Thread: Big Trucking Wants Permanent Foreign Drivers

Thursday, September 7, 2006

Schneider President Calls for More, Permanent Foreign Drivers

The president and CEO of one of the nation’s largest trucking companies today called on Congress to allow foreigners to make up for the supposed shortage of truck drivers in the U.S.

Testifying before the House Highway Subcommittee, Schneider National’s Christopher Lofgren pitched that idea. Mr. Lofgren proposed expanding the number of visas that trucking companies may use to import foreign drivers and making those visas permanent. Some trucking companies in the U.S. are already using temporary H2-B visas to fill seats with cheaper labor from countries around the globe.

Rod Nofziger, OOIDA’s director of government affairs, was in the committee room when Lofgren made his proposal.

“The No. 1 thing that (Lofgren) did talk about is this supposed ‘driver crisis,’ or the shortage of long haul truckers,” Nofziger said. “He suggested, as a solution to the ‘driver crisis,’ expanding the number of visas that can be issued for foreign truck drivers and also making those visas permanent.

“This is a good indication of where (big motor carriers) are heading – that is, looking overseas for cheap labor.”

One member of the committee – Rep. John Boozman, R-AR – suggested that, instead of importing drivers from other countries, trucking companies should look inside the U.S. for more drivers, and cited military retirees as one possible labor pool.

– by Reed Black – Land Line magazine

Why should we let immigrants in for driving a truck? I cannot believe that they want to give them permanent residence. At this time there is a nursing shortage and registered nurses from Canada cannot get permanent residence but only work visas.
It is hard to believe that they cannot get enough truck drivers unless the pay is so bad that no legal in their right mind would work for such low wages.

Swatchik, you are so right. I find it hard to believe that there is a driver shortage.
Maybe this company should focus on the fuel crisis to help lower the price of gas. I would imagine like many other transport companies that their fuel costs are certainly bringing their margins much closer. I know there are man other variables in this equation, but fuel is a big one.

It sounds too outlandish to be true, but the big "truckload" trucking companies in the U.S. have turnover rates north of 120%. How can you have a 'shortage' yet have turnover rates like that? This whole 'driver shortage' thing that they have been campaigning on just seems to be proactive justification for bringing in foreign drivers.

Check the stocks, big trucking companies are rolling in record profits despite fuel prices. Now they want cheap, exploitable labor . . . greed, plain and simple.

They have squeezed the truckers out with the cheap illegals.

Dixie

This is more big business BS. The effect of this would probably be to drive all independent truck drivers out of business.

As with so many other businesses they want cheap. There are some that don't leave the driver much to live on and that's why there's a supposid shortage. Left to them.....they'd be happy to leave you with nothing more than a bit for food while you live in the truck. (some companies....not all)

They need to get to doing something about this business of the stock market and increasing profit for the big business owner, before they start bringing more in.

Hey, you can hardly blame them! Hasn't it become obvious that almost every business/corporation owner/CEO wants a piece of the "cheap labor" pie? A lot of our other industries are practically stumbling all over themselves trying to lobby Congress for way to import and keep (amnesty) "cheap labor", why shouldn't the trucking industry join in too?

This country is so headed in the wrong direction, it's not even funny!

These trucking companies want drivers to stay on the road for 6-8 weeks at a time. Most them would only get home every 2-3 months and the pay is lousy. The government needs to make them change their rules and increase the pay. A married man with children cannot stay on the road for 2-3 months at a time, so that only leaves single men or women to work these jobs and live a lonely life in a truck without seeing any relatives for weeks on end. It is also dangerous to the public to bring foreigner's in to do these jobs that may not go by the strict rules that truckers have been given by the dot or be able to read road signs, rules, etc. They are not talking about driving a car here, these big trucks are dangerous and not everyone can drive them, the driver has to be very attentive, the trucks will not stop like a car. Most foreign driver's would not be use to driving on snow and ice and this could be fatal to other driver's in the winter because these companies truck coast to coast. This is why they refer to truck driver's as professional driver's. Where are the Mother's Against Drunk Driver's and groups like that that have fought so hard to get the stiff rules for truckers? All this company would have to do is get it's driver's home more often and they wouldn't have any problem getting driver's. There is no excuse for putting a driver in a truck to live for 6-8 weeks at a time. They need to improve working conditions instead of asking for foreign workers.

I agree with sawdust 100% The working conditions suck. My 2 brothers have driven trucks to help out our uncle who owns a small scale trucking company. They will only do it when he needs more drivers and has a load that has to be delivered. My brothers are both single and will not do it full time as they get lonely being on the road for extended periods of time.