Trucking industry was short more than 60,000 drivers. How to maintain a healthy lifestyle as an overthe road truck driver duration. Unfortunately, the driver shortage is not expected to improve unless solutions are implemented. In my time driver big carriers have approxmatly doubled their pay while cost on the road and at home have at least gone to 4 or 5 times. Apr 06, 2018 the driver shortage in the trucking industry throughout the united states has reached a crescendo. According to the american trucking associations, america will be short 175,000 drivers by 2026. Below are a few marketplace responses and potential policy solutions that could reduce the driver shortage.
Professional bus and truck drivers are the industrys key assets, moving. Bureau of labor statistics data for 2018 indicates 55% of the driver. Costello points out that this formula does not account for the quality of the workforce. I understood the freedom of the road, which is a big attraction for drivers. According to the bureau of labor statistics, the average age of a commercial truck driver in the u. The truck driver shortage and intennodal transportation an. While the report covers the entire trucking industry, the bulk of the shortage is in the over the road forhire truckload market. To make up for the lack of drivers, truckers are having to spend even more time on the road, which contributes to burnout. The number of truck drivers in the united states has held relatively steady over the last 20 years, hovering somewhere between 3 million and 3. Competition for top talent is always high, but even more so. Trucking industry struggles with growing driver shortage. The average age of an over the road driver is 46 years old. The ata projects the driver gap will increase to nearly 100,000 by 2021. As we enter a new decade, fleets of all types face challenges such as freight capacity, compliance and transparency.
There is no single solution to solve this shortage of drivers, but there are a few things that could help mitigate the. The driver shortage is the result of an aging workforce, high turnover and increasing freight demand. Americas massive truck driver shortage may triple by 2026. However, licensed truck drivers have to be 21 or older to drive freight across state lines. The average age of an overthe road driver is 46 years old.
When im talking to drivers, they say that they know that they can quit a job today and be driving tomorrow. Despite their best efforts, the problem persists and it could get worse before it gets better. Nearly every period of economic growth is accompanied by a driver shortage, including the recovery that began in 2009. Throughout the past decade, the trucking industry has struggled with a shortage of truck drivers. This means the trucking industry has been dealing with the growing problem of a driver shortage in particular, longhaul drivers for while. The united states and colorado are facing a truck driver shortage, a daunting economic prospect as the vast majority of goods in the country are transported over the road. By the end of 2019, there should be a slight decrease in the driver shortfall but not significant enough to fix the issue. Per ata, overthe road fleets could be short just over 100,000 drivers in five years and 160,000 drivers in 2028. Jul 24, 2019 the shortage is most acute for longhaul drivers, where the average age is 46, and workers are on the road for weeks at a time. The driver shortage thats been plaguing overthe road, forhire. Nationwide trucker shortage makes roads more dangerous. There are many reasons that this shortage has come about, but the newest trend to affect the industry is the acceptance by states of marijuana use. High retirement rates and inefficiency in the trucking industry contribute to truck driver shortage.
The hgv driver shortage is limiting the haulage industrys ability to deliver high quality services. The problem is that not all of them are overthe road drivers. Labor dept dont believe media on trucker shortage fleet. The rates have never been this good in over 20 years. This dangerous incentivization can encourage sleepdeprived and reckless driving just so big truck companies can compensate for the lack of drivers. Even those who dont mind being out on the road may find it difficult to adapt to living in a truck and showering at rest areas. If something isnt done to attract more drivers to the industry the shortage will have a huge impact on goods being delivered around the uk and beyond. Thats over twice as many unfilled positions than there are today. The atas bob costello estimates only 500,000 of the cdl holders are over the road drivers. The problem is that not all of them are over the road drivers. For instance, more than half of truck drivers are 45 and older.
What can be done about canadian truckings driver shortage. Carrier executives grapple with driver shortage expected. And with the shortage increasing driver pay, it can have a significant impact on supplier costs and therefore consumer pricing. The american trucking associations says the industry needs to hire almost 900,000 more drivers to meet rising demand. Trucker shortage balloons to more than 60,000 driver jobs. The truck driver shortage has been increasing since the mid 2000s. Solving over the road trucking challenges with analytics geotab. Mar 19, 2020 costello points out that this formula does not account for the quality of the workforce. The truck driver shortage can be solved by paying drivers for. When i discuss hiring with my clients, they repeatedly say that they cant hire drivers and that there. The trucking industry needs to find ways to attract more and younger drivers, costello said. Over the road fleets with class 8 heavy trucks operate in a variety of ways, from forhire truckload carriers to intermodal carriers. Aging drivers, higher volumes, competition causing driver shortage. He goes on to say that drivers as a group are underpaid and their wages.
