We are living in an ever-changing world. And it seems to be changing faster and faster. What does the long-haul refrigeration truck driver’s career look like? Whether you are a seasoned driver with years of experience on the road, or just started looking into driving a truck as a career opportunity this question keeps popping up. No wonder! Planning for the future and looking for new opportunities is important.

 Over the past few years, the demand for truck driver services has increased dramatically. But the compensation structure has changed. So did the expenses related to the truck maintenance and on the road expenses. No wonder it makes drivers looking for opportunities that will leave more money in their pocket. 

Not all driver positions are created equal. It is important to look and compare and ask questions: 

• How is the job paid? 
• How reputable is the employer? 
• How many hours on the road? 
• Is it your own truck, or it is a company vehicle? 
• What is the compensation after the expenses and maintenance?  

The trucking business has always attracted strong people with determination to make money and entrepreneurial spirit. No wonder drivers are always on the lookout for better opportunities. 

Drivers wanted! But are they paid well?

A mere glance at any job search portal will turn up a lot of openings for hired driver positions. Couriers, delivery drivers, last-mile positions… Some of the company names sound great. 

But once you look closer at the compensation structure you will see the number of hours is simply not there. With most courier deliveries you can work only the day shift  8 ish hours, most of it stuck in traffic in the urban metropolitan areas.

In the courier deliveries, a driver is paid an average salary with no potential to grow the income. For such a stressful job it does not seem adequate. But, of course, the company’s bottom line is at stake in the highly competitive market. So compensation increase is not likely in the near future. It is a great starting driving career point, though.

Is your “employer” an app?

Who did not see ads or articles popping up describing the great lifestyle of a ride-hailing app driver? Earn up to 4000 a month? How close is it to reality? The driver is using his own vehicle, which has to be a newer make, the scheduling is random at best, and it is simply impossible to follow the optimal route.

“You build your own income”, “you can do it just part-time”. The promise of freedom and lucrative income spells long hours to make ends meet, lack of job security, and any structure whatsoever… Adding long hours on weekends and holidays. 

But is it really realistic to expect the service that entered the market with the only power of connecting drivers and their rides and cutthroat unrealistic pricing to provide for better compensation for drivers?   

Moreover, once the apps became popular and more and more drivers dependent on them – the drivers’ compensation started shrinking. At some point, the app drivers start wondering, maybe the old-fashioned taxi drivers were paid reasonably after all? And their car run on propane… But then hectic schedule, hours of waiting, unpredictable income… Not the best scenario.        

Long Haul Dry Goods Trucking in the age of electronic logbooks & split loads. 

Long-haul driving has offered steady and reliable careers for decades. After all, it is the backbone of transportation connecting states and provinces. Due to extensive mileage and long work hours it did allow the drivers to earn good money. 

On the road, the drivers pushed the hours to carve out the optimal route and increase the income to the point it became dangerous. It was obvious that for safety reasons the hours behind the wheel had to be controlled better.

The long-needed changes with the introduction of the electronic logbook system were a welcome change from the point of view of road safety. But it did make certain routes less profitable for drivers.  

The practice of smaller split loads between dispatchers with no control introduced by corporations in order to win the time has created an unfair situation for the drivers. Unfortunately, this model is used more and more and is quickly on the way to dominate the market.

How new strategies in middle-mile delivery changes the trucking business.

When the global strong players come to the market, they adapt the market to its needs. Major shopping portal Amazon is reshaping the established practices for dry goods transportation. Others follow the suit.

Are you wondering what is behind the magic of next-day delivery? Shorter routes, split loads (LTL), and much less pay for the drivers for harder, unsecure work. To dominate the shipping market  Amazon has shifted away from major freight brokers to smaller operators, even introduced the branded truck lease program. Now it strives to offer freight services for other companies acting as a broker service.   

What do these changes mean for drivers?  

• Shorter runs = less money
• Split loads (Less Than Truckload)
• More complex routes  
• No security
• No protection, no guarantees
• Drivers are easily replaceable (with the driverless technologies in the development, who knows where it is headed)

Although the program is relatively new, the fast driver turnover speaks for itself. But there are signs that these changes are affecting the dry load trucking industry already. Other companies moving to the same system. Once changed it is here to stay.

Maybe experienced truck drivers do have to look for better opportunities after all? What are the options for the A-Z drivers with over 3 years of experience?

Refrigerator truck driver career opportunities to consider!

Driving a refrigeration truck has a number of benefits with it and is a great career opportunity for experienced truck drivers to look at:

• Well paid for both truck drivers and owner-operators
• Great routs variety (USA East, Midwest)
• Flexible schedule with weekends at home (depending on the route you choose) 
• Well managed dispatching based on modernized systems
• High demand service
• Drive your own or company vehicle (depending on the model that is more convenient for YOU)
• Considered an essential service, no job interruptions
• Great compensation
• The career you can build on!

Luckily refrigeration transportation has not been affected by the split loads practice(LTL). It is simply not working for temperature-controlled loads. Refrigerator truck transportation offers a specialized approach giving refrigeration truck drivers the privilege of better terms.  

If you were comparing driver career options and have 3 years or more of A-Z driving experience we would love to hear from you. You will see that working with a well-managed company with dedicated dispatchers will, certainly, put more money in your pocket.

You deserve the better options!!! Contact us at XAN-systems!