Diesel Mechanics Off the Cliff Shortage!

Diesel Mechanic Shortage​

The growing shortage of technicians serving the trucking industry is not a problem that's going from bad to worse it's a problem that's going from bad to right off the cliff. First the raw numbers: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the U.S. currently employs 818,211 automotive service technicians and mechanics and 249,230 bus, truck and diesel engine specialists.

Quote: Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor, chief economist for the National Automobile Dealers Assn., says there are currently about 32,000 technician job openings each year. Projections call for an additional 6,000 positions a year over the next five years, bringing demand to 38,000 annually.
BLS projects that by 2012 annual demand for technicians will rise to 101,184, representing growth of 12.4%.
The numbers alone are daunting. But even more worrisome are the demographic trends that underlie the surge in demand: the retirement of baby boomers, coupled with dwindling interest in the vehicle technician as a career path by the much smaller replacement generation, or Gen-Xers.

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Great Tips for Female Drivers

Meet Janet Johnson-Bernier, Women In Trucking Association's August Member of the Month I started driving with my husband in 1967. He died in a truck wreck in 1978 and after that I drove most of the time by myself. I have had a few team partners over the years and only one who lasted very long with me we are still the best of friends. I started hauling cattle, then went on to swinging meat, produce, flatbed, tankers, and dry vans. Now in my 72nd year of life and my 45th year behind the wheel, I would like to let the ladies out here think about what I have seen and give some of the older ladies a chance to remise about the good old days. The first showers for ladies were installed in Kingman, Arizona at the old Shell on what is now Interstate 40. That year, 1968, Little America, Wyoming put in showers and even a few bathtubs. Before we had our own showers, we either got our husbands to guard the men’s shower door or we rented a motel room to get a shower. North American Van Lines would not hire a woman back then, but they would let the wife (only) sign a moral clause so she could ride with her husband. Sam Tanksley was one of the first big companies to hire husband and wife teams; later he expanded it to team male and female. Tanksley paid a top wage at 0.25 split. When we pulled into a fuel island, a live person came out washed our windows, filled our tanks, and check the fluids levels of our oil, water, power steering (if we were lucky enough to have power steering), and if we were eating inside, they would pull our truck forward; if we were too long, they would ask us to park it, and in some cases, they would park it for you. Shippers were barely civil to us and most men back then would rather have had a hot coal dropped in there pocket than to offer assistance. As each of us learned, act like a lady you will be treated like a lady, but act like a tough trucker and look out for all kind of useless information. Ladies did wear jeans back then, but we never wore shorts or skimpy tops; too bad some of our ladies don’t follow that rule today. A lot of ladies smoked, but rarely outside of their trucks. I have seen so much out here. I know I am not the only one, but to my credit, I have logged over eight million miles, and only one real accident in 1973, a very stupid miscalculation. We ladies have faced the same hardships as the men. We left our children, husbands, and families to do a job; and for the most part, we did one hell of a job. We missed the family graduations, the birth of our grandchildren, and watching our children go to the games and just plain growing up. I have traveled end to end and top to bottom in to every state and every province of Canada. I have driven in every type of weather. I was one of 100 tanker trucks who hauled water into the New Orleans area for five months after Hurricane Katrina. Indian River Transport of Winter Haven, Florida sent us into the eye of that storm-ravaged state and we stayed until they got their water systems cleaned up. I did Homestead, Florida and I hauled into Yakima, Washington when Mount St. Helens spit her evil fire and dirt into the air. I have been on the cover of the America Trucking Magazine (December 1989) and even made the Shell Super Rig Calendar (1990) with my favorite truck of all, a custom built Kodak with an 80-inch sleeper, Imron® black and hot pink with pink butterflies on both sides. I plan to retire soon, so this is kind of like the end of the trail letter to all my lady friends and to all the ladies coming on. Remember the old ways and always go out of your way to help the new lady learn what she needs to know to survive out here. My 5 Golden Rules: 1) Take care and watch what is around you. 2) Don’t walk around truck stops after dark; park on fuel islands, get what you need, then lock up and park. 3) If you don’t know the person knocking on your door, do not open the window or door. 4) If you are being stopped on road, be sure you are certain that it is a real law officer. 5) Keep a cell phone handy and use it in real emergency in case you feel you are in jeopardy. Happy Travels, Janice Johnson-Bernier, Winter Haven, Florida Along with a certificate, each recipient receives a $50 gift card from Target Media Partners Trucking Division. Members can submit their story for this feature at mystory@womenintrucking.org Women In Trucking was established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry. Membership is not limited to women, as sixteen percent of its members are men who support the mission. Women In Trucking is funded by its members and the generous support of Gold Level Partners; Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, LLC. Daimler Truck NA, Frito-Lay NA , Great Dane Trailers, Hyundai Translead and Walmart and Silver Level Partner, C. H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. For more information visit www.WomenInTrucking.org or call 888-464-9482. Ellen Voie CAE, President/CEO Women In Trucking, Inc. P O Box 400 Plover, WI 54467-0400 Ellen@WomenInTrucking.org 888-464-9482 920-312-1350 Direct Blog | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | You tube

Romney/Ryan Ticket - I Like This Better!

Augsut 19, 2012
Thoughts by Marge

I don't get too involved with politics, at least not usually but just like the last election, this one is extremely important. I wasn't much of a Romney fan until he made Ryan his running mate. NOW I see a little hope for our country's future. No matter if I agree with all of Ryan's bills and his opinions but at least he is courageous, doesn't pander to the extreme right and has written a few bills AND is the leader in killing Obama Care. Democrats have been trying for years to dig up some dirt on Ryan but haven't been successful so maybe we now will have an honest, clean, America loving man in the White House on the ready to be president should something happen to Romney.

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If You're Not at the Table, You're On the Menu

If you not at the table, you’re on the menu.

During a recent strategic planning session, the Women In Trucking Association board of directors directed Ellen Voie, President and CEO, to work toward the goal of being THE industry resource for carriers, suppliers and professional drivers. This desired outcome can only be realized by building relationships and developing a level of trust with legislators, regulators and carrier executives.

Developing relationships involves trust. According to Inc. Magazine, “relationships are the fuel that feeds the success of your business.” Building relationships takes time, and the partnership must benefit all parties involved. The goal is to focus on what you can provide to your network, not what you will receive from the exchange.

Women In Trucking Association has had the privilege of building relationships with influential men and women in the trucking industry. We have developed a level of trust with regulators who see our association as a resource. We are often contacted for our opinion or to provide insight into an industry issue, which gives us the opportunity to direct the department or legislator to the right resource.

As a resource, we are contacted first for our insight. If we want to promote our cause we have the opportunity, but in many cases we do not adopt a stance or promote a cause.

For example, during a meeting with the Department of Justice and the Vice President’s office regarding harassment against women, the issue of human trafficking was raised. We directed them to Truckers Against Trafficking, which is now working with Vice President Biden’s office to stop human trafficking. We will continue to work on our relationship to advance our issues regarding harassment against women in the trucking industry.

Whether you agree with the regulations that affect you as a driver or carrier is not the issue. The value is in being asked for input when these decisions are being made. Remember, if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. Having a voice in the process is the goal. The outcome might not always reflect your ideal, but perhaps it could have resulted in more burdensome regulation.

Since Women In Trucking Association represents both drivers and carriers, we abstain from issues that divide our members. We will not take a stand on EOBRs or hours of service issues, as these are better left to the organizations that represent specific populations such as OOIDA (for drivers) and the American Trucking Associations, Inc. (for carriers) and the National Association for Small Trucking Companies (NASTC) for smaller carriers.

Our goal is to be a resource and to have a seat at the table (and stay off the menu) when discussions about the trucking industry occur, and especially when the issues affect women.

The Women In Trucking Association has been invited to the US Department of Transportation’s office numerous times to help Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and his staff better understand the issues that concern our members.

We have talked about the value of a toll free crisis line for all drivers who might need assistance on the road. We have asked for the department’s help in working toward a certification process for driver trainers and we are working on how we can recognize professional driving as a skilled trade. We discuss ways to ensure the safety of women who deliver freight and how their work environment can be less threatening.
 

