The trucking industry is facing significant challenges. A brief glance at daily news reveals countless stories about its difficulties: drivers sleeping in cabs, using bottles for sanitation