In the trucking industry today, there is a serious issue building in the background regarding the lack of training that new drivers are receiving prior to starting their new career choice. To minimal fault of their own, new drivers are being thrust into the drivers seat with only a basic understanding of operating trucks, at best. In an eager rush to make money and fill high turnover rates, schools should bear most of the blame for the inadequate training new drivers are receiving before being thrown into the drivers seat. This is not just a recent problem either, since it has been the case for as long as I have been in the industry, if not longer.
The high rate or driver turnover is just one contributing factor in trucking being what it is today, but it is both a cause and effect in itself. You might even say it has created its own monster! It is one of the most important factors in our industry, since a better-prepared driver would ultimately be safer and more prepared for the life that is demanded of them as a trucker. Just being a better-prepared driver and knowing what to expect could lead to a higher rate of retention and less turnover. This issue has weighed heavily on me lately, as I recently began getting more and more warehouse personnel that I deal with asking me how they could get into the position of being a driver themselves.
Most of the warehouse workers I deal with are just a step above the temporary labor that some warehouses hire during the seasonal rush. They work long hours of hard labor loading and unloading and are typically compensated at low wage levels. Due to only seeing drivers from a one-sided perspective, these people I deal with often have a diluted sense of the job we do as drivers. This is the same diluted image that a lot of prospective new drivers come to school with for the first time. I have often thought, “Maybe there is a way to make a "driving school" a "trucking success school" instead!” Much to no avail, this idea doesn’t seem to have caught much wind in its sails, as the driver mills and schools continue to pump out more and more under-qualified and un-prepared drivers into the industry. This is the reason I mentioned before that most of the blame should lie with the schools and not their victims.
Your typical accredited schools these days, in an effort to maximize profit, teach little more than the basics required for passing your CDL exam. Many do not even consider teaching the more important principles of life on the road. Once out of schools, most new-driver training programs for untrained drivers only teach the basics of their individual ways of operating and not an overall overview of what to expect in within the industry. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were classes divided up into subjects such as “Truck Maintenance 101” or “Managing On-Road Expenses 101”? Unfortunately, more often than not, you get little more than one novice driver trainer teaching a newcomer their methods of stumbling through things as they went along. The vicious cycle continues on down the line as the newcomer becomes the new driver trainer shortly after, and the next after them, etc.
I am glad to have a lot of the people interested in what I do come to me directly with their questions. Team Run Smart has offered to me, amongst other things, a forum for helping others in this manner. When I was younger, I was always criticized for being a kid who asked too many questions (yes, I was that kid). It is because of this that I hold to the principle that the only stupid questions are the ones that don’t get asked! If you are an enthusiast of the trucking industry and are considering getting into the career of being a driver, or are already a new driver in the industry yourself, ask those who do it for a living for advice. A driver that thinks there is nothing to learn is only in denial because even to this day, I learn new ways to become more successful all the time. Talk directly to successful drivers, with the emphasis on “successful”, since they are the ones more likely to steer you in the right direction. Also, do not get me wrong, I do recommend an accredited school for learning to operate a truck if you have never done so. Just be sure to plan for this career as you would for any other you aim to be successful in and be sure to get all the facts before jumping in. Strive to go above the norm and learn what it really takes to be the successful driver you want to be. Things can get bumpy on the road to success in this industry, so be prepared with the help of the Team Run Smart professionals and pros here to help you along the way!
Plan Smart, Think Smart, Run Smart!