Truck driver shortage isn’t a new topic. The issue is known to the experts in the industry since the mid 2000’s.
At that time, the shortage was approximately 20,000 drivers.
Then, during the Great Recession, the shortage disappeared, but only because the volumes have decreased.
The shortage returned in 2011 as the industry started to recover, and by 2017 skyrocketed to roughly 50,700.
The ATA expected the shortfall to concern 84,000 drivers in 2022 and 160,000 in 2030.
These projections are real if we consider the factors that affect the industry, and are described below.
Here are the most common reasons for truck driver shortage.
There are many experts, drivers and people in the industry saying that there is no shortage of truck drivers, but there are bad wages and benefits. We can agree with that, but also stay cautions with some other factors that contribute to the lack of professionals for truck driving positions. Here are the factors having high impact.
Retirements – The average age of an over the road truck drives is 46 years. We have an aging workforce that needs to be replaced with younger generations. The industry needs to find approximately 70,000 new truck drivers every year in order to fill the void left by drivers retiring. According ATA, retirements and industry growth are the common factors for driver demand.
Drug Violations – As of April 1, 2022, 10,276 commercial vehicle drivers have tested positive for marijuana use. By the same time in 2021, there had been 7,750 violations. That’s a 32.6% increase year over year. Today, at least 120,000 Class A CDL/CLP holders have been cited with at least one clearinghouse violation. What’s worse, 90,000 of them have not started the return-to-duty process that FMCSA requires for a driver to get back in the truck.
High turnover – The trucking industry have one of the worst turnover rates of any industry. As Time reported, “Turnover for truck drivers in fleets with more than $30 million of annual revenue was 92% at the end of 2020, meaning roughly 9 out of every 10 drivers will no longer be working for that company in a year.” They either go with smaller carriers, convert to independent contractor owner-operator or abandon the industry forever.
Wages – Drivers should receive a fair pay for the job they do. In fact the pay for truck drivers has been declining for decades. Total employee compensation fell 44% between 1977 and 1987, as Steve Viscelli, a University of Pennsylvania sociologist and author of the book The Big Rig: Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream, told Time. “Today, drivers get paid about 40% less than they did in the late 1970s, Viscelli says, but are twice as productive as they were then.”
Bad conditions – Truck drivers face many challenges while on the road but also off the road. Bad diet, sleeping in their trucks, difficulty to find a parking spot, stress are some of the issues that make trucking jobs not attractive.
Shortage of women in trucking – Although women represent almost half of the working nation, in the trucking industry there are only 7% women truck drivers. If more ladies join the industry, it will certainly reduce the shortage in great numbers, but that’s easier said than done considering the obstacles they have in this industry.
Driving hours restrictions – It’s a fact that the ELD mandate brought so much dissatisfaction among truck drivers and the ongoing shortage became more pronounced in 2018 following the implementation of ELDs. Many drivers consider ELD too restrictive, unsafe and preventing them from earning a good wage.
Bad treatment – Truck drivers are our heroes, our hardworking professionals who transport products and goods for our use. That’s why companies need to recognize the effort they’re doing, and treat them with respect and dignity. Anyone who thinks otherwise should reconsider his thoughts.
A job with risks – It’s not easy to be a truck driver because you deal with risks every single day. They need to be alert all the time to avoid accidents, need to keep an eye on the weather, and need some special skills to make everything go smoothly.
Home time – Not everyone is ready to leave his family, and take a trip for a week or two before coming home. The reason why many drivers are looking for local or regional jobs instead OTR, is because they can be more often with their families. Let’s face it. OTR trucking is not for everyone. And many can’t handle the loneliness they face on the road. It’s obvious that times have changed and this type of lifestyle isn’t preferred among younger generations.
What do you think, are these the major factors that contribute for a driver shortage or it’s just a myth amplified by a specific group of people with great power and influence?
Here is an infographic telling the shortage causes.
