When Trucks Stop America Stops

Everyone knows that the economy is bad right now. With this article I will try to show how seriously it affects the road transport industry.

Most trucking companies pay their drivers per mile, some pay a % of the value of the load. So basically, when we don’t move, we don’t get paid. There are exceptions to that: we receive layover pay after the first 24 hours, this is about 1/4 of what could be earned if we were moving cargo.

I delivered on Tuesday in Baton Rogue, Louisiana at 1:00 pm I went to the nearest truck stop to wait for my next load. At 3:00 pm my dispatcher told me to go to Houston, Tx. as there were no loads available to me in Baton Rogue. While en route to Houston, I received freight information for a load from Houston to Sorrento, La. approximately 284 miles empty and 296 loaded. It was to be delivered Thursday morning. That cargo was canceled before it could get there. The next load was from Austin, Tx. to Allentown, Pa. 428 empty and 1649 loaded, this load also cancelled. Right now I am very upset to say the least. Now I have sat Tuesday through Thursday without earning any pay to speak. My next load, which I am on, was for pickup in Houston on Friday and delivery Monday in Greenville, SC. 284 miles empty and 933 loaded. (empty miles are from Baton Rogue to Houston) This means I will end this week with 1,200 miles less than I normally do and 1,500 less than I intend. It really hurts my paycheck.

Everything you buy has been delivered in a moment by truck, trains and ships can’t deliver to stores, so when truck loads slow down or stop, the economy is already in trouble. Another sign is when trucking companies stop hiring drivers. This industry typically has a 110% turnover in drivers so they are hiring all the time just to keep the trucks full. None of the major carriers that I know of are hiring. Several carriers are consolidating their cargo routes and closing terminals. As the load computation progresses, the price per mile, which is paid for hauling, will drop. WHEN THE TRUCKS STOP, AMERICA STOPS The produce found at your nearest store doesn’t come from your local farmer, but from Texas, California, Florida, Oklahoma, and even Mexico, just to name a few. And it’s the same with every single thing in that store. I will try to keep this post alive so that those who are interested can follow along. Thank you