We read a great article from Business Insider today and had to include in it in our headline news. Truckers Logic has followed the truck driver shortage very closely over the last few months. We’ve offered our insight and voiced the opinions of veteran truck drivers around the country. The truck driver shortage is becoming an epidemic and outlooks are down right scary.
According to expert analysis, the truck driver shortage is only going to get worse. We have the stats and studies right in front of us and this topic has no shortage of headlines around the internet. ATA estimates that the trucking industry is already short of 30,000 truck drivers and counting. Can you name another industry with 30,000+ openings?
Truck Industry Driver Shortage
Experts are validating that the truck driver shortage will only get worse. Experts suggest by 2022, the truck driver shortage could be nearly 240,000. These stats are remarkable to think about. 240,000 open trucking positions? What does this mean for the trucking industry? Manufacturing? Freight? We already know that a large percentage of these open truck driver positions are long haul trucking jobs. Men and women are not interested in seeing the country nor interested in making good money.
Long-Distance Trucking Jobs Not Desired
One big reason why we’re seeing so many open trucking jobs is the fact that men and women don’t want to leave their family. Many of us have children, wives and husbands at home. We know how hard it is to leave our families behind. Men and women just don’t want to leave their family. The trucking industry is failing to reach the younger generation. A good percentage of young adults are technological advanced. Many of them can make twice, triple the income working online from home.
Another reason is being blamed on the high turnover rates at trucking companies, as high as 92 percent. That number is unheard of but it’s a factor that is playing a role on open trucking jobs. Man truck drivers are bouncing from one job to the next. Consider the initial cost of truck driver school and CDL training. That is a cost that easily totals $5K or more. There’s only a handful of company sponsored CDL training programs out there to take advantage of. Efforts have been made and we’re seeing more programs but nowhere near what we need to.
With all the new laws and regulations in place, it is well noted that this is yet another contributor of the truck driver shortage. ATA and many other industry leaders have expressed the need for new truck drivers but who is going to step up and get things done? We feel that we need a new department that is focused on recruiting new truck drivers. Trucking companies have to be willing to go the extra mile to recruit new drivers.
We’re likely to see increased wages and benefits for new truck drivers. In the process, freight is likely to go up. Goods are likely to go up. In the end, it will cost everyone more money. There’s no question that something needs to be done now. We’re just waiting for someone in the industry to step up and get something done.
