President Joe Biden delivered remarks on the White House's Trucking Action Plan on Monday, an initiative that aims to increase the supply of truck drivers as the nation continues to struggle with labor gaps and supply-chain issues.
Biden spoke from behind a podium centered between two massive semi-trailers, telling the crowd that all of them were the people who built the economy.
I have nothing against investment bankers. They could all retire and not much would change. Everything comes to a halt when you all quit.
There are labor gaps in the supply chain because companies have struggled to hire truck drivers. Some truckers argue that the industry's real problem is low pay and job quality.
Insider was told by an associate professor at Michigan State University that there isn't a shortage of truck drivers. He said that instead of working for mega carriers, they have shifted to driving for smaller operators or becoming their own boss.
Huge sign-on bonuses and wage hikes have been offered by many carriers. Walmart is changing its pay structure so that its private fleet drivers can make between $95,000 and $110,000 in their first year.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average truck driver makes $50,340 a year. A first-year investment banking analyst at J.P Morgan is paid a starting salary of $110,000.
In his remarks Monday, President Biden said that the best year for trucking employment since 1994 was 2021.
Increased wages, reduced wait times, and improved safety will benefit the recruitment and retention of female drivers.
The lack of truck parking across the country, a critical need for trucker safety and sleep that drivers say has been overlooked by the White House, was not addressed by Biden in his speech.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