There are a lot of things that have added to the current driver shortage, but one of the biggest factors is the relatively high average age of the existing trucking workforce. As i mentioned in the intro, many trucking companies nowadays have posed strict hiring criteria. Oct 19, 2018 a year ago, a study by the canadian trucking alliance projected canadas trucking industry will face a shortage of 34,000 drivers by 2024. Theres a shortage of 51,000 truck drivers nationwide, the ata says, up from 20,000 in 20 and 36,500 in 2016. There appears to be a shortage of qualified professional truck drivers because drivers are leaving the industry and searching for.
If these current trends hold, the shortage can increase to over 160,000 by 2028 if no changes are made. What is causing the truck driver shortage and how can we fix it. It is hard to have a quality family life when you are constantly gone. Since then the trucking industry has continued to struggle with driver shortage. The driver shortage is only making this problem worse. Silver spring, md february 10, 2020 latest trucking statistics show that the shortage of over the road otr truck drivers in the u. A driver must only be 18 years old to qualify for a cdl. As reported by ata, the shortage at the end of 2018 was over 60,000 drivers and could grow to 100,000. The main factors precluding a career in driving a truck or time away from the family and living on the road. The american trucking associations says the industry needs to hire. The ata estimates that 160,000 driver positions will go unfilled in. Viscelli shared list of 10 ways to help truck drivers out there and ease the driver shortage that everyone knows is real. The shortage is most acute for longhaul drivers, where the average age is 46, and workers are on the road for weeks at a time.
Truck driver shortage is on course to double in a decade. The driver shortage in the trucking industry throughout the united states has reached a crescendo. The decadesold driver shortage in the trucking industry is like a toothache that you ignoreit tends just to get worse and worse without treatment. In close cooperation with its members, iru has developed the iru road map on driver shortage, which sets out a series of short, medium and longterm measures designed to improve the image of the industry together with the working conditions and attract a more diverse workforce, including women and millennials. Overall, however, the shortage will likely increase over the next decade in the trucking industry. What is causing the truck driver shortage and how can we. May 28, 2018 the rates have never been this good in over 20 years. Jul 24, 2019 per ata, over the road fleets could be short just over 100,000 drivers in five years and 160,000 drivers in 2028. However, if a driver needs to sleep at 2am, or is caught up in some bad weather, he or she is penalized for missing the allotted time period by losing the driver bonus. In your observations, how is the truck driver shortage impacting micro and small motor carriers.
According to department of labor figures, the number of people who drive forhire tractortrailers and heavy trucks is 864,000. Truck driver shortage solutions and dangers texas truck. Trucker shortage is raising prices, delaying deliveries. Gronbach believes the driver void will be filled by. Swana report highlights growing truck driver shortage.
If youre interested in this field, theres no time like the present to join up. Since then, the government and the industry have pursued various means to close the gap. Freight rates are climbing, as theres more work than truckers can handle. Hendrickson solves driver shortage with zmd zero maintenace. Trucking industry was short more than 60,000 drivers in. The truck driver shortage is one of the biggest issues the north american trucking industry faces today. Truck driver shortage threatens supply chain drivers. He estimates the shortage of otr driver to be about 50,000. Have you been hearing about the truck driver shortage.
The one way to increase workforce size is to open it up to a wider range of people. It also outlined potential market and policy solutions. Industry analysis by dat solutions shows at the beginning of 2018, only one. And the unfortunate reality is the shortage of truck drivers is predicted to. The driver shortage today is higher than ever beforebut its expected to remain stagnant through 2020 and even 2021. The driver shortage affects the entire economy, as over 68% of all freight is moved on u. A year ago, a study by the canadian trucking alliance projected canadas trucking industry will face a shortage of 34,000 drivers by 2024. This is a concern for every other driver on the highway, since failure to maintain vehicles is a leading cause of truck crashes. Decrease time on the road increasing time at home and decreasing time on the road. Its a shortage of drivers willing to work as cheap as they would like.
