An acute driver shortage has plagued the trucking industry for years.
According to the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the global trucking industry missed some 2.6 million professional drivers in 2022. IRU’s survey was conducted in over 1,500 commercial road transport operators spread across 25 countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, underscoring the dire scarcity of truckers worldwide.
Closer to home, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) found that the United States had an estimated shortage of 78,000 truck drivers in 2022.
Numerous factors are responsible for this worrying state of affairs, including an aging workforce and stringent entry barriers.
Fortunately, smart trucking companies are already implementing ingenious ways to address trucker shortages. Interventions range from streamlining hiring procedures to revamping remuneration packages.
Here’s a look at how truck driver scarcity is revolutionizing hiring and salary standards.
1. Lowering Entry Barriers
According to trucker news, high entry barriers are the biggest cause behind truck driver shortages worldwide.
In the United States, aspiring truckers must be 18 years old to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) for intrastate driving. Those seeking to drive interstate must be 21 years old.
In fact, many trucking companies prefer drivers aged at least 21 years. Due to the acute trucker shortage, there’s been intense lobbying to lower these entry barriers. The idea is to attract more new entrants into the sector.
2. Streamlining Trucker Training
A CDL takes three to six weeks to acquire. While the period may appear short, consider that it translates to 192 hours of rigorous training.
First, trainees must endure 60 hours of classroom work. Then comes the more technical bit - the practicals.
Now, we all desire the most qualified drivers on our freeways to curb the scourge of road carnage. But to entice new entrants, the training should be less strenuous.
Some trucking companies recommend ongoing education as a way to streamline driver training. Apparently, this approach will enable truckers to secure jobs with basic qualifications and then refine their driving skills on the job.
3. Targeting Younger Drivers
Part of the reason behind the severe trucker shortage is that the industry is dominated by older drivers. For years, the average truck driver age has staggered between 45 and 50 years.
Consider that there were 25.37 million Americans falling within the 45 – 50 age bracket, as per the 2022 population data. That translates to under 4% of the population.
The combination of high entry barriers and unfavorable working conditions dissuades most young people from pursuing truck driving careers. To seal this gap, some logistics companies now tailor their trucking job ads for the younger generation.
4. Tapping Into the Female Workforce
The trucking industry isn’t just dominated by an aging workforce. The sector has traditionally been a male domain as well.
According to a Women in Trucking Association (WITA) survey conducted on micro trucking companies, women accounted for a paltry 12.5% of all CDL holders.
Even more concerning is that a tiny minority of this demographic is actively working as truck drivers.
However, the recent past has seen concerted efforts to attract female truck drivers through customized job adverts. The promise of friendly working conditions might see more women develop a keen interest in truck driving.
5. Raising Wages and Salaries
Truck driving is a challenging job. Therefore, remuneration must be commensurate with the payload. The persistent shortage of truckers has seen various companies raise their drivers’ base payments.
If properly implemented, this strategy can help attract more truckers and retain existing ones. It enables logistics firms to avoid operational downtimes caused by high driver turnover. Besides increasing driver base pay, some trucking companies also offer generous performance incentives.
Truckers receive bonuses for safe driving, timely deliveries, and high fuel efficiency. There are also referral-based incentives for trucking companies that maintain robust client referral programs.
Moreover, some drivers receive bonuses simply for good behavior. Incentives may be issued to truckers for de-escalating potentially dangerous road rage moments or for avoiding the use of controlled substances like marijuana.
6. Introducing Fringe Benefits
Smart trucking companies have discovered that pay-related packages alone cannot address driver retention in the long run. Therefore, they’ve gone ahead and introduced several fringe benefits, such as health insurance.
Health insurance offers truckers the peace of mind knowing they won’t fund medical bills out of pocket. It also entitles them to full payment while recuperating from illnesses or injuries.
Besides, some truck drivers can now enjoy retirement benefits and paid leave.
7. Reimagining Trucker Job Ads
Many people have traditionally viewed truck driving as a lonely profession. Such notions are fueled by the fact that truckers must contend with longer driving hours and stick to strict (sometimes unreasonable) schedules.
Now, the reality is far less dark than it’s commonly painted. Yet, the belief has caused thousands of would-be truckers to shy away from the industry. To dispel these stereotypes, many trucking companies have revamped their branding campaigns to portray truck driving as a cool profession.
Images depicting truckers returning to their families or using route navigation technology to expedite deliveries have become commonplace.
Wrap Up
The truck driver shortage has adversely impacted what should be the backbone of the global economy.
The dearth of professional truckers has severely disrupted supply chains, causing massive shipment delays. Some companies have also had to contend with high operational costs and increased trucker turnover due to higher workloads.
Fortunately, implementing the above procedures can help address the scarcity of truckers and get ahead in the competitive trucking landscape.
Why Driver Shortages Are Changing Hiring and Pay Standards