Loss of talent

[DMiller]

I know I have written on this before, but is getting where the news is starting to push on that button harder. Seems trucking is losing talented operators at a alarming rate, like for every four leaving(retired, illnesses, tired of overwork) one EFFECTIVE operator comes in. Seeing it in ALL the trades to an excess now while all us Old Farts keep on keeping on yet we only have so long before we have to walk away. Ford dealer and Deere dealer here where I live, body shops, trucking, excavating companies are all hurting. And to add a log on the fire I have been told being somewhat broken, at "My Age" will be problematic to find work. Now ain't that a kick in the teeth, try to remain in the work force and they tell me not worth my salt, really.

Is there ANYTHING WE can do, anyway we can stir emotion for the work to keep kids from becoming absolutely useless? To keep ourselves active and able to teach the little Millennials HOW to work for a decent living?

 

[Truck Shop]

The company I work for suffers the same problem and we have no answers for it.

Truck Shop

 

[DMiller]

We as the bearers of the flame need to come up with something I suspect as the Great Giant Brains out there really have no clue where to start. I am not the sharpest tool in the shed and as I age the edge wears a little duller, all the big mucky mucks think College is the answer, degree for whatever makes you smarter than the 'Old Guys' so you will do better, I do not and will never agree to that.

 

[92U 3406]

I can't speak for the American school system but the Canadian school system drills college into you at a very young age. I've always got the impression that society deems you a failure if you don't at least have some kind of degree.

There are a lot of possible reasons. I think one of the big barriers to kids getting into trades is they have to "earn" an apprenticeship. This usually entails an indefinite amount of time doing some **** job like equipment washing or some other dirty job no one else wants to do. While I agree one must prove their worth and pay their dues, you can't blame an 18 year old for not wanting to waste their time slaving away in a washbay in hopes they "might" get an apprenticeship if one comes up. Sometimes these kids are stuck there for 3 or 4 years before they get offered an apprenticeship.

 

[DMiller]

We started hiring recent grads out of the State Tech school here in MO at the plant I worked. Those kids had to complete a Assoc Degree program to graduate where entry level at the facility was grunt, janitor, groundsmen and general lumper, a few came in then became angry the apprentice program was by seniority and they would HAVE TO do these menial tasks as well educated as they were while awaiting a opening. Well most are no longer there, failure to perform duties, failure to adhere to scheduling(attendance), use of private electronics during work hours(sitting on their butts playing on I-phones) or general insubordination(refusing to work). Is a shame as they could have worked into some really good paychecks, we are hearing that horror story from all across the industry.

Most on here started on the ground running, power washing and being inundated with goo dirt or other associated nastiness. We all did work seemingly demeaning but we survived and I propose are better skilled for it.

 

[Crummy]

I've had my CDL for 6 months now and currently drive for [Swift, CRST, Schneider...] and am ready to make the jump to Heavy Haul 13-axle for the big $$$. What companies are hiring that don't do hair follicle testing?
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Many moons ago when I was an operator the foreman that broke in the new worms had an apprentice that didn't understand the term "teamwork is everybody doing what I say". He took him back to the yard and gave him a hot saw, 5 gal of fuel, and a 20' stick of DI- "cut this thing into 2" Dutchmen- all of it". Next day, hand dig- painted a rectangle handed him a shovel "when you wear this one out, call me I'll bring you a new one". One day 2 apprentices doing a thrust block using sack-crete, they didn't stack them by the edge of the hole or even get them out of the back of the truck- they asked him if he could get them for them, "no problem guys" and proceeded to pitch them into the hole with a foot of water in it SplashSplashSplash! Funny stuff. I don't think you could run a crew like that these days, peoples feelings and all.

 

[mowingman]

What is wrong with hair folicle testing? It is said to be very accurate. If you don't use, or have not used drugs recently, there should be no concern on your part about what type of drug testing is used.
I agree about today's young adults. As a part time school bus driver, I look at the students who are graduating from high school and think, "God help us all when these folks start running things".

 

[John C.]

The young ones coming up have to get to work doing something. Who is going to pay for our social security if they don't?

 

[Crummy]

What is wrong with hair folicle testing? It is said to be very accurate. If you don't use, or have not used drugs recently, there should be no concern on your part about what type of drug testing is used.

Exactly! But that question is asked all the time.

My friend says his biggest problems hiring are drug testing ("but it's legal in Washington to use pot"- not with a CDL Skippy), expecting to go into the nicest truck not the hand-me-down, expecting to get a seat in the 345 and not the #2 backhoe when the ad is for "Laborers", and a "flexible" work schedule.
BUT
He also has one other big problem- he doesn't want to pay enough to attract someone with XX years of experience and/or went through 4000hrs OJT and every Tues/Thurs on your own time classroom training to get a card. "I just don't have enough to pay someone that much". You get what you pay for buddy. And the talent slowly drains away.....

 

[92U 3406]

Maybe this one is just me but I think that this "Apply online" trend is hurting a lot of a company's ability to find good workers. Anyone can write up a complete B.S. resume and get an interview (with an HR rep who has likely never even seen a piece of construction equipment). I've probably submitted a hundred online applications in my life. Never one single response. If I walk into a shop with my resume and Journeyman papers and speak with the service manager directly, I've usually got an offer letter in my email within 2 weeks. I think that by removing the service manager or shop foreman from the hiring/interview process, a lot of companies are skipping over many talented individuals. Or they're hiring people who don't mesh well with the current workforce.

 

[DMiller]

I never had luck with distanced applications, personal attention to detail was always the best. Took fifteen years of patience and renewing my application at Union Electric Co to gain a entry level job. They needed mechanics yet were in a hiring freeze as had too many employees in the shops. The late 70's early 80's were the BAD years of EEOC, the companies out there hired predominantly minorities or those from the 'Less Fortunate' roles of life to give them a break and a chance to better themselves. I can honestly state, when I accepted the option of a 'Temporary, Full Time Interim Mechanic' I had no idea who I would **** off. When I arrived for the initial testing the HR department looked my list of positions over and picked a written test, I almost aced that one. next step a interview with the Shops manager, he dragged a box of aged mostly obsolete parts from under his desk and had me ID them. I almost aced that one, missed a few year spans on some pieces but he was aware I knew A LOT of machines. Next was a impromptu request to one line a basic air brake system, handed him a labeled, full layout he said looked like came out of a service manual, did not tell him I actually studied air brakes pretty hard to keep ahead of the curve did not need to.

Next and last test was to arrive at the shop I would be working in, day hours, meet the day shop foreman and the crew in the garage and take a two day try to stump the duck testing.
Well end of first day I was told I had the job, had already completed BOTH days events and passed but had to show back up next day for show and tell with the other staff.

Turned out, there were thirty seven Mechanics Helpers, that had taken these tests mostly on in house based process machines, MULTIPLE TIMES and failed, repeatedly, miserably. They saw me as a White, Privileged Job Stealer, even as they COULD not never tried to learn push hard enough to learn what they needed to pass the tests. Felt those stares for almost two years when opted to move over to Power Generation, Nuclear. Passed those tests where a group of Navy Nukes did not, they felt I stole their God Given Right jobs.

 

[Kiwi-truckwit]

It's a real problem here too, for the same reasons already mentioned. So the "solution" to the problem is to bring in immigrant drivers, even though many of them can't back a trailer (one company in particular has guys driving around in utes, reversing tipper truck and trailers into sites that the truck Steerers can't do) or perhaps don't even have a license - not so long ago there was a scandal where an immigrant working at a licensing centre was selling heavy vehicle licenses to his fellow countrymen. The bigger picture issue with that is, often these people are working illegally, so get paid less than minimum wage, which is causing responsible operators to shut the doors as they can't compete with prices.
Our road toll is raising year by year, and trucks are involved in more crashes. Worrying times.

 

[Graham1]

Maybe this one is just me but I think that this "Apply online" trend is hurting a lot of a company's ability to find good workers. Anyone can write up a complete B.S. resume and get an interview (with an HR rep who has likely never even seen a piece of construction equipment). I've probably submitted a hundred online applications in my life. Never one single response. If I walk into a shop with my resume and Journeyman papers and speak with the service manager directly, I've usually got an offer letter in my email within 2 weeks. I think that by removing the service manager or shop foreman from the hiring/interview process, a lot of companies are skipping over many talented individuals. Or they're hiring people who don't mesh well with the current workforce.

When hiring is removed from people who actually know the job and the team to “professionals” things seem to go wrong pretty rapidly. Why big companies think an outsider knows more about what you want from an employee than the line manager I have no idea, but over here middle management has been so hollowed out the few left have no time to do their job let alone spend time on recruitment and it is showing.
Graham

 

[Hobbytime]

its not just in trucking or equipment operation, its across ALL the hands on trades, plumbing, carpenter, mason, electrician and the list goes on forever..

 

[DMiller]

I call the unable to properly operate a truck here "Herders", they just drive the Herd toward the goal!! Used to be a stand alone drayage freight company here called Roadway or "Big R" Always kidding about the drivers thinking the 'R' on the Gearshift knob or shift pattern was for the company name as they never used that position!!

 

[DMiller]

Is not looking good all across trade and as far as I am aware is pretty much worldwide in the developed nations. Except China.

 

[check]

When I find that someone has a degree in something, it tells me he has a good memory and ability to stick to it, but it doesn't mean he's "smart" or able to reason and think for himself, let alone accomplish anything. A degree means "I have been indoctrinated".

The lack or work ethic today is a symptom of a much larger problem, IMO. They don't get work ethic from teevee nor from college.

 

[92U 3406]

On the plus side though it will hopefully be a seller's market for the young folks who do actually have their ducks in a row.

 

[Truck Shop]

Well If everyone had a father like mine-Charles W. Flake-First Sargent Master. Entered the army in 1934 at seventeen, drove six horse team pulling munitions and piece till 1938 which
was the last year for horse drawn artillery stationed at Fort Sam Houston. He was a drill instructor till 1941 then reupped into the Army Air Corp. Was shipped out to New Guinea in 1943
where he spent the remainder of WWII came home in 1946. He was a Hard Ass but a very good dad. My two brothers and I learned about hard work early on and being a slacker was
going to get your ass kicked. Honesty with my dad was everything and respect was earned not demanded. I was taught to do the best I could everyday whether I liked what I was doing or not.
One favorite saying he had-pattern after your self don't pattern after others.

Young people have been given to much with out earning it.----Here's to ya dad.

Truck Shop

 

[Jakebreak]

I agree with everything said here kids don’t want to work today out here just like everybody else we’re hurting for good people especially in the plumbing trade all I have mostly done is run a tractor of some sort but I have a class a I can weld and turn a wrench I’m not the best at mechanicin or welding but I can get it done now I’m going through an apprentice program for plumbing when it’s all done I will be able to do just about everything in the field that our company does I have had to do a lot of labor jobs and grunt work hell I still do it but it has taken me along time to put my time in to get where I’m at I’m still learning to better my self for my family my brothers never had to work like I did they still want everything handed to them