Truck Driver Shortage Warning
Industry organizations have long been alerting about a shortage of workforce in trucking, especially among long-haul drivers responsible for interstate transportation. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a deficit of almost 61,000 drivers, as reported by the American Trucking Associations, the largest industry representative group. They project that this gap could widen to 160,000 drivers by 2028.
Impact of the Pandemic
The American Trucking Associations, which is also the most influential lobbying organization for the industry, has invested over $2 million in lobbying federal legislators in five of the last six years. In an April letter addressed to Congress, they, along with over 100 other supply chain trade associations, stated that the pandemic has worsened the driver shortage due to temporary shutdowns at state motor vehicle departments and truck driver training programs, thus disrupting the already weak influx of new drivers into the sector.
Rekindling Consumer Demand
Although there was an initial surge in consumer goods hoarding during the pandemic, the first half of 2020 saw a decline in demand for durable and certain nondurable goods. However, as the economy reopened, consumers’ spending enthusiasm bounced back, having a significant impact on freight transportation.
Drivers’ Earnings and Job Nature
According to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, trucks transport more freight across the U.S. than all other transport modes combined. As of May 2020, there were approximately 1.8 million heavy and tractor-trailer drivers, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although the median annual wage for these drivers stands at $47,000—higher than the overall average for all jobs at around $42,000—hourly earnings can be deceptive. Many truck drivers are paid per mile; delays such as traffic can adversely affect their hourly income.
Reasons Behind the Shortage
The American Trucking Associations attributes the driver shortage in part to the average age of truckers, which is 46 years, and the low percentage of female drivers, who make up about 7% of the workforce. To draw younger individuals into the profession, they advocate for reducing the minimum age for long-haul drivers from 21 to 18. In contrast, safety groups like Road Safe America caution that younger drivers may be more prone to fatal accidents, urging the implementation of pilot programs to assess safety among drivers under 21.
Retention and Working Conditions
Organizations representing truck drivers highlight employee retention as a critical issue. Low pay and challenging working conditions, rather than lack of interest in long-haul driving, are seen as primary contributors to turnover. Reports have shown that wages have not kept pace with inflation, coupled with long absences from home as significant deterrents to driver retention.
Focus of Recent Research
This article summarizes five studies on the trucking workforce, providing insight into key issues affecting the industry and drawing comparisons with other countries. It points to the ongoing research efforts by various universities and organizations into improving trucking workforce conditions and addressing the ongoing issues faced in this sector.
