Is America really dealing with a truck driver shortage?
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) says that the shortage of truck drivers will be at an all-time high by 2022.
Let’s first understand what the truck driver shortage is.
A truck driver shortage means qualified truck drivers are leaving the industry in search of better-paying jobs with better working conditions.
These drivers are simply not happy, or maybe they are not satisfied with the pressure and the lifestyle they are dealing with.
Now the question is: Is the truck driver shortage real?
The answer to this question varies from organization to organization, which is why it has become a hot topic to discuss.
However, it totally depends on the kind of organization you’re handling.
New drivers are always applying for the job, some are just waiting for the chance to give trucking a try.
But most of the organization complains that they are facing a driver shortage as no driver remains at the first company.
As a result, we can say that truck driver shortages are real at the company level, with companies struggling to retain drivers for long periods of time.
At the industry level, however, it can be difficult to identify this shortfall. As a result, the trucking sector can appear to have a severe driver shortage or none at all, depending on how you see it.
What is the reason for the trucking shortage?
As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, a pattern has emerged that affects all facets of the labor market, as seen by the trucking statistics. People are quitting their jobs at a remarkably higher rate.
This has further increased the struggles for those firms that are already dealing with truck driver shortages.
The main causes of the shortage of truck drivers are:
- Aging workforce.
- Issue with work-life balance.
- Stagnant pay for truck drivers.
- High employee turnover.
Aging Factor:
In the trucking business, drivers are on average 48 years old. The industry is struggling to appeal to a younger generation that might replace the present drivers when they retire, as many drivers are getting close to retirement age. Additionally, the demographics of truck drivers are heavily skewed toward men, which considerably reduce the pool of potential women truck drivers. The fact that women only make up roughly 6% of the transportation industry's employment demonstrates how small the demographic base is.
Issue with work-life balance:
Large fleets often have slim profit margins and push their truck drivers to the limit in an effort to cover their costs. But this strategy, which has led to a less-than-ideal balance between work and life for truck drivers, has had a big effect on the shortage of truck drivers.
- Truck drivers are forced to drive continuously and remain on the road for weeks; they thus sleep in their trucks and end up working for 60 to 70 hours a week.
- Forced dispatching is a method in which drivers are not given a choice as to what they transport or where they go.
- Putting in place pay-per-mile systems that assess a driver's mileage favorably for the business yet deny them a sizable amount of money over time
- Allowing drivers to spend a maximum of five consecutive days at home, with an average of one day at home every week spent on the road (usually four days max).
- Allowing drivers to spend one day at home for every seven days that they have spent on the road. Not only that, they are instructed on how many days in a row they can spend with their family.
These are just a few of the many rules and procedures that traditional trucking companies follow that directly lead to high turnover rates and a lack of workers.
Stagnant trucking wages:
As per the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), the average income for a fleet or commercial truck driver is $47,130, as compared to the overall salary in the US of $31,000.
However, when inflation is factored in, truck drivers' earnings are 50% lower than they were in 1980. Company truck drivers make as little as $8.33 per hour during a typical seven-day work week when you convert the industry standard of pay-per-mile into hours worked, taking into account time away from home and the practice of drivers sleeping in their vehicles.
High company turnover:
The U.S. has one of the highest turnover rates, at over 90%, in the trucking sector. Accordingly, organizations with 10 employees would need to fill three positions roughly three times per year. Most drivers quit their jobs within a year of starting it.
Large carriers have to rely on a constant stream of new hires and a hard push to make as many deliveries as possible before these new hires get too tired. Unless trucking businesses have the vision to make significant adjustments to raise their retention rates, it is a vicious circle with no end in sight.
How Trucker Social is helping the trucking industry:
The ability to alter and adapt is essential for retaining a strong competitive advantage. When it comes to dealing with truck driver retention, the trucking industry has mostly been opposed to change, and trucking companies have been the most resistant to this shift, which is why a shortage of truck drivers has become a significant problem.
With an eye toward the future, Trucker Social is adapting to the requirements of today's truck drivers. We are the trucking community of the future. We use high-tech methods and give each driver all the tools they need to make the most money possible.
Follow us to learn more.
