Pedro Félix Alonso, a Cuban businessman based in Miami who has been operating a oversized cargo transport company since 2020, shared in a video posted on Facebook the frustrations he faces in finding responsible and qualified drivers for his fleet, in a testimony that has resonated with thousands of followers of his channel Pflogistic92.
"Papito, you can have ten, twenty trucks, you can have whatever you want, but if you don’t have drivers for all those trucks, you don’t have a damn thing," Alonso began in the video, which has garnered over 30,000 views and bluntly sums up the main headache of his business.
The businessman, with a decade of experience in the sector, detailed what happened with two consecutive drivers who operated his truck 104, a burgundy vehicle that he describes as the best in his fleet.
The first one lasted barely three weeks and was fired for his complaining attitude and for arriving at deliveries hours late.
The second one, with no prior experience in flatbed trailers, received an opportunity that Alonso considers a privilege: training alongside other drivers and support from day one.
However, the boy lost parts of the trailer—ramp pins and tensioner tips—left the tensioners poorly secured, which poses a real risk of a traffic accident, and finally overwhelmed the businessman’s patience with a detail that Alonso deemed unacceptable.
"That boy never looked at the oil pressure gauge all week while he was working. I could have burned out. He placed a photo of his family in front of the oil pressure gauge. That's just intolerable," he explained.
After dismissing both, Alonso announced that the truck will remain in the lot until he finds someone worthy of it: "I'm going to clean it, I'm going to grease it, I'm going to polish it, I'm going to make it beautiful again, and I'm going to keep it in the yard until someone truly deserving comes along to work with me."
Despite the challenges, the entrepreneur describes his operation as profitable and well-structured. He offers his drivers 30% of the business, weekly payments without withholding from the fund week, and ensures that each truck generates between $9,000 and $15,000 monthly.
Alonso also took the opportunity in the video to debunk what he considers a widespread lie in the industry: that the average rate is four dollars per mile. "We're seeing rates at three dollars, three forty, three fifty, three twenty... But not for all loads. You can come across loads at four and five as well, but that's not the average," he clarified.
For those who wish to join their team, the requirements are clear: a minimum of two years of experience —a requirement from the insurer— basic knowledge of English, and legal residency, given the current immigration climate in the United States.
Alonso's complaint is not an isolated case. The shortage of drivers in Florida is estimated to be about 12,000 by 2026, while the national deficit exceeds 82,000 drivers, and the cost of hiring has increased by 41% in the past year, according to sector data.
The businessman also mentioned that one of his best drivers just left truck 102 to try his luck as a real estate agent, a decision that Alonso respected: “Truck driving is hell. I've made some money with you here and now I can take a few months off to see how it goes,” he told him before leaving.
A new driver is already in place who, according to Alonso, is on his third load without any issues, a sign that when the right person appears, the business runs smoothly: "You don't have to be a genius to do things well in a truck. What you need is to be ready for the task."
Filed under: