Heard you in the Oddlots podcast and really enjoyed it! I’m embarrassed to admit I had never thought about a lot of the issues with the trucking industry and how it so badly needs an overhaul to be more fair for drivers and create better opportunities in the industry. I look forward to learning more on your Substack!
Thanks for this, always good to know how things are different over there, and how they're the same. We got a similar kind of thing going on over this side of the pond. The "Road Haulage Association" and "Logistics UK" (previously the "Freight Transport Association". The switch to a more managerial name tell you all you need to know) really no nothing for drivers. It's interesting how truckers seem to have roughly the same complaints all over the World. Hmmm...
I'm still trying to think through the "driver shortage" issue, which, as I've said in one of my posts, is a problem around the World. I know that some trucking companies here genuinely struggle to find staff, and there are often vehicles sitting idle through lack of drivers. On the other hand, in a true free market, wages should rise and conditions improve to meet demand. There isn't a problem finding hedge-fund analysts or "diversity and inclusion officers", is there? We don't hear of supermarket shelves going empty because of a lack of diversity officers, do we...? The pay and conditions of these jobs attract people, it's dead simple.
The answer must be because we don't have a true free-market for our labour, and there must be a reason for that. I'm thinking it through, and will probably write an article about it at some point.
Heard you in the Oddlots podcast and really enjoyed it! I’m embarrassed to admit I had never thought about a lot of the issues with the trucking industry and how it so badly needs an overhaul to be more fair for drivers and create better opportunities in the industry. I look forward to learning more on your Substack!
Thanks for this, always good to know how things are different over there, and how they're the same. We got a similar kind of thing going on over this side of the pond. The "Road Haulage Association" and "Logistics UK" (previously the "Freight Transport Association". The switch to a more managerial name tell you all you need to know) really no nothing for drivers. It's interesting how truckers seem to have roughly the same complaints all over the World. Hmmm...
I'm still trying to think through the "driver shortage" issue, which, as I've said in one of my posts, is a problem around the World. I know that some trucking companies here genuinely struggle to find staff, and there are often vehicles sitting idle through lack of drivers. On the other hand, in a true free market, wages should rise and conditions improve to meet demand. There isn't a problem finding hedge-fund analysts or "diversity and inclusion officers", is there? We don't hear of supermarket shelves going empty because of a lack of diversity officers, do we...? The pay and conditions of these jobs attract people, it's dead simple.
The answer must be because we don't have a true free-market for our labour, and there must be a reason for that. I'm thinking it through, and will probably write an article about it at some point.