The American trucking industry and some of its employment practices takes a hard punch square in the nose in an article in The Atlantic.
Sociologist Steve Viscelli takes to task the industry practice of making drivers into independent contractors in his article titled: Truck Stop: How One of America’s Steadiest Jobs Turned Into One of Its Most Grueling, which appeared Tuesday, May 10.
Among other things, Viscelli writes:
“Forty years ago, truckers formed one of the best paid and most politically powerful parts of the U.S. working class. Today, according to the Department of Labor, the average trucker makes about $40,000. In 1980, according to one industry analyst, the average trucker was, after adjusting for inflation, making the equivalent of more than $110,000 today.”
In the article, Viscelli reveals that he has firsthand knowledge of the industry from having been a driver himself.
Read the entire article and use the comments below to tell us what you think.
