Trucking Industry Changes: The Winners and Then There's the Truck Drivers

[@David-t4m8m]

I was thought to drive by an old school driver and that was the best time of my career. Friendly professional drivers, all manual trucks. I used a payphone to communicate the shipper and receiver, atlas to navigate, coffee was free, CB was used a lot, fuel island was never backed up and drivers were courteous.

[@barryminor6245]

Indeed hand, although I believe you meant you were "taught to drive by an old school drivers," either way I was also and it was invaluable.

[@leoclune5079]

I miss those days. Funny how it is that back at a time the trucking company counted on you to be professional and self-reliant. Now, steering wheel turners only and even with that much experience treated the same as the newbies.

[@jorgeizamora776]

became a driver in Texas back in 2000 after that an owner operator in 2005 til now and I approve this message 100%

[@bigjim3644]

You're absolutely 💯% correct. I'm hating the industry now. I'm an owner operator barely scraping by. I work all the time and can barely afford to stop home anymore. It's insane.

[@johnayala-hg7bw]

You are 100% correct sold my truck last year and went back to school to be an accountant. Too much cheap freight and high expenses I LOVE TRUCKING I just wish it loved me back

[@fastlanecargo2853]

Same here. Been an owner operator for 20+ plus years. Paid off truck and trailer and still can’t make any money. Going back to school for HVAC

[@BaBaBellaNatty]

Good old days are gone..you tell it like it..thanks a million..the end is near.

[@Plnwld5]

You said a mouthful, how times have changed. Not for the better. I miss the old days 😢

[@russvoight1167]

Everything Dave said is 100 percent true

[@jeffreycalderwood9893]

Absolutely true and it's ridiculous that us truckers aren't making money , these big time trucking companies and the department of transportation should never be making more money then the truck driver

[@russvoight1167]

My Dad and Uncle, 4 and 5 million miles respectfully, started driving in the late 1950s. Came off the farm, knew equipment and how to take care of it. High school graduates, they made good d money and provided well for their families

[@bmacguyver]

The trades aren't as bad as trucking pay, but even they haven't kept up with the cost of living

[@robertnice3060]

Couldn't have said it better Dave. I'm trying to keep that old spirit alive, pre emissions, no eld- paper logs only. But the pay is so low I can barely keep my trucks on the road. Own authority since 2020. Not sure how long I can hang on.

[@rob1399]

you absolutely HAVE to find a specialist niche to make it worthwhile

[@williekaminski3705]

Sad, but true.

[@joebarnaskas]

thanks for a memory.....i loved reading overdrive.....and the 76 truck stops had a little magazine you could read while eating.....my first truck was a 7400 white....or we would call them japanese freightliners

[@veraleroy1587]

My favorite, SmartTrk video, so far...! Such good info, and History

[@JCox964]

I officially started driving n 1979 but unofficially in 76 with my oldest brother (R.I.P.). My senior year n HS 79. Never thought I’d be a long term truck driver yet it’s been a journey from tanker, LTL, , car hauler, heavy haul, & instructor etc Dave , everything that you said is truth. I’m still at it but with TxDot .

[@nitemareman1]

There will NEVER be any truly autonomous trucks. Maybe some major hub to hub types going on long jaunts from east to west. Me and my buddies deliver fuel and we laugh about a robot being able to do what we do. Great vids, ST, huge fan here.

[@DonKin-om7yr]

Do you remember the Bingo truck stop, fuel stop tn the middle of N.M. on I -40 where if you bought a certain # of gallons you got a ticket for a steak dinner at the diner , about 1983 I think?

[@cruzinsweetsntreats]

Not nobody re: CBs.... Though it's less common, there are plenty of drivers still communicating with ol' reliable.

