Recession Leads to Oversupply of Drivers

Recession Leads to Oversupply of Drivers
Sunday Jan 4, 2009

Green Bay firm Schneider National Inc., one of the largest trucking companies in the US, has announced that it will stop training new truck drivers.

Schneider has not limited itself to hiring exclusively experienced drivers since the mid-1980s.

Before the current economic downturn, a nationwide driver shortage prevailed. There was high turnover that drove up pay; thus leaving trucks idle regardless of demand.
This has all changed now as large numbers of trucking companies fail and a greater amount of trucks sit idle. So with fewer options, more truckers are deciding to stay where they are.

According to the American Trucking Association and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, there is no longer a driver shortage but in fact an oversupply. For Schneider, though, due to the low freight volume, it is hardly worth it to spend approximately $8,000 and 45 days to train new drivers vs. $1,500 and 4 days to orient an experienced driver to their company.

Despite being on a downward trend, however,the American Trucking Association reported an increase in monthly freight tonnage for November 2008. Until the economic tide changes, companies can look forward to greater savings and their pick of
experienced drivers looking for work.

Community Partners

Community Partners
August 14, 2008

America – the land of opportunity.

America – the land of community.

Every year, communities across America demonstrate that, underneath the hustle and bustle of everyday life, lay the hearts and souls of millions of hard-working people who recognize the need to give back to their communities a little of what they have received.

Statistics show that volunteerism is on the rise in the U.S. As a result of the partial recession that has struck worldwide, many communities are taking up the slack in social programs that would otherwise be understaffed or non-existent. Also, as gas prices remain high, many people are working together to create solutions to help themselves and others deal with the crisis.

But, beyond donating human resources, America is also a leading country for philanthropy, both private and corporate. Despite sluggish economic indicators in 2007, Americans reached a new record for giving, donating $307 billion to charities, up almost 4 percent from the prior year.

Although corporations only accounted for roughly 5 percent of this philanthropy, it is important to note that behind corporations are people. Many companies have instituted unique corporate programs that attempt to attract increased amounts of donations in various ways. Some create challenges; others institute matching programs. Interesting to note is that charitable giving takes places from small mom-and-pop groceries way up to huge mega-corporations.

A prime example of corporate America helping support local communities is the program initiated and sponsored by the Wal-Mart Foundation and the fleet of private truck drivers that serve Wal-Mart stores in Arkansas.

The Wal-Mart Corporation is a strong supporter of education and supports numerous educational endeavors through its corporate foundation, donating millions of dollars annually for a variety of community educational programs across the nation.

During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (August 24 – 30), private truck drivers for Wal-Mart will be driving extra carefully. The Wal-Mart Foundation has pledged to donate to local schools one cent for every accident-free mile driven by the drivers. Based on last year's program, schools will receive between $1,000 –$5,000. Last year, Wal-Mart transportation offices nationwide contributed more than $150,000 to their community schools.

Wal-Mart is proud of the safety record of their drivers, and is equally proud to be a sponsor of local education programs. Similarly, the truck drivers are equally proud to do their part in supporting education. By working together at a grass roots level, programs like this are a win-win situation for everybody.