Blogging is something new for me, but I’m looking forward to this new type of communicating. As a working truck driver, I want to explore issues that are of importance to my fellow gear jammers. Motor transport is a leading economic indicator, so for my first entry I’d like to talk about the current employment situation out there.
My expertise is the 401 corridor between Toronto and Montreal. Yes, traffic volumes are clearly down and have been falling for some time now, but it’s not entirely dismal. And the job market hasn’t completely dried up. Indeed, a little digging indicates that good jobs and good employers are still out there. Seems like I’m meeting new drivers just getting started in the industry every day, while some veterans on the big road tell me they’ve got as much work as they can handle. The company I work for laid off six drivers after Christmas and promptly reactivated them a couple of weeks later.
This time of year is traditionally slow for many carriers and fleets, so it’s a little difficult to judge right now. The crunch may still be coming, as employers look at park more power units and remove capacity. But for now, good jobs for qualified drivers are apparently still available, although they’re by no means plentiful. What’s the vibe out there? Are there still good jobs for drivers who want them?