The Big Rig: Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream

The Big Rig: Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream

Long-haul trucks have been described as sweatshops on wheels. The typical long-haul trucker works the equivalent of two full-time jobs, often for little more than minimum wage. But it wasnâ€™t always this way. Trucking used to be one of the best working-class jobs in the United States.Â Â

The Big RigÂ explains how this massive degradation in the quality of work has occurred, and how companies achieve a compliant and dedicated workforce despite it. Drawing on more than 100 in-depth interviews and years of extensive observation, including six months training and working as a long-haul trucker, Viscelli explains in detail how labor is recruited, trained, and used in the industry. He then shows how inexperienced workers are convinced to lease a truck and to work as independent contractors. He explains how deregulation and collective action by employers transformed truckingâ€™s labor markets--once dominated by the largest and most powerful union in US history--into an important example of the costs of contemporary labor markets for workers and the general public.
Country USA
Manufacturer University of California Press
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2016-04-12
Format Kindle eBook
EANs 9780520962712

Country	USA
Manufacturer	University of California Press
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2016-04-12
Format	Kindle eBook
EANs	9780520962712

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