[@jamess2603]

STRAIGHT FACTS

[@DirtyTractorDr]

You're 100% correct on these mega carriers treating drivers like dirt. I very recently attempted to work at a mega carrier to get the OTR experience (that apparently you need to work at any other smaller carrier, but maybe that's another video). I've never been treated so poorly by a company. I literally felt like I was doing prison time, and I should be thankful that they put me up in a motel with crack whores and bed-bugs. I decided to return home after the second night in a row I heard gun shots in the motel parking lot. I will continue working for the small short haul carrier I had been working for. We have nice equipment and no one is tracking us or putting camera's in our face. We get from A to B and as long as we don't hit anything it's a good day.

[@michaelsorrentino-yp7nb]

Fantastic stuff. 1st on board !!!

[@genegeneish]

I've gone into semi retirement. I might drive otr a couple months a year. Within 3 months of my departure from Schneider, I was otr with Crete carrier and within 9 months of being cdl, I was making 80k a year (2018) I've made as much as 2k a week. I always make money with my cdl.

[@jimhoward6584]

Started trucking in Alaska in 1981 at age 27 taught by a few friends on their trucks. Immediately bought my own truck and started hauling to the Prudhoe Bay oilfields which was still quite lucrative at the time. As always over time things started to decline. About 1989 relocated to west coast US and started hauling logs. I had NO desire to become a "highway" trucker. As any trucking job there were many ups and downs. Owned my first truck for 21 years---81 359 Pete and my second for about 11 years W900 B Kenworth 2002. Made a moderately good living and quit at age 59 in 2012. Enough was enough as worse and worse rates and more and more bureaucratic bullshit ----but not near as much as the present. Would I do it again? Absolutely not under the current situation. The only way I would recommend someone staying in trucking for any length of time would be some specialized niche which is difficult to find and/or create. Dave you summed it up very well.

[@jeffreycalderwood9893]

Oh I hate the braking assistant crap and the inward facing cameras

[@francomtz7115]

You're real on spot im now 54 year's old , drove from the early 90s gave up 2002 only due to truck stop food. And you can't live in a truck let alone cook.

[@markhenderson372]

I believe your correct with all the changes coming exactly in the OTR end of things its sad to see i sapose it is what it is in a way not much anayone can do about it I do however believe there are a few niche areas that I probably won't see chance atleast not in my lifetime those are included oversized in its entirety, logging, and most of the AG side such as the hauling of poultry cattle and pigs as well as the food to feed them I've hauled chickens for many years and now I drive a feed truck hauling turkey feed most of the roads i travel an electric truck or an autonomous truck either would have quite the time getting there or wouldn't make it there at all i hope this maybe brings some hope to a gloomy future drive safe brother

[@Truckmechanic89]

Yes, it's a shame what has happened in trucking. I drive and turn wrenches on them as well. Even wrenching on them isn't fun anymore. Everything is plastic. Emissions and wiring harnesses everywhere. It's gotten so complicated I've lost a lot interest

[@kenc2386]

A lot of truck driving and ownership is political. A couple years ago, the city of Los Angeles severed all contracts and will now only do business with minority-owned companies. Also, the rules for servicing the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles change almost on a daily basis. I haven’t yet mentioned the $7/gal diesel prices in Ca.

[@bbruuse]

I obtained 1A when i was young 17 yrs old.Sask, Canada; I learned how to drive from Uncle. I was in my 3rd year as a Union, carpenter. The Canadian Government pretty much destroyed the Carpenters Union by refusing to award government contracts for government buildings, schools, jails, hospitals. Wages plummented from $12.80 perhr. in my 3rd yr. to $5 an hr. I began my truck driving career. I moved to L.A. started with North American Van Lines in the electronic's division, running LA to Andover Ma. dropping east coast to N and S Carolina's then truckload of computrs, back west to Texas, California. - 14 days out. 15th day at home to do laundry, 16th day, go to terminal sort load to drop eastern seaboard, as muish as 25 drops,, after a year of that, I was burnt out. being young had zero social life. I took a flatbed job running California, east LA to Northern Ca. with A-Trains.. crossing the Grapevine going North, return to LA ( hwy 99) with mostly plywood for Pioneer speakers to LA area. - Running the Grapevine was extremely difficult. The shipping schedule, "Loads North'' were suppsed t be ready @ 8PM, but ended up midnight; 7 hrs North and yu were alread 1/2 hr late; when MT you tran 3- hrs to get plywood then another 8 to10 hrs back to LA area. - It was dismal. schedule.. Cabover KW, no sleeper, stack by your head. - I spent many hrs. sleeping across the doghouse.. NOT very comfortable... but made me late.. - I was "TURFED" due being late.. too many times. and returned to Sask, began running produce back to Canada. When the 1st big "Truckers Strike" happened.. "Bullet Holes" in the sleeper were awarded to drivers, wh didn't shut down. "Pretty FKN Scarry"

[@MrCozin-kd9mb]

I feel sad to realize that the world is not the same as my parents and grandparents grew up. I was learned to be respectful, to wait my turn, to be courteous, to work hard and that it would be rewarded in the end. What ended up seeing is a world so so selfish, hungry for ambition and desire for power that burned up all the essencial roots that would keep a society balanced. Nowadays we can't expect nothing but the worse about people in general. Corruption, abusive of power from the government institutions; Eager and exploitation from big corporations; Lack of respect and individualism from each being in the society. The world will granade itself not too long from now. No matter how baffled we might feel about it, the end conclusion is that is all out of our control, it is a tragic situation.

[@cmv8722]

As long as the 2nd amendment exists, it’s not completely out of our control.

[@DrBananananananananananananana]

Heck yeah I just quit driving for cooking. My quality of life skyrocketed after quitting my otr job.

[@David-t4m8m]

Very true, Thanks for the video

[@poireauer6517]

👍👍👍 Thanks , Dave

[@Trashslinger007]

Love your videos and input

[@burtcampbell1452]

THANK YOU DAVE

[@colinelliott8768]

Wish you'd do a segment on this. You have a loyal following. It isn't just transportation now but it really hits hard(er) with it specifically. What I'm noticing because it's bloody obvious and "going viral" now looking for options? No company will say this out loud. But they aren't interested in hiring experienced Canadian drivers if they can take advantage of the LMIA program in Canada and get a govt subsidized payroll instead along with the other corporate DEI compliance reward/punishment structures in place now. Other than the work like flatbed that doesn't appeal to the demographic already causing too many problems because of the workload and unforgiving nature if you get it wrong? Work they simply refuse to do. There ain't much now especially with major conglomerates buying up companies and playing by their own rules. That's bad. But what a LOT of companies are doing now is demanding highly specific personal data from "applicants" they have NO intention of hiring anyway as "required fields" on their now exclusively online hiring platforms up front or the application process won't even happen. That data has become a major revenue stream for companies selling it to data brokers. And if you give your "consent" to have the application submitted? They are off the hook completely if you find out later your identity was stolen because that data got into the wrong hands. Even if you traced it back to them. Anyone who's ever been insured by Bel Air Direct/Desjardins should be paying attention to a case in QC now where a company insider sold off the personal info of an undisclosed # of customers to an organized crime group and netted $8.1 million doing so. I seriously doubt anyone affected will be contacted and informed of where the initial data breach occured. Now? The simple act of looking for work can co$t you everything you worked for. And companies are getting away with it.

[@kennethd9344]

I thought myself I was handed the keys and left. And I loved it 1975

[@CrashRebootL3]

Wow you said it right.

[@satxser]

Correct.

[@twodogs9961]

Trucking is a joke today. There are very damn few guys on the road today that I would call a 'truck driver'. Almost all these trucks out there are automatics so that literally anyone can steer one down the road. There is no common courtesy between drivers anymore. A great many of them are road ragers. I've always been a flatbed driver and today I work for a manufacturing company that hauls their own product and nothing else. It's a semi local job and it's a damn good gig. I don't have any of the hassles of weight issues, or parking issues or hard appointments, or anything else the average driver has to deal with. No more over the road driving for me anymore. Been there, done that. I'm just hoping that I can last a few more years with this job until I'm able to retire, or partially retire anyway. The economy is very shaky. I drive an ugly modern Freightliner, but that's ok because it's just a job to me now. Trucking used to be alot of fun, but it isn't anymore. It's just a job and I'm hoping to be done with it in a few years.

