Nation Catching On To Consequences Of Truck Driver Shortage

One company, Sisu Energy, believing the driver shortage will last for years and will affect more than gasoline, is offering experienced drivers $14,000 a week in pay to lure them to the company.

When this story came out I was more than curious. For a company driver, it made no sense economically. I know drivers think they are worth a lot of money, but there are market forces at work that don't get easily manipulated. For one company to stand out like this didn't make sense. I did a little digging and found out that this company doesn't even have any company drivers. That 14,000 dollar lure was a number thrown out there as a potential revenue number that an owner operator could turn if they were really getting it done in an amazing way. That's right. They are looking for drivers, but they want those same drivers to provide their own truck and pay their own expenses. They want Owner/Operators. According to my calculations, there would need to be two drivers to a truck to be able to turn that $14,000 dollar revenue number into a reality. Of course that number is a revenue number only. I could take a guess at the expenses, but I won't.

I reached out to pilot flying j because they're hiring in my area. 23/hr 1730 to 0530. The hours suck and the money isn't great. I'd do it if it were 0530 to 1730, but for those hours I would need to be paid more.

Sheetz is looking for tankers. Pay is about $29hr. About what FXF pays City Drivers. Have no idea what the bennies are. Might be worth looking into.

I reached out to pilot flying j because they're hiring in my area. 23/hr 1730 to 0530. The hours suck and the money isn't great. I'd do it if it were 0530 to 1730, but for those hours I would need to be paid more.

Sheetz is looking for tankers. Pay is about $29hr. About what FXF pays City Drivers. Have no idea what the bennies are. Might be worth looking into.

Right now with the incentive bonuses I make every month (and we don't have a fuel bonus program), I'm seeing 67 CPM gross as a company driver pulling a dry van. With the yearly profit sharing money I see each year, I can safely state that I'm actually making better than 70 CPM.

I've been hearing and seeing a lot of radio and billboard ads about hiring drivers, new higher pay, better benefits ect ect.

Hopefully the increase in competition to get the few available drivers will result in industry wide pay hikes, it kinda seems to be happening already.

I reached out to pilot flying j because they're hiring in my area. 23/hr 1730 to 0530. The hours suck and the money isn't great. I'd do it if it were 0530 to 1730, but for those hours I would need to be paid more.

Sheetz is looking for tankers. Pay is about $29hr. About what FXF pays City Drivers. Have no idea what the bennies are. Might be worth looking into.

Sheetz isn't bad, Speedway and Sunoco are good too. Sunoco drivers are mid thirties around here. If the nights aren't good for you though, probably shouldn't even look at fuel hauling. Pretty much guaranteed you'll start at night anywhere you go-it's the nature of the beast in this game. That being said though.....I was leery about working nights too, until I did it. At this point (and having done this job on days for a few month filling in), you'd have to pay me more to go to days. I've turned down several day positions simply because this job is so enjoyable at night. Everything that sucks about fuel hauling, disappears when the sun goes down.