Odd Lots

Transcript: Truckers Are Working Countless Hours That They're Not Getting Paid For

Why the industry has a bad labor retention problem. 

Trucks parked by the side of the freeway.

Photographer: ianmcdonnell/E+
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For years we've been hearing about a persistent shortage of truck drivers. But what if we're thinking about it wrong? What if the issue is that the shipping industry systematically mistreats or undervalues drivers, creating an ongoing and unsustainable churn? On this episode, we speak with Gord Magill, a longtime truck driver and the author of the Autonomous Truck(er)s Substack, about one persistent problem: truck drivers wasting countless hours in "detention" at loading sites, a time for which they don't actually get paid. Magill explains how this is reflective of broader trends within the industry that devalue drivers and contribute to an inefficient supply chain. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.