[@billliethen2148]

That would be why we see trucks rear ending other trucks now days

[@alphadriver104]

Working for a company with over 100 drivers, you WILL be just a number guaranteed. You will be treated the same even if you perform better than most, and you will be replaced without any remorse at all because there are more than enough drivers and beginners every day.

[@willieverusethis]

The same has happened to a lot of great jobs. The loss of unions and the expansion of corporate ownership has destroyed both the independent owners and the working classes. We all have less autonomy, work longer hours, fill out more paperwork, are more closely supervised, and make less money.

[@jbone9900]

The devalue of work

[@robertellison4691]

I drove over the road from 1982-1990. I quit trucking because I thought that it was a lousy job even then.

[@VanceBrown-r7v]

The thing about what happened to trucking industry is the same situation that happened in manufacturing, cost cutting has created a race to the bottom!! In other words, the new modern day of slavery!!

[@gerardomendoza9688]

Sometimes I regret being a Truck driver and feel like breaking mi CDL in half toss it in the trash, It's not worth the years of driving experience in this crap like a slave doing nothing for me and making others richer.. now that "Going to jail for your truck driving job" thing C'mon we are all already in jail on wheels what worse can thay do to us drivers I ain't afraid of no cop or no jail this is it here in trucking...

[@mikesc9418]

I think people still use a CB radios in construction or mining

[@fu2419]

Always disagreed with calling it deregulation, it is easy entry. We have more regulation since "deregulation" than ever & as you said back when we had a basis for rates everyone did well. How many companies that were high paying places to work at, around it seemed forever just went by the wayside after this? I can think of a bunch, Plus the increased costs as you say, that truck you have would be more than double what you paid for it to replace it with one of the remaining 389s.

[@johnberry8117]

If you do the math a company trucker living on the road barely makes over $5 an hour these days! & then the mega carriers wonder why they can’t retain anyone.There are 168 hours in a week. If a driver takes home $1000 and you divide that by 168 it equals $5.95 an hour! Now out of that comes Overpriced Food, scale fees, tolls, etc. The bottom line is you’re always broke, pissed off, tired & totally disgusted & nobody cares. Especially the Carriers!😂

[@russellhorn7437]

Back in 72, all I had to do to get my chauffers license was answer ten questions. Later on when the CDL came along I was grandfathered in. Back then the equipment sucked, no power steering, no heated mirrors, in most cases no air conditioning. The equipment has come a long way, but the drivers have gone to shit. Too many from the former soviet union. All that enforced Gov. regulation, and it has just gotten worse and much more dangerous on the highways. Deregulation ruined trucking, as well as the airlines.

[@danielnelson9373]

Jacket on, snow falling in August? You live in the north pole? 😄

[@kennethd9344]

If you’re not blowing black smoke down both sides of the trailer you’re not trucking ❤

[@assadbarakzai5921]

I never go to ta.

[@barco581]

Would like to see your comments on the recent video on here, "Tractor Trailer BIG RIG parking in NYC, DIFFICULTY LEVEL: EXTREME" My guess is you would say, nope, not going there, and for good reason!

[@bobbygriffin4295]

Do you still drive?

[@Bill-cb4bh]

No unions then the corporations take advantage

[@johnstabler4506]

This seems like natural progression of the industry. Young kids don’t mind not talking and being introverted and being filmed and monitored ect… All labor is going to go to the robots one day and universal income will be the norm but in the mean time use what technology you can to bank while it lasts. The entire idea of a workforce is going away and that’s actually good cause all work sucks, we were meant to only enjoy life but the money system in slaved us to the idea of showing value for your actions or products. There is still money to be made while we still use money is the point. Missing the old days is what we old people do but accepting the new ways is what new people do. So trucking will be one loadboard to rule them all and trucks running with just overseer’s monitoring on camera, mechanic robots going out to fix them roadside monitored by other people on cameras or even AI monitoring it all, powered air ect…. Until the day the robots finally say we got this you don’t have to do anything ever again. ( the day we’re finally free as a human race from the money system) Go use the tech to move things around the country in unique ways. Not adopting the technology and missing the old days and bitching online won’t help you. It’s gona get bad before it gets worse but when companies that are automated can’t sell products to people because no one has a job then there’s only one choice and that’s everything is free. point is long way off and still plenty of time to get some coin. look forward not backward.

[@TheGuitar1962]

Every negative facet of trucking came from unelected bureaucrats. All should be voided.

[@michaelmohrmann]

OK, it seems I can't finish watching this video without getting upset. I'd like to suggest everyone come together... The government, drivers, student drivers, driving instructors, freight management, freight clerks, law enforcement, and the general public. Everyone should come together and(try to understand)the situation. There should be less confusion and competition. There should be more co-operation, camaraderie, and a mutual understanding between everyone involved within the industry. Everyone should stand up and support the drivers, who spend many hours away from their families, as well as each other. Now what I'm posting here might seem silly. But, hey... You know what? I DON'T CARE!! >:( The industry has gone to the crapper! And we(Yes, I'll gladly include myself)only have ourselves to blame for this mess! I'll gladly include myself as at one time I had a career plan to drive a truck. At that time, it seemed like the only other job I'd be qualified for outside of working as a janitor. College was never an option for me. And now, I'm probably too sick, too tired, and too weak to pursue that career. I honestly hope my angry rant will initiate lots of very badly needed changes within the industry... But somehow, I very seriously doubt it. *SIGH!!* P.S. Would the Smart Trucking gentleman please send me a PM A.S.A.P.? Thank you, sir.

[@CarysCorner]

Hard to believe that there was an industry that benefited from government regulation. Now the government is bought an paid for by the shippers…

[@assadbarakzai5921]

Driver pay is the same as it was 10 years ago

[@mikekahl4745]

Nobody has benefited from more government control. Government has to make new regulations to justify their existence even if it doesn't make sense.

[@clarkebryantjr6793]

What if decadias ghost rises all the mergers

[@Fer-jd5fh]

I think trucking should be a hobby now, go drive nice riggs just because you like it

[@Gonzo_Bubb]

1st

[@alphadriver104]

After hearing all this: what's the point of becoming a truck driver these days? You're gone for days, weeks from family, friends, etc, so then you can get 2 days home. You're LIVING in a box 24/7 pretty much, while eating junk from truck stops and your health deteriorates daily. All this and more for what, for minimum wage or maybe a little above that? Tell me another industry/job that pays this bad for so many hours of work!? After 10 years in this industry, I don't believe it's worth it. If you do it by the books, you will only be able to take care of yourself and a pat while living in the truck and in their nice headquarters. 👎👎

[@sweengeppetto1915]

It's a step above being homeless.

[@backlash370]

The population was weakened by the dismissal of good FATHERS.

[@vh4504]

HEY SUPREME COURT, DO YOU KNOW HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CORPORATIONS AND PEOPLE! ONE WORD " FAMILY" NOW YOU SAY FAMILY, YEP!!!!! FAMILY IS " PEOPLE". FAMILY FOR CORPORATIONS IS DOLLAR BILL!!!!!$$$$$$$$!$!$!$!$!$$!!!$!$!$!$$!

[@clarkmorgan1151]

Truck driving has gone to hell

[@Bill-cb4bh]

Thank the government thank the big corporations thank the weak Americans

[@mrcrowleyoz]

lazy

[@Bill-cb4bh]

Greed

[@swamprat69er]

Well, my 50 year trucking career has come to an end. I started hauling gravel with a single axle dump truck and ended hauling super 'B' trains hauling liquid asphalt (tar). The past 38 years I've been hauling tar. Although I like the company I work for, it has gone downhill since the owner died and his son sold us out to foreigners. I guess I am officially 'retired'. It sucks, but that is the way it is.