Judy Woodruff:
Recently, the “NewsHour” featured stories about the evolving job landscape, including a report by economics correspondent Paul Solman that examined the paradox of job loss fears due to driverless trucks alongside the ongoing truck driver shortage in the U.S.
In tonight’s segment, Paul delves deeper into the experiences of a truck driver and the current state of the profession.
This is part of his Economics Weekly Series, Making Sense.
Paul Solman:
When did you begin your driving career?
Finn Murphy:
In 1981.
Paul Solman:
How old were you?
Finn Murphy:
I was 21.
Paul Solman:
This is the story of long-haul truck driver Finn Murphy, whose job faces potential risks from advancing technology.
Finn Murphy:
I was at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, then spent summers in Connecticut working for Callahan Brothers Moving and Storage. A journey with a truck driver exposed me to life on the road, and I fell in love with it. That’s when I decided to drop out of college.
Paul Solman:
Murphy acquired his commercial license, marking the start of his career driving trucks and managing high-value home moves. His experiences are documented in his memoir, “The Long Haul: A Trucker’s Tales of Life on the Road,” detailing the path of a college student from a literary family.
Finn Murphy:
When I told my father I wouldn’t finish college to work for North American Van Lines, he handed me a bill for my education thus far and said I’d need to repay him if this was the route I chose. I never paid and he never brought it up again.
Paul Solman:
What motivated a college kid from a literary background to pursue trucking?
Finn Murphy:
The challenge of moving people’s belongings was enjoyable and I appreciated the camaraderie with my coworkers. That simple human connection through labor harkens back to how societies functioned for millennia.
Paul Solman:
However, you took a break from driving for some time, correct?
Finn Murphy:
Yes. I drove for a decade in the ’80s, then took a 20-year hiatus. I returned to driving in 2009.
Paul Solman:
In that time away, you and your wife built a cashmere-importing business and he served as a city councilman in Nantucket. However, after his marriage ended, he went back to driving.
Finn Murphy:
As a long-haul driver, I find solace in leaving my troubles behind. When I start the truck and know I’ll be gone for months, it’s a sort of escape from my past challenges.
Paul Solman:
Driving again and helping relocate families gave Murphy a renewed sense of purpose.
Finn Murphy:
I was earning good money focusing on high-end corporate relocations, moving executives. If I worked steadily, I could gross a couple hundred thousand a year.
Paul Solman:
But that figure is at the top end of the trucking industry, isn’t it?
Finn Murphy:
Yes, only the top movers in corporate relocations make that amount. Most truck drivers earn between $36,000 and $40,000 annually, and many are away for long stretches.
Paul Solman:
Wages within the trucking industry have stagnated despite low unemployment rates, affecting many in lower-skilled jobs far more dramatically over the years.
Finn Murphy:
Compensation in this field has plummeted since the 1970s when it was a reliable middle-class job; today it resembles a poverty profession.
Paul Solman:
Why was it more lucrative back then?
Finn Murphy:
It was unionized, and the freight market was heavily regulated, which ensured fair compensation. The Motor Carrier Act of 1935, passed during FDR’s administration, was designed to stabilize the industry.
Paul Solman:
And later deregulation under presidents Carter and Reagan had what effect?
Finn Murphy:
It made shipping cheaper for consumers almost overnight, but we have to consider the cost of losing good jobs and the character of communities in that trade-off.
Paul Solman:
Many American voters reflect that sentiment, contributing to movements like Trump’s push to “Make America Great Again.”
Finn Murphy:
While I don’t align with that perspective, we must acknowledge that while many people overseas have benefited from free trade, it has hollowed out the American middle class, notably the trucking industry.
Paul Solman:
For you, though, it’s been a lucrative career.
Finn Murphy:
It’s more of an upper-class income, but the job itself is not at that level.
Paul Solman:
This is Paul Solman reporting for “PBS NewsHour,” bringing insights from the road.
