"Dime a Dozen" Copyright Sandy Long

How many times have you heard that truck drivers are a ‘dime a dozen’ or that a monkey could be taught to drive a truck? Drivers make these statements with tongue in cheek, but unfortunately some companies say the same thing dead seriously. Though many of those same companies that for years thought this way are finding that filling their truck’s seats with dime a dozen drivers is becoming impossible, the misconception that it takes no real skill to drive a truck is rampant.

Part of this belief is reinforced by our designation as unskilled along with agricultural workers under the Labor Laws thereby not covering us under the 40 hour work week nor the minimum wage laws. This is perpetuated by the training regulations of the FMCSA.

FMCSA regulations only require that:

§ 380.503 Entry-level driver training requirements.

Entry-level driver training must include instruction addressing the following four areas:

(a) Driver qualification requirements. The Federal rules on medical certification, medical examination procedures, general qualifications, responsibilities, and disqualifications based on various offenses, orders, and loss of driving privileges part 391, subparts B and E of this subchapter).

(b) Hours of service of drivers. The limitations on driving hours, the requirement to be off-duty for certain periods of time, record of duty status preparation, and exceptions (part 395 of this subchapter). Fatigue countermeasures as a means to avoid crashes.

(c) Driver wellness. Basic health maintenance including diet and exercise. The importance of avoiding excessive use of alcohol.

(d) Whistleblower protection. The right of an employee to question the safety practices of an employer without the employee's risk of losing a job or being subject to reprisals simply for stating a safety concern (29 CFR part 1978).

[69 FR 29404, May 21, 2004]§ 380.509 Employer responsibilities.

§ 380.509 Employer responsibilities.

(a) Each employer must ensure each entry-level driver who first began operating a CMV requiring a CDL in interstate commerce after July 20, 2003, receives training required by

380.503

Of course an entry level driver must pass a driving test to get his/her cdl. Other than the above, there is no mention of extensive on the road training for an entry level driver.

Companies are wanting to bring in foreign workers to fill the seats of their empty trucks, empty perhaps due to low wages, poor home time and unrealistic advertisements of working conditions. Some trucking organizations are fighting to get the FMCSA to toughen the entry level requirements possibly going to an apprenticeship type of training programs instead of/or in conjunction with the current cdl mills rampant in the industry. Others want the designation of truckers as unskilled changed to skilled thinking that by this, companies would gain a greater appreciation of a driver’s abilities and skills.

There is no clear answer to the problem of the perception of trucking as an easy job that anyone can do.

As drivers, we know that many can ‘herd’ a truck down the road and maybe not kill themselves or someone else…for a while, but we also know that to continue in the industry and be productive and safe, the job requires proper training on the company’s part and learning ability and attitude by the driver. A good driver maintains a good attitude, has stamina and a good work ethic. Reading and writing skills are a must as are mathematical and spatial skills. Speaking the English language is not only necessary to communicate with shippers and receivers, but also law enforcement and the public in general.

Learning the rules and regulations, safety and being able to drive defensively and offensively to plan ahead for emergencies is not necessary an easy task. How to travel in different weather conditions and over extreme terrain is an absolute necessity. These skills are not only learned from a book, they are learned by actually doing the job with an experienced driver doing the teaching, not a simulator in a classroom.

Trucking is a tough, dangerous job and unskilled drivers won’t last long in it. Good truckers are always learning and fine tuning their skills as regulations change and as the industry and the country as a whole changes with increased traffic and differences in state laws.

Steering wheel holders may be a dime a dozen and I am still waiting to see a monkey driving a truck, but a true truck driver is a highly skilled professional who takes his or her job seriously. The industry is in a state of flux but one thing will never change, a good truck driver is worth their weight in gold, they never can be found for ‘a dime a dozen‘.

Ya’ll be safe!