Shortage of skilled workers

[oldtrucker]

I think that these transport companies are not really serious about keeping employees anyway. They want to get rid of any old stock Canadians cuz they know that if they say they have offered jobs but can't get employees, they will be rescued by low wage TFW's. It's just a waiting game for them....dangle a carrot in front of a hungry rabbit and they might be able to use the driver for a few weeks or months until the new min wage help lands in Canada.

[rustled]

I think that these transport companies are not really serious about keeping employees anyway. They want to get rid of any old stock Canadians cuz they know that if they say they have offered jobs but can't get employees, they will be rescued by low wage TFW's. It's just a waiting game for them....dangle a carrot in front of a hungry rabbit and they might be able to use the driver for a few weeks or months until the new min wage help lands in Canada.

That's entirely possible.

IMO, though we'd be foolish to ignore the impacts of "social contract" costs that have been loaded onto the transport companies over the past decade or two - some of them very costly window dressing, some doing more harm than good.

The companies can't cut what the "social contract" items are costing them, so they cut where they still can. As profits are persistently eaten away by the increasing costs of these "social contract" items leaving less for wages, it seems to me there's little point putting all the blame on the companies.

If they pay all of the increasingly burdensome "social contract" costs AND the wages you and I feel is appropriate, the cost of everything we all buy must go up significantly. Are we prepared for that?

[Even Steven]

^^^ 2 days ago I was offered a night job to do 12-13hr Coq . Kelowna- Van- Kel. trips for $300 /day. Thats about $23/hr. Thats about 3$hr more than mcdonalds to drive a 45 ton semi, the danger and liability. What a joke. I was polite, thanked him and said I'll think about it .

Should politely say that it's not enough money to do so.

May be they'll get the message and up their rates.

[oldtrucker]

^^^ 2 days ago I was offered a night job to do 12-13hr Coq . Kelowna- Van- Kel. trips for $300 /day. Thats about $23/hr. Thats about 3$hr more than mcdonalds to drive a 45 ton semi, the danger and liability. What a joke. I was polite, thanked him and said I'll think about it .

Should politely say that it's not enough money to do so.

May be they'll get the message and up their rates.

No...When they are talking with me I let them know I have over 20 year exp, been around the block and heard every lie. They already know better. For a night run like that that I'll be getting home at 5am after absolute 13 hours of hell on the Coq.....I want at least $400 for that. And that really isn't that unreasonable-that's only $32/hr and I'm not getting overtime or anything like that. If I was actually paid by the hour with overtime, it would be $460 ish... Or am I being unreasonable?

[Even Steven]

Or am I being unreasonable?

Not at all, but I don't know much about the transportation industry. I thought maybe with more people saying "It's too low", they'll get the message. But hey, not my cow.

[oldtrucker]

Let the shelves go empty.
What a terrible anti social mean attitude eh?
Why should 'social contracts' as rustled puts it cost us?
It's not my problem that someone bought a truck with $5000/mo payments, margins are low... blah blah. Why should we risk our lives/health/liability because the margins aren't there to pay a proper rate? Unskilled labour is $25/hr now....blows me away that someone thinks they will have experienced operators at $23/hr.
I say bleep them....It will be interesting to see how much loyalty these companies will get out of the employees when they try to keep them at low 20's when some companies are hiring at over $35/hr
A pickup truck is a hundred grand ... a roof is a million now....let the shelves go empty...

[dirtybiker]

The work and money is out there and the "landlords" know it .

The Game. turn other people's money into your own !

Pretty much all facet's. Whatever chosen method.

[dirtybiker]

But hey, not my cow.

Every persons cow !

The more it costs to move that truck. The more your every-day
is effected.

Let them :cuss:r 's roll !
.............................................................
High turnover results in lost souls trying to figure out which end is up.
Business models lost through too many hands.
No matter the business model/job.

Long term employees instill faith from customers.

I never understood the bouncing from job to job all the time.

[stuphoto]

I would love see all the insurance companies stop covering these companies with lousy safety records.
Blackball the owners name altogether, so they don't just start up a new company within days of their employee killing 16 people


Then we will weed out the worst companies pretty fast.

I worked for 3 of these companies for around a week each, and I will let tell you they aren't doing anyone a favor by staying in business.
You know they don't give a about human lives when they won't even repair a driver's seat that's falling out.

[oldtrucker]

I would love see all the insurance companies stop covering these companies with lousy safety records.

That's what some companies are doing to the employees. They are targeting older workers that 'may' have a injury involving worksafe. I know as I was recently asked to join a company that was doing just that-they wanted me to be that workers replacement....What a bleeping dk move to do to your employee eh? Needless to say I never called them back.

[MAPearce]

Long term employees instill faith from customers.

I never understood the bouncing from job to job all the time.

Good employees have more than just faith of customers OT .. They have revenue base that employers "enjoy" .. Keeps the lights on in the shop if people love the work of the guy doing it and keep coming back just because ..

Kinda like our shop .. The crew does good work and people keep coming back for more .

No "bread line" for us !

[Fishquadride]

Do not work for less than 20/hr at any job. Unskilled labour was getting 19.85/hr in 1994 at the city of bby. Now the okanagan is different of course but think of that. Skilled trades should be getting 60/hr no discussion about it. Semi skilled labour should be 25/hr. Companies do not deserve to get rich while a regular working man or woman struggles to make rent and food. Say whatever you like but this model of only the owners of companies getting to live decent lives while the "help" skrimp by is and will come to a end not to mention its *bleep*. Do not except garbage pay to break your back, they need workers as much or more as you need a *bleep* 1200 dollar pay check every 2 weeks. This low ball wage *bleep* will only stop if people demand a fair wage. Mcdonalds can afford to pay 20/hr and *bleep* shouldnt they?? Would you want to do that *bleep* job??? If we are going to be forced to pay 1.55/litre of gas and 2000/month for a 2 bedroom apartment then pay a fair living wage.

[stuphoto]

I am just thinking, there are probably 10's of thousands of truckers around BC not getting paid while waiting for the highways to open.
I am glad I am not one of them, and have gotten away with hourly wages and day rates with most companies.