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Trucking Reality
The trucking industry is ruthless and demanding with a high failure rate and merciless odds. After clearing tremendous overhead costs in fuel, maintenance and insurance, a huge trucking company — one with, say, 17,000 trucks could profit only a dollar a day per truck, said Henry. His company, with only six trucks, pays nearly $5000 each month in overhead. The industry makes its $255 billion in revenue through sheer volume.
There are two main types of drivers: owneroperators and company drivers. Owner-operators own their own trucks and have more independence. But they must pay for maintenance costs and the $70,000 to $115,000 trucks. Company drivers drive trucks that are owned by their employers. Should a company truck break down on the road, its driver need only call the company to have the damage repaired -- at no personal cost. But company drivers also have less autonomy.
Kit Leffler/ Jayplay photographer
The industry as a whole desperately needs drivers. Henry says there is a shortage of 50,000 drivers, resulting in a new standard of "if you've got a pulse, you're going in a truck." The trucking industry is trying to recruit with the concept "your own boss," hoping to attract drivers to the career, which has no dress code or set hours and pays an average of $32,000 annually.
The turnover rate is high - about 120 percent, according to the American Trucking Association.Truckers complain that larger companies often treat them as mere extensions of the trucks they drive, not considering their individual needs. And truckers suffer from "the grass is always greener" syndrome, says Reyes, leading to an industry-wide habit of frequently switching companies.
The health of drivers takes a hit too. According to a study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 75 percent of truckers are overweight, and 25 percent are obese. Most truck-stop food is just grease in different shapes and colors, accompanied by bottomless
cups of coffee. A typical meal at the Iron Skillet, the "breakfast sandwich platter," comes with two metallic-tasting pancakes, two strips of bacon that are more chewy white fat than glistening
meat and a tough sausage patty. An entire bottle of syrup and generous portions of butter come on the side. Top off a meal like that with a cigarette or 10 and it's a wonder drivers don't expire walking out the door.
Trucking over time
Most middle-aged drivers have plenty of negative things to say about the newer generation. Henry blames the driving schools, who train drivers in
just four or six weeks and seem to instill a "me first" attitude. He recalls that 10 or 15 years ago, when a truck would pull over with a problem, three or four drivers would pull over behind it, offering help. He says a trucker would be the first to stop and help a civilian change a tire or call for help. Stephens says he used to carry scores of spare parts in his truck at all times, just for other people. With roadside crime increasing, however, truckers are making these gestures less often. Nowadays, recalls driver Penny Lowery, one runs the risk of being shot and robbed when pulling over. Kindness is simply too risky.
Truckers are also subject to a Department of Transportation crackdown on drug and alcohol use. Estimations among old-timers vary, but some estimate that any more than 20 years ago, 50 to 70 percent of drivers were on drugs at any given time. Now the Department of Transportation can call a dispatcher at any time and require any driver to stop for a screening.The screenings are frequent; Henry estimates he has a driver being screened every week.
Truck stops have changed, too. They are now called "travel plazas" and have improved features like personal showers, showers for women, even movie theaters and chrome shops. ("A trucker's favorite color is chrome," Henry says.)
The information age has also brought
change to truckers. The portability of televisions, laptops and phones and the tremendous variety of satellite radio have made the road more pleasant for truckers. Recreation is now easier than it has ever been. And the Web offers some great programs.The "trucker buddy" program matches drivers with classrooms across the country.The instructor uses the trucker's route and experiences to teach,and the students send postcards and letters.
But along with advanced entertainment technology comes more relentless tracking and communication devices that often irritate truckers. Company trucks are often fitted with limiting systems that cap the car's velocity at a certain speed. Instant message systems allow companies to contact their drivers at any time, day or night. After being constantly disturbed by his company's dispatcher, Stephens says he cut the wires off his instant message unit and shipped the whole device back to his company.
The industry is also growing more diverse. Traditionally a man's profession, women now make up about 12 percent of all truckers, according to the Newport Communications profile. More than 75 percent of women owner-operators have spouses who also drive trucks.
Penny Lowery is one such woman. She and her husband work for the same company, making it possible for their schedules to correspond. She says that for the most part, men have treated her equally. If they give her "shit," she gives it right back, she says, and that usually takes care of it.
It's not surprising. Truckers have to endure extreme weather and traffic risks. Henry has been through two hurricanes, an earthquake, a flood and a sandstorm. Nine percent of America's annual 41,000 to 45,000 traffic deaths involve a commercial vehicle, according to www.truckinfo.net. More than 80 percent of those accidents are not the fault of the truck drivers. In 1998, 600 truck drivers were killed on the road.
Henry was in many dangerous situations during his 23 years as a driver, but the worst was in 1989 in Dallas. He was driving a tanker truck carrying 8,500 gallons of gas. A woman drove off the on ramp. While swerving to miss her, Henry lost control and rolled his truck. He had seconds to climb out the passenger side window and run before the truck went up in blazes. The explosion made headline news as far away as California, he says. The next day, six drivers quit when they saw what was left of the tanker: a pile the size of a card table. Henry just went back to work.
The industry isn't a gentle one. Truckers are a tough breed. They deal with great struggles — from natural disasters to marital problems — and must do so alone. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that a high percentage of truckers suffer from high blood pressure, high stress levels and a poor diet. They must be self reliant and able to make split-second decisions.
In a world of Google satellite maps
Trucker tunes
Album: "Trucker's Favorite Top 10 Radio Requests"
1. Convoy — C.W. McCall
2. I Believe in You — Don Williams
3. All Alone am I — Brenda Lee
4. Truck Drivin' Man — Red Steagall
5. Coal Miner's Daughter — Loretta Lynn
6. King of the Road — Roger Miller
7. Sweet Home Alabama — Lynyrd Skynyrd
8. Crazy — Patsy Cline
9. Hello Darlin' — Conway Twitty
10. It Only Hurts for a Little While — Margo Smith
A dangerous profession
A 2000 article on www.thecybertruckstop.com says truckers have higher rates of fatal injuries than people in any other profession.
Source: www.amazon.com
and GPS, truckers still maintain a bit of the rugged explorer's lifestyle: they are usually far from home and uncertain what the next bend in the road will bring them. Any trucker will tell you it's a rough life, but there's a reason 3.3 million Americans choose to be drivers. Reyes gets almost sentimental when asked what his favorite aspect of trucking is.
"I'll give you a bullet list," he says, taking a long pull on his Marlboro. "Sunrise in the Rockies. The ocean view in British Columbia.The harbor and ocean along the Atlantic and Canada. Sunset in California."
How to share the road with trucks
- Pass quickly.
- Stay out of blind spots, the areas around a truck that a driver can't see. Blind spots are biggest behind and to the right of the truck. Remember: if you can't see the mirror of the driver, the driver can't see you.
- Give trucks plenty of space, especially when they are coming on or off the highway or stopping.
- Slow down in construction zones. Let other drivers merge when approaching
the zone.
- Stay alert and keep distractions to a minimum.
- Respond appropriately to driving conditions. Slow down and turn on headlights in bad or darkening weather.
- Switch lanes when passing stopped or oncoming safety vehicles.
- Don't drink and drive.
- Wear a safety belt.
Source: www.drivers.com
10 | Jayplay 09.15.05