Archive for August, 2009

The Trucking Jobs Report Numbers

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

eTrucker Staff posted an article on Friday that went over the most recent trucker jobs numbers. Here are the most recent numbers from the report.

-6,800 trucking jobs lost in July.
that brings the trucking industry total up to 77,700 jobs in 2009 and 128,100 since the overall economic decline began in late 2008.

One thing worth mentioning that other articles have failed to point out is the fact that these numbers do not include truck drivers that work for private fleets. Most certainly the little guys are feeling the pain of the economy. The job loss numbers therefore could be treated as a minimum number rather than the total number.

The trucking industry as whole is now down a MINIMUM of 13.2 percent. (if we go by the statement we made a few moments ago). Truck driving jobs peaked in January 2007 and employed almost 1.5 million. Certainly a drop of 13.2 is a big number but all the buzz about an economic recovery should make it so the number does not grow too substantially.

Many media outlets have recently run articles about how those laid off across the country have filled many truck driving schools. With so many people getting CDL training it may be easier for trucking companies to find  new employees once the economy turns around.

The positive thing to take away here is the slowing of the job losses. The article also mentioned that previous months numbers have been revised showing employment levels were slighty higher than previously reported.
Click the link at the top to see the full and complete eTrucker article.

Bio Diesel Gets Underway in Oregon

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Last Tuesday, August 4th 2009 Oregon Live.com reported that the state of Oregon has now begun initiating its 2% bio diesel blend. According to the article gas stations in nine northwest Oregon counties must now be selling diesel fuel that contains a 2 percent bio diesel blend. The state of Oregon is requiring the 2% blend in an effort to put Oregon on the leading edge of green fuels.

This is just a little more news on the Bio diesel issue. It seems like now its just a matter of time before bio diesel blends become more readily available. Here is a list of the Counties in Oregon that now require the 2% blend:

Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Marion, Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, Yamhill, Polk

In Oregon these counties are just a tip of the iceberg. On October 1 2009 Oregon will be requiring the 2% blend in the entire state. According to the article, Oregon state representatives have conducted price check research and found that the blended diesel is costing consumers on average 1 cent or less per gallon.

The article did also discuss the economic benefits in Oregon. Those interviewed in the artice said that little economic benefit may be derived so far from the B2 blend initiative. The article seem to point out economies of scale and the ability for very large producers to keep prices down have hampered economic growth from the initiative.

The bio diesel intital in Oregon should be accepted easily. Portland, has apparently been at a 5% blend since 2007. For jobs that truck drivers do, the article says the low 2% blend is unlikely to have any effect on freezing when it comes to cold weather.

For students in truck driving school, the blend inititives that are taking place nation wide should create only small differences in the training that students get today versues the traing they get when the entire nation is using Bio Diesel blends. The siginficant issues may arrive if freezing becomes a common problem.

The original article can be found at: http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/08/biodiesel_blend_in_diesel_star.html

DeKalb Technical College Trucking Schools Swamped With Students

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Alive 11 in Atlanta, Georgia ran an article about the trucking industry. The article was directed more so to truck driving schools and the increase in enrollment. This article seemed to tell a slightly different story than the standard tale of unemployment in the nation.

Trucking schools in Georgia are packed with folks that are looking for training to get into the truck driving industry. According to the article, DeKalb Technical College has seen a 20% enrollment increase when compared to last years numbers. The article also notes that the industry isn’t just for men, and quotes the positive opinion of a female student. Overall the article shows how truck driving school is a step towards a new begining for many.CDL training school

Another very important thing to note here from the article was this statement about the employment outlook for those that get into trucking. “The school’s director says they have a 90 percent graduation rate and about 95% of their students are finding jobs in the trucking industry.” That’s right 95% are finding work. That makes the job outlook look pretty good for those students that enroll.

We also decided to post on this story because the Alive11.com article mentioned that there was a 3 month waiting list for enrollment at DeKalb. At CR England there is no waiting list at all. So if your considering trucking schools, give CR England a look over. The nice thing about CR England is that your guaranteed a trucking job when you’ve completed your cdl training.

The original article can be found at: http://www.11alive.com/rss/rss_story.aspx?storyid=133416 The article was written by Paul Crawley