The Truck

Driver Shortage

in the U.S.

The trucking industry is important in all

aspects of business. From the clothes that

people wear to the food they eat, truck

drivers make sure that they deliver goods on

time and in good condition. This is a big deal

for countries with big land masses like the

US.

Recently, the US celebrated the National

Truck Driver Appreciation Week (Sept. 14

to 20, 2014) to give thanks to its 3.2 million

heavy and tractor-

trailer truck drivers.

They kept the

economy moving

forward successfully

despite the

shortage.

The On-Going Shortage

According to the American Trucking

Associations (ATA), the US is in need of

more than 30,000 truck drivers. Not simply

any driver, though, but

those who passed the

criteria of the

Department of

Transportation

(DOT).

From August 2013 to July 2014, Examination

Management Services, Inc.’s (EMSI) unique

job posting data reported that there are about

298,000 monthly listings for truck drivers

alone. This led to a 7.8% growth rate, which

is faster than any other job demands in the

US.

Fleet Management Demands

The turnover rate in the trucking industry has

reached 92%. About 56% of truck drivers in

the US are 45 years old and above. They will

soon retire, but only a few young people are

interested in filling their spot. Fortunately,

those who are still attracted to this profession

can enroll in a six to 10-week course and get

their commercial driving license (CDL) in a

short time.

Due to the demands in the trucking industry,

graduates of certified trucking programs

might receive more job offers from small to

large-scale companies than they expect. The

average driver salary also increased by 5%,

says managing director of FTR Associates

Noel Perry. Drivers can earn as much as $18

to $21 per hour.

Truck driving allows people to travel,

earn a rewarding paycheck, and

contribute to the growing economy.

The on-going demand for truck drivers

makes it a good opportunity for lower

and middleclass workers to find a job

faster.

Sources:

http://www.theguardian.com/co

mmentisfree/2013/jul/11/truck-

driver-salary-life-on-road

http://www.trucking.org/ata%20

docs/what%20we%20do/image%

20and%20outreach%20programs/

misc%20documents/pro%20Truck

%20Drivers_final.pdf

http://cdtschool.com/truck-

programs/