CH Robinson CEO makes a pitch to immigrants to address shortage of truck drivers

[Mike]

The CEO of an American logistics firm on Wednesday suggested that more immigration to the U.S. could help alleviate the nationwide truck driver shortage.

“If you look across the demographic of truck driving, there’s a very heavy slant to immigrants,” C.H. Robinson Worldwide’s Robert Biesterfeld said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “Trucking is a great job for people that want to come to this country, start a business and work for themselves.”

The American Trucking Associations estimates an industry high shortage of 80,000 truckers this year. That’s up more than 30% since 2018, well before the Covid pandemic started.

“The ATA estimates that over the next decade, we need to hire another million truck drivers to meet the needs of the demand that’s coming,” Biesterfeld said on “Squawk on the Street.”

CEO of major logistics firm makes a pitch to immigrants to address shortage of truck drivers

C.H. Robinson's Robert Biesterfeld said Wednesday immigration could help alleviate truck driver shortages that have increased 30% since before the pandemic.

www.cnbc.com

 

[Rigjockey]

Yeah that's a great plan, it has worked out so well for Canada. Sure import foreign workers on work visas, international students on student visas working illegally. Keeping driver wages down.
How about paying more and improving conditions to attract domestic workers?
Carry on!

 

[Mike]

The funny part of all this is, all the freight gets moved. Sometimes it takes longer than you want it to, sometimes drivers are short on work to do.

You bring in more drivers, more than 100% of those hired will quit as soon as capacity loosens. Then, we are considered by the dumbass ATA to have a driver shortage again.

 

[gearjammer]

Yeah that's a great plan, it has worked out so well for Canada. Sure import foreign workers on work visas, international students on student visas working illegally. Keeping driver wages down.
How about paying more and improving conditions to attract domestic workers?
Carry on!

Remember it is CH. Robinson being talked about. I never saw a load from them that was worth hauling unless they were desperate!

 

[Rigjockey]

Remember it is CH. Robinson talking being talked about. I never saw a load from them that was worth hauling unless they were desperate!

You do make a good point!

 

[Mike]

I just laugh at the fact that he obviously hasn't looked at the makeup of this industry in quite some time. This is a very popular vocation for immigrants, they don't need any encouragement from him.

I often wonder why these people never make a plea to the hundreds of thousands of Americans sitting at home waiting on mailbox money to consider truck driving. If you can make a plea to immigrants, why not the jobless Americans who were born here? Shouldn't both demographics be off their ass and working?

 

[Electric Chicken]

CH Robinson is notoriously cheapass, am I correct?

 

[Electric Chicken]

The funny part of all this is, all the freight gets moved. Sometimes it takes longer than you want it to, sometimes drivers are short on work to do.

You bring in more drivers, more than 100% of those hired will quit as soon as capacity loosens. Then, we are considered by the dumbass ATA to have a driver shortage again.

Like I was telling XPO, it's not that I have anything against any particular load under all circumstances. I only have a thing against the ones that don't pay enough for what's being expected.

Throw adequate dollars at me and I become extremely pleasant and tolerant.

It's amazing how they can find coverage for loads from existing drivers when they open their wallets.

 

[Mike]

CH Robinson is notoriously cheapass, am I correct?

Depends on who you talk to. I know carriers that regularly stay above market rate pulling their freight. I know others that swear everything they have is cheap. I think the biggest problem there comes from the carriers that get freight from CH Robinson just to keep trucks moving, and effectively hurt the owner operators that are leased to them.

 

[Sinister]

CH Robinson is notoriously cheapass, am I correct?

Depends on the individual agent and their freight.

I had one in Ithaca, NY I wouldn't hesitate to book loads with and one just over in Buffalo I wouldn't even answer calls from.

This is 107 years ago in like 2002 when I was dispatching.

 

[Rigjockey]

I just laugh at the fact that he obviously hasn't looked at the makeup of this industry in quite some time. This is a very popular vocation for immigrants, they don't need any encouragement from him.

I honestly don't think you are reading it right. He is not talking about Americans that happen to be immigrants becoming truckers.
He is talking about bringing in MORE immigrants to fill the seats.
Here is what he said exactly..
"The CEO of an American logistics firm on Wednesday suggested that more immigration to the U.S. could help. alleviate the nationwide truck driver shortage."

 

[Electric Chicken]

Depends on the individual agent and their freight.

I had one in Ithaca, NY I wouldn't hesitate to book loads with and one just over in Buffalo I wouldn't even answer calls from.

This is 107 years ago in like 2002 when I was dispatching.

Depends on who you talk to. I know carriers that regularly stay above market rate pulling their freight. I know others that swear everything they have is cheap. I think the biggest problem there comes from the carriers that get freight from CH Robinson just to keep trucks moving, and effectively hurt the owner operators that are leased to them.

Well then they're obviously tired of ever paying fair rates and want everything to go cheap.

Drivers become available when the money is there.

 

[Mike]

I honestly don't think you are reading it right. He is not talking about Americans that happen to be immigrants becoming truckers.
He is talking about bringing in MORE immigrants to fill the seats.
Here is what he said exactly..
"The CEO of an American logistics firm on Wednesday suggested that more immigration to the U.S. could help. alleviate the nationwide truck driver shortage."

I get it, and they are the ones who look to the trucking industry as they arrive and are provided schooling for a trade. Meanwhile, we should be looking to those sitting on their asses here already, rather than seeking out new people for the industry.

 

[Sinister]

I honestly don't think you are reading it right. He is not talking about Americans that happen to be immigrants becoming truckers.
He is talking about bringing in MORE immigrants to fill the seats.
Here is what he said exactly..
"The CEO of an American logistics firm on Wednesday suggested that more immigration to the U.S. could help. alleviate the nationwide truck driver shortage."

They have to do something with Bidens border crisis.

 

[Rigjockey]

I get it, and they are the ones who look to the trucking industry as they arrive and are provided schooling for a trade. Meanwhile, we should be looking to those sitting on their asses here already, rather than seeking out new people for the industry.

Exactly! And the solution to that is better wages. If I was on the dole I probably wouldn't get off my duff to go out and be in a truck for a week or weeks for the kind of money drivers are currently paid for the work they they put in.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Exactly! And the solution to that is better wages. If I was on the dole I probably wouldn't get off my duff to go out and be in a truck for a week or weeks for the kind of money drivers are currently paid for the work they they put in.

Yep they want every driver out there to own a truck and run out of desperation constantly.

 

[Rigjockey]

Yep they want every driver out there to own a truck and run out of desperation constantly.

Yeah, lets see, I could drive a forklift and make as much hourly or more and get overtime at time and a half
Or I could become a long haul trucker and work near 70hrs per week and get zero hours paid at time and a half. In the real world a 70 hr work week would be 25-30 hours overtime paid at time and a half!
Lets not forget all the unpaid time like the B.S. two hour free wait time or the staging at a truck stop waiting for customer to open or appointment time or get a regular job and get paid for all your time.
Yeah I know local guys get paid for all their time so do I. I am advocating for mileage paid drivers that don't in some antiquated pay scam and the government is very complicit in the scam by not including trucking in most labor laws.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Yeah, lets see, I could drive a forklift and make as much hourly or more and get overtime at time and a half
Or I could become a long haul trucker and work near 70hrs per week and get zero hours paid at time and a half. In the real world a 70 hr work week would be 25-30 hours overtime paid at time and a half!
Lets not forget all the unpaid time like the B.S. two hour free wait time or the staging at a truck stop waiting for customer to open or appointment time or get a regular job and get paid for all your time.
Yeah I know local guys get paid for all their time so do I. I am advocating for mileage paid drivers that don't in some antiquated pay scam and the government is very complicit in the scam by not including trucking in most labor laws.

Word.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Even as a local who basically does sorta get paid for most of his time, the bullshit on the roads from POVs and wait times is ulcer inducing.

It's barely worth it. I question it every day and try to think of ANYTHING I could be self-employed at that gets me out of it.

 

[Rigjockey]

Even as a local who basically does sorta get paid for most of his time, the bullshit on the roads from POVs and wait times is ulcer inducing.

It's barely worth it. I question it every day and try to think of ANYTHING I could be self-employed at that gets me out of it.

I hear ya. Most drivers with experience are looking for a way out.
There is a misconception, there is not a shortage of drivers, there is a shortage of trucking jobs that pay what the job is truly worth!