money," Williams says. "That attracts
better talent. But you can't have just one
shipper that sees the light and gives you
more money. You've got to have all the
shippers see the light so you can raise
your rates across all your lanes."
placement rate for its 200 to 300
students each year, DriveCo screens
extensively. Students have to be able
to pass a physical and a drug screen,
and they're subject to random drug
tests while in school. Additionally, the
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For many carriers, a new driver is
preferable to an experienced driver with
bad habits, especially one with the bad
driving history to prove it.
Lou Spoonhour, president of DriveCo and a former chairman of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association,
says it's about time for such a shift.
"I've been at this for 34 years, and
we're hearing from trucking companies that I've never heard the names
of before," Spoonhour says. "All of a
sudden, entry-level is opening up as if
it's a brand-new field."
Most CVTA schools also have regular, direct contact with carrier safety
departments to stay up to date with
hiring criteria.
"Sometimes the experienced driver
is set in his ways, whereas a student
is a clean slate and can be molded,"
Spoonhour says. "That's what we claim
to be our advantage – they're coming
out with no extra baggage." Typically,
driving school graduates will go on to
a carrier's finishing school for more
advanced training.
The average student age is "probably 35 to 40, where it used to be 28 to
33," Spoonhour says. "We've started to
get an increase in skilled workers, like
electricians, carpenters, plumbers who
made a living in the construction trades.
We've found that trucking is a good option for 'hands-on' people. Or they have
friends or relatives who drive."
Students also see truck driving as
a lasting opportunity that won't be
shipped overseas, Spoonhour says.
In order to maintain a 95 percent
Untitled-10 1
Driver_Shortage.indd 33
school checks the prospective student's
driving record and criminal history.
Pre-enrollment interviews are designed
to make sure the students understand
trucking and that the business will be a
good fit with their goals.
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September 2013 | Overdrive |8/8/13
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