These are all issues that we can agree on. These are not political and do not divide our members. We have made progress and as a young organization (five years old!), we are still working on the momentum we need to move these initiatives forward.

In order to keep our seat at the table, we must continue to provide input and develop a level of trust with the Department of Transportation, the National Transportation Safety Board and our elected officials who oversee the transportation industry.

We can’t do this alone. We need your help. The more members we represent, the louder our voice will be at the table. The greater our numbers, the more power we bring to Washington, DC. Your support is valuable and by becoming a member of Women In Trucking Association, you can have a small part in moving our message forward.

We are often asked for input from our members, so we reach out to you for your opinion and to understand your needs. We represent our members and the greater our numbers, the louder our voice.

Remember the famous (anonymous) quote, “If you aren’t at the table, you’re on the menu.” Women In Trucking Association seeks a seat at the table. We hope you’ll join us.

 

Ellen Voie CAE, President/CEO

Women In Trucking, Inc.

P O Box 400 Plover, WI 54467-0400

Ellen@WomenInTrucking.org

888-464-9482 920-312-1350 Direct

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USA Truck Anheuser-Busch Commendation

Van Buren, Ark.-based USA Truck transported more than 22,000 loads for Anheuser-Busch in 2011. USA Truck has a strong presence at all 12 Anheuser-Busch brewing locations nationwide and was cited for providing reliable service through strict trailer pool compliance and consistent on-time pickup.
                              
Anheuser-Busch also commended USA Truck for its prompt customer service response and issue resolution, and praised the carrier for providing pop-up fleet capacity on short notice in the Southeast to assist with Anheuser-Busch's spring shipping requirements in 2011.
                              
"USA Truck is always very proud to receive recognition from our customers," said Jaimey Malone, Vice President of Sales for USA Truck. "We appreciate the partnership we have with Anheuser-Busch, and we are thankful for this recognition of the customer service we provide."
                              
USA Truck is a dry van truckload carrier transporting general commodities via our General Freight and Dedicated Freight service offerings. We transport commodities throughout the continental United States and into and out of portions of Canada. We also transport general commodities into and out of Mexico by allowing through-trailer service from our terminal in Laredo, Texas. Our Strategic Capacity Solutions and Intermodal operating segments provide customized transportation solutions using our technology and multiple modes of transportation including our assets and the assets of our partner carriers.
                              
This press release and related information will be available to interested parties at our web site, http://www.usa-truck.com under the "News Releases" tab of the "Investors" menu.
                              
SOURCE: USA Truck

Biz Owners Hit Back at Obama in ‘You Didn't Build It’ Video

Following President Barack Obama’s highly criticized “you didn’t build that”
remark about business owners last week, some owners have submitted photos of their businesses for a two-minute “I built this” video take down of Obama’s comments.
Organized by Bristol Palin, daughter of 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the video features dozens of photos from a variety of businesses.
“Since the President doesn’t understand how our economy works, let’s take a moment to explain how small businesses are created,” Palin wrote on her blog. “More importantly, let’s show him the businesses we’ve made and who has made them.”

Source: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/business-owners-hit-back-at-obama-in-i-built-this-video/

Driver Turnover Highest its Been Since 2008

Analysts say driver turnover is at its highest rate since early 2008. Turnover rates among large long haul carriers hit 90% in the first quarter of this year, according to the American Trucking Association.

Jason Seidl, freight analyst with Dalhman Rose & Co., said carriers will likely face headwinds as the move toward 2013 and the economy sputters at a slower pace than seen earlier this year.

He said there is little room for price gains in freight loads amid tepid demand and more carrier transitioning freight away from truckload to asset-light divisions such as intermodal and brokerage.

In a word, the U.S. freight environment is “sluggish” — not a good word for a sector considered a leading economic indicator.

The American Trucking Associations’ reported Tuesday (May 22) that its seasonally adjusted Truck Tonnage Index fell 1.1% in April after increasing 0.6% in March. The latest drop put the index at 118.7 (2000=100), down from March’s level of 120.

Year-to-date, compared with the same period last year, tonnage was up 3.8%.

Sources: http://www.thecitywire.com/node/22091 & http://www.thecitywire.com/node/22911#.UBvr9bSe6Rk