Dive Brief:
On Monday, President Joe Biden emphasized the actions his administration has implemented to increase the number of truck drivers. These initiatives include promoting new apprenticeship programs and enhancing recruitment efforts targeted at women and veterans.
The president praised the government’s support for the trucking industry, highlighting that over 100 companies, including Domino’s, Frito-Lay, PepsiCo, Albertsons, and UPS, have initiated apprenticeship schemes aimed at improving driver retention since December. This press conference also marked the largest annual job growth in the industry since 1994. The White House noted that the hiring of long-haul drivers during the period from December to February was the strongest in three decades.
Dive Insight:
The Biden administration held discussions with industry stakeholders in December to identify strategies for better recruiting and retaining truckers in response to existing labor shortages. As a result, the Trucking Action Plan was developed, which includes funding to accelerate the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses and simplify apprenticeship program registrations alongside efforts to bring more women and veterans into the workforce.
Standing next to a pair of Mack trucks on the White House lawn, the president acknowledged that further actions are required. “We all know we need to move faster, getting more people working in this industry, in jobs they can rely on and raise a family,” Biden remarked.
The administration is collaborating with prominent veterans organizations to connect veterans with trucking jobs; Biden noted, “If you can handle a tank … you sure as hell can handle one of these suckers,” referencing the trucks behind him. Additionally, the Women of Trucking Advisory Board aims to address the significant disparity in gender representation within the industry, which currently stands at approximately 90% male to 10% female drivers.
Since December, the introduction of over 100 apprenticeship programs has followed a Department of Labor initiative to cut registration times from eight months to just 48 days, according to Biden. Industry associations such as the American Trucking Associations, the National Minority Trucking Association, and the Food Industry Association are involved in establishing these apprenticeship initiatives.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg indicated that his department is examining truck-leasing agreements and driver compensation, especially concerning unpaid hours when drivers are working but not compensated while waiting. Buttigieg asserted that these efforts will create “debt-free pathways into the career for more people, including more women and drivers of color.”
Biden noted that the recruitment efforts are already yielding results. The Department of Transportation allocated $57 million to help states expedite the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses, leading to a 112% increase in CDL processing in early 2022 compared to the previous year. Since January 2021, over 876,000 CDLs have been issued across the United States, as reported by the White House.
Enhancing hiring and retention within the trucking sector forms part of the White House’s broader strategy to strengthen the nation’s supply chains. This includes encouraging shippers to operate around the clock and launching a national data-sharing portal. The president’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes $3 billion earmarked for freight and highway projects.