No container or straight truck or trailer moves without, at some point, a truck driver. Professional bus and truck drivers are the industrys key assets, moving people and goods where they need to be. Logistics industry news impact of the driver shortage in. What is the solution for the truck driver shortage. Truck driver shortage and forecasts 2019 i am zeus. Ata releases updated driver shortage report and forecast. The truck driver shortage can be solved by paying drivers. So getting back to the mythological driver shortage, im not going to trot out the tired cliches like, if they paid enough there would be no problem yeah, sure, but they dont. Jan 09, 2018 trucking industry struggles with growing driver shortage more than 70 percent of goods consumed in the u. The criteria that trucking companies are posing are closely interconnected with.
Trincon has worked with trucking companies for over thirty years providing shortage solutions to improve the conditions that lead to high truck driver turnover and to find driver recruitment solutions. Apr 26, 2018 theres a shortage of 51,000 truck drivers nationwide, the ata says, up from 20,000 in 20 and 36,500 in 2016. What is causing the truck driver shortage and how can we fix. What is it like to be an international truck driver. The truck driver shortage has created a lack of over the road truck drivers and made it hard for companies to move goods longdistance. At the same time, there is even a greater demand for shipments to arrive to consumers quickly. Before we get into truck driver shortage solutions, lets take a look at some of the statistics and information that affect the situation. Jul 16, 2018 the driver shortage is the result of an aging workforce, high turnover and increasing freight demand.
Solving over the road trucking challenges with analytics. Understanding the truck driver shortage to decrease turnover. Silver spring, md february 10, 2020 latest trucking statistics show that the shortage of overthe road otr truck drivers in the u. An author, industry expert, sociologist and former trucker shares his answers to the driver shortage. Truck driver shortage solutions and dangers about the shortage of big rig drivers. Effects and solutions of the truck driver shortage world air co. While the report covers the entire trucking industry, the bulk of the shortage is in the overthe road forhire truckload market. While the report covers the entire trucking industry, the bulk of the shortage is in the overtheroad forhire truckload market. Sep 28, 2015 how to maintain a healthy lifestyle as an over the road truck driver duration. Even so, trucking companies, especially truckload carriers, often have great difficulty finding, hiring and keeping drivers. We are only making it because hos and higher speed limits allow us to do more. There appears to be a shortage of qualified professional truck drivers because drivers are leaving the industry and searching for jobs that offer better pay, benefits and working conditions.
Trucking industry struggles with growing driver shortage more than 70 percent of goods consumed in the u. Heres how one company is trying to save the trucking industry. Latest trucking statistics show that the shortage of overthe road truck drivers in the u. In the face of a tight labor market, companies can turn to truck. How to attract and retain drivers while facing driver shortage. If gen xs relative lack of size and subsequent shallow labor pool is to blame for the current driver shortage, what is the solution. The loadspace shortage has long been one of the biggest challenges. And hes got answers to the truck driver shortage crisis. An indepth series on the driver shortage driver turnover hits 87% at large truckload carriers driver shortage hits highest recorded level in 2015 how csa compliance can benefit fleets and drivers. Industry analysis by dat solutions shows at the beginning of 2018, only one truck was available for every 12 loads that needed. Apr 30, 2018 i believe there is not a driver shortage, there is a shortage of drivers willing to work for the prevailing wages.
Americas truck driver shortage the dangers and solutions. The truck driver shortage has created a lack of overthe road truck drivers and made it hard for companies to move goods longdistance. Latest trucking statistics show that the shortage of over the road truck drivers in the u. The truck driver shortage in 2020 the dirty truth no one. Professional bus and truck drivers are the industrys key assets, moving people. The driver shortage in the trucking industry is a problem that every trucking company, large and small, has to deal with. Hardly a day goes by without the driver shortage coming up in conversation. The driver shortage thats been plaguing over the road, forhire. Truck driver shortage reaches highest ever level feedstuffs. Over the course of about 15 years, the supply of truck drivers in the u.
I believe there is not a driver shortage, there is a shortage of drivers willing to work for the prevailing wages. Aging drivers, higher volumes, competition causing driver. Theyre simply not happy or satisfied with the lifestyle driving a truck for a living provides. The road transport industry is the backbone of the economy and plays an essential role in peoples daily lives. Even today, a lack of drivers is making goods more expensive and delaying orders. The american trucking association ata reports that the trucking industry needs to hire over 900,000 more drivers within the next ten years to match the rising demand.
1174 485 977 390 1414 1323 1333 784 44 886 227 1169 1122 894 154 312 1380 135 851 28 1529 201 887 98 81 732 70 1192 23 240 219 868 185 1412 1306 361 1583 860 477 953 1405 1278 440 848 1489 306 942 511 912 1325