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This is what happened to my profession?

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Itchigo:
I'm at work, I drive over to a guy who was looking for an empty trailer. Another driver comes up, and shows me a phone with and address on the screen. I say "yes, you're in the right place, go through that gate to dock 18". He looks puzzled. I say it again. He still looks puzzled, so I say "follow me, I'm going there". He still doesn't understand. After a minute or two, he finally gets it. I look at the driver I was talking to before, and say "see, THAT'S why we can't get a decent wage anymore". He's driving a tractor trailer, and doesn't know ANY english!! Sure, basic things like stop signs are universal, but what about detours, and things you actually have to READ!

So this is how low my profession has sunk. We take anyone and put them behind the wheel, because we can save money that way. For clarification, he wasn't hispanic, he was Russian.

Personally, I couldn't care less what you are. But If I come to your country, I'm expected to speak your language, excepting I'm a tourist. But if you work in any kind of industrial setting, you need to be able to understand enough english to know "the building's on fire- GET THE FUCK OUT"!! If that makes me a racist, well, who cares? Sounds like more uncommon sense to me..... :Bravo:

Pintrepid:
Common sense, definitely! Everyone should be smart enough to know the language of Gestures, especially if they're driving a huge truck costing hundreds of thousands of dollars with a cargo that could be into the millions.

I hope the airline industry isn't following suit ... can u imagine this Russian dude attempting to land the plane you're in???

Itchigo:
He did seem to know how to drive, he had no problem backing in or anything like that. But like I say, communication is everything. If you want to come over to this country and make something of yourself- more power to you! I have no problem with that. I am seeing a huge trend with heavy accents, or broken english and new, younger drivers.

The only issue I have with this, is those people are usually willing to work for less, further driving down our wages. I talked to a guy today (I referred him to my company), I roughly told him what they are paying (which imo is less than what it should be). His response? He was happy they are paying that much, as he was working for less. Driving a tractor trailer used to be considered a skill. Now it's almost like a warehouse worker. :Cussing: :Banghead:

I want to clarify my statement about wages. I have no problem with my company, it's my industry that stinks. See customers say "I'm only going to pay this much". My company wants the buisness, and what company doesn't want customers, so they can only pay so much due to the quoted price.

faralos:
Lansdale warehouse a local warehouse by me is advertising
that they need CLASS A drivers but only pay $10/hour for them!
 granted they are home daily but $10 an hour
is what the lumpers should be getting not the actual drivers!
I went due to me having a class B one and they told me yes they'd hire me
but at 8$/hour tops and I've have to load/unload my own truck by myself!
I walked out without applying

Itchigo:
The lumpers should be getting more than that, they bust their ass. Spotters make more than that, and their considered a lower form of driver, as they aren't actually driving. Most spotters are retired drivers too! That's just wrong. This used to be a specialized skill, like a trade- hell, it IS  a trade! What this industry has become SUCKS!

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