"Simple" Cause and Effect

The trucking industry is changing in many ways. Driver demographics are only one. Over the last several years, many trucking companies in Canada fished for drivers in Europe with encouraging results. This trend even affected our accounting firm, so much so that I hired an account executive that was fluent in German and some Russian. For those clients of ours that immigrated from Britain… you are just going to have to be patient with me… I’m still researching. I’ve been married for over twenty years… anyone speak “Emotionese”?, of course I need a translator that is fluent in my native Simplelodeon” (dialect of Nickelodeon).
Changing the demographics of the trucking industry through immigration sounds and looks like a fast and easy fix, however, there are side effects that some companies seem to be refusing to acknowledge. For instance, plucking a driver and family from their “home” and relatives is not without drawbacks. Most eventually desire to return for visits. Usually immigrants return to visit family and friends once every year or two (at least the first number of years). However some companies refuse to let them go, producing some rather ticked off not so foreign… foreigners. It appears some companies forget that loyalty is built by the companies not the drivers.
This anomaly is not the only effect that Europeans have on the Canadian trucking culture. They bring in a comprehensive understanding of the European style of drivers pay and “DOT” compliance. If anyone has ever driven in Europe as a commercial truck driver the rules (compared to North America) are at the least… shall we say… intrusive. Therefore, it’s not the classical DOT issues that most immigrants comment on (at least generally).
However, driver pay appears to produces a burr in the saddle for some. Europe doesn’t have “open roads”, they can’t drive 100km an hour for eight hours (even if they wanted to). In Canada getting paid by the mile is their first little leap of faith. It sometimes takes a little mentoring to balance their financial expectations with driver fatigue. You see, European drivers are used to getting paid by the hour, not just the driver but the truck as well. The system evolved that way as HOS and other legislation squeezed and unions negotiated.
Comparatively, in North America, the HOS is starting to squeeze. However, that alone doesn’t create the aggravation. When Ontario and the Quebec rolled out the speed limiter legislation many Europeans had flashbacks of continental careers. The association was just too great to overlook. Questions such as “How much should an operator charge per hour for their truck?” started showing up interview after interview. We may have heard it more than most firms because we deal with subsistence allowance (per deum) but I believe the national seed has been planted.
Let me prognosticate (as does our ground hog Punsatoni Phil), “By the end of 2016, per deum will be available at most quality based trucking companies”. I know that may cause coronary heart failure at Trucking Associations but the collective squeezing of operators and drivers nationally causes many to start pointing fingers. Sooner or later the chronic driver shortage will advance to the next level, become creative and much more educated. If you so desire, you can go ahead and laugh at me… I’m only speaking Simplelodeon.