Longevity: How long do drivers last in the truck?

different people last differently.
Some people will not make it in trucks.

 

IDK where you come up with your numbers
8-9 months and their burnt out … wow then they should of never signed up for this job

 

I think, people get into driving because they think will make big money. It ends up being lots of work or just all the stuff drivers put up with. I was a trainer for about 2 years a long time ago. Some guys did not like going over big bridges or they wanted to stop and have beer on their birthday.

my current company I thought about quitting but have not yet. The crazy stuff they do, like yesterday I had drop and hook but the shipper didn’t preload trailer. Took them 2 hours to live load. I called dispatch let them now I might be 2 hour late for delivery. They say you can probably still make it if you push it a little and don’t stop. I tell them I might but it’s very tight and 2 extra hour is better since it was not ready to go when I was at shipper. It also makes planning better for everyone if I don’t made it. Let’s keep it simple 505 miles is 24 hours with 10 hour break and the snow and it was windy lots of hill to pull in West Virginia turnpike. My dispatcher still keeps saying see how far you get will see in the morning how it looking.

If I don’t stop to shower or eat or bathroom break much I can make it but it why not keep it simple and me the 2 extra hour driver is happy tell them shipper need to plans thing better.

 

Depends on the company, how they run, and how they are treated.

When I was with CKT in a glider running a paper log most didn't last not even last a month.

I use to jokingly say "we aren't giving you a left lane 389 glider and a paper log so you can run mega fleet miles at your convenience".. We were dispatched like we were in a glider on paper. Better than 3/4's of these new breed types didn't have a clue how to manage time or run.

 

I read, of the new drivers, 50%, that's HALF, quit in the first 6 months, and 25% of the remaining, don't make it a year. The unsettling part is, there was a 19.4% turnover last year, down slightly from a record setting 22.5% in 2022. With almost 3.5 million drivers in the US, that's almost 770,000 a year switch jobs, many staying within the industry, so turnover is big. It should be noted, there was a 6.7% increase in positive drug tests, mostly for weed, and almost 50% of those caught, leave the industry for good.That's incredible

 

Well.....I can only give you my numbers. I'm in year number 15 as a professional driver. The September will be 5 years at my current company. There are drivers on here that have lasted even long at their current companies. The reality is that most drivers don't even last 1 year on the road after getting a CDL. The psychological part of the job wears them down. They miss birthdays, kids, wives, anniversaries and the works. The price is too steep to do a job like this. You can make some good money, but at what cost? The reality is, I've never heard of anyone making good money working just 40 hrs per week. It seems like you've always had to give more to get more. Anyway, I'd say somewhere between 1 and 3 years is the average of how long drivers stay in the industry. I'd estimate 30 percent stay longer than 5 years. I really don't know. I'm only speculating.

 

OTR , regional local? Vague. I been OTR straight for 1 year and 8 months. Total about 3.5 years but I been dri ving class A since 1997. All company. Most LTL. Last LTL company i worked with for 14 years.It's bad for OTR drivers Need nerves of steel and be indifferent to the BS received everyday. The company I work with has turnover every week after new orientation class. I don't know the numbers but it's large. I'm looking for local work myself. 4 more years and retirement.

 

I'm 33 years in the industry. Held 3 jobs. 1st job was Transcontinental Refrigerated Lines from '91 to '99. 2nd was J.B. Hunt for 8 months '99 into 2K. Current job started June 2K. Thought about looking for another job recently but just not willing to start at the bottom of the ladder at this stage in my career...