To see this shift up close, head 50 miles west of Los Angeles, just off Interstate 10, home to one of the busiest long-haul truck stops in the US. It’s where tired drivers often park their 18-wheelers for the night and eat, shower and relax before hitting the road again. It’s also where you’ll see just how multinational the trucking industry is now because of drivers like Harsharan Singh, originally from Punjab, India.
“I got my license back in 2009, when I came from India. Now, a lot of people from Romania, Yugoslavia, China, Japanese, Russians are coming into this business,” says Singh, who hauls produce all across the Western US and Canada.
Part of the reason behind the shift is that the trucking industry is facing a labor shortage of up to 48,000 drivers, according to the American Trucking Associations. That could balloon to more than 170,000 drivers in the next 10 years.
“The trucking industry is searching for people,” says Justin Lowery, who studies the role of immigrants in US trucking at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Lowery says there is an “aging out” of truck drivers and recent immigrants, willing to work long hours, are filling some of the gap.
More here
8 comments:
There have been cases of trucking transport companies getting stuck with Muslim drivers who refuse to haul alcohol or pork.
This has a lot to do with 2-6 years experience required before any trucking companies will hire you.
Can you just imagine what a terrorist could do with a tank truck full of gasoline driven into a school yard full of children.
1035-And has that EVER happened? No.
11:19 While I don't know about a truck full of gasoline, it wouldn't take much to turn one into a weapon that could kill 1000s of people. Oklahoma City ring a bell? Truck bombings are far too common in the Middle East and it was reported not so long ago that ISIS is building them.
"Anonymous said...
There have been cases of trucking transport companies getting stuck with Muslim drivers who refuse to haul alcohol or pork.
April 28, 2016 at 9:53 AM"
The trucking companies don't care because they are willing to work for very low wages. Trucking companies (as well as other big businesses) recruit them and other immigrants because they will work for slave wages. This allows for these companies to never have to raise wages or give raises. The democrats liberal immigration policies are decimating the middle class. This isn't 1900. We don't need nor should we want any more immigrants coming into this country. Nothing against hard working law biding immigrants but at this point in time they are only doing more harm then good.
Like Monsanto giving into Somalian muslim employees who were taking breaks to pray. They all got fired so they filed a lawsuit. Monsanto immediately hired them all back even breaking their own policy of not hiring back fired employees for 60 days.
The big companies are going to let them have their way because the money they save by paying the low wages is what is most important to them.
It is a "shortage" engineered by the DOT because they are taking hard working experienced drivers off the road for anything they can find,thus freeing up jobs for immigrants.It must be a conspiracy to take jobs from American truckers because the DOT is getting ridiculous on who they let drive.Drivers with ANY medical conditions,even if they are not detrimental to driving,are being screwed at every turn.Oh you can apply for exemptions but they tie you up in bureaucratic hell for months.You send them everything they ask for documentation wise,they turn around and send you another letter telling you they need just one more thing.They give drivers the run around long enough for their CDL to expire and don't give a damn about putting someone out of work for months.You can't tell me that these foreigners abide by the same regulations!!! I am sure our traitorous government agencies give them a free pass.
Post a Comment