ONLY CREAM AT THE TRUCK STOPS

When the economy took a downturn in the fall of last year, the trucking industry slowed down.  As the new year began large amounts of people were being laid off, familiar businesses were closing and every industry was tackled with the presence of the “new economy”.  The trucking industry, like all industries, was thrown head first into the new environment.  Consumers cut their consuming in half and the immediate impact was a massive decrease in shipments.  Trucking companies responded with hiring freezes thinking this was their best reaction, it had always helped in the past. 

Meanwhile, truck drivers that had planned on retiring were hit heavy in the stock market and opted to stay working. 

This was unusual for an industry that had previously seen a truck driver turnover rate as high as 130% a year, for the first time in decades, there was a surplus of drivers.

The trucking companies, in deep confusion, tried to figure out how to get loads to keep their drivers working.  Bigger companies started taking loads they would never have bothered with previously and smaller companies were being pushed out of the industry. 

When the smaller companies started losing shipments their drivers started jumping and moving to larger, more financially stable companies.  Some of the larger, wiser companies realized the benefit and began to work with the new economy.  These companies knew that they would continue to have an influx of experienced small company drivers and recent truck school graduates so they took another look at their fleet and they started to make the changes that would insure their standings, they “creamed their crop”.  The companies laid off drivers that weren’t delivering loads on time, that had became complacent, that called in often, that turned down loads, that had a history of accidents; drivers that couldn’t or wouldn’t do the job the companies wanted.

SimplyHired.com, a large job search engine that has more than 5 million job listings worldwide, stated that “truck driver” job listings had increased by 45% from January to March 2009. 

Foreclosure “Trash Out” companies are one of the fastest growing companies in the new economy; these companies remove the contents of foreclosed properties, often by loading it onto a truck and driving away. 

So with all these opportunities why are WIA, Workforce Investment Act,  offices sending potential students away and what effect will this have on the industry? 

Unemployment offices are seeing an increase in truck drivers filing for unemployment; yep, those truck drivers that were laid off when their companies “creamed” are filing for unemployment benefits, imagine that.  The unemployment offices, not aware of the “creaming”, automatically assume that truck drivers are being laid off because there are no jobs in the industry; they’re sending potential truck driving students into the nursing field now.

Previously there was a lack of drivers and many jobs, then the new economy was birthed and the industry adopted a new way of going about business, choosing the cream of the crop.  Creaming is a quick and successful fix for getting through the new economy but it does bring problems for the industry’s future.  Many drivers were let go and many potential drivers were turned away so when consumers consume and goods have to be transported at the rate they were transported previously, there will be an ever more drastic, insanely desperate, need for drivers.    

Following are a few notes for truck drivers applying for a job within the new economy. 

Take extra time to complete each application perfectly.  Perfectly means correct spelling, concise printing, exact dates, each line completed and “n/a” placed where it doesn’t apply.  You are being judged by your application.  If a company receives ten applications every day and yours is missing information and difficult to read, they aren’t going to take the time to decipher it or call you and ask that you complete parts you missed.   Make sure your application is perfect or don’t bother submitting it because you’ll just waste your time.

Check your history.  If you’ve had recent tickets, felonies, DUIs or a spotty work history getting a job is going to be difficult, not impossible but difficult.  Also, keep in mind that if a felony is over twenty years old it’s still on your record, don’t omit it thinking that it went away, it didn’t.   

Apply to several places, even the ones that aren’t your top choice.  With the new economy some trucking companies are still using the tactic of hiring freezes to level out their fleets.  If you apply to only your first choice and they’re on a hiring freeze, you won’t be hired till they remove the freeze and this may leave you in line at the unemployment office.  Apply several places and be open to working for a company that may have not been your first or second choice, you can change-up to your favorite when they open up hiring again. 

Consider going over the road for awhile.  Local drivers that have been laid off, either because the company was squeezed out by a larger one or because they were a casualty of creaming, should consider hitting the wide open roads for a bit.  A lot of these local drivers headed to the unemployment office instead of the want ads but there is work.  The work may not be local for awhile but if you want to be the one making money in this economy then you’re going to have to drive the semi over state lines.  The old saying is still true, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it - If you take a hiatus in this economy you will need a refresher course when the consumers start to consume again, stay on the roads and avoid refresher courses that start at a thousand dollars.  

So, if you have a truck driving job you may be the best of the best, if you don’t have a truck driving job get one now and if you don’t have a CDL sign up for school, you’re going to be in high demand soon. 

Drive Safe,

Tanya from Eagle

 http://www.eagletruckdrivingschool.com