... are we having to deal with it !

.....I could see the stewardship and traineeship facet to the truck driver problem produce some good outcomes coming through......It's obviously just so difficult to afford the "offsider" while the rates will forever be pushed downwards. A 21st century driver simulator course could be the answer either paid for as a government incentive via centrelink subsidy, or a willing young person just wanting to gain the neccessary skills and be given the endorsement to enter the trade via a properly recognised trade certificate at the end of an appropriate training period. The big problem is young people attempting to gain truck driver and transport experience, while the insurance companies are loath to insure a driver who is under 25 years of age. Most big transport companies are COMPELLED to baulk at this issue because their premiums would reach to the heavens if a whole lot of undertrained under 25 year olds started out on our highways.



....and just a late edit .. you will all groan when this is mentioned, but the mobile phone with all its apps and functions will soon render company paperwork and statutory doings utterly obsolete. The kids of today aren't going to get all grumpy tomorrow about new, emerging technologies....on the contrary, they are extremely "wired" and look a bit useless if they can't at least compete with their mates in the race for bragging rights when it comes to what they can/can't do with their bloody mobile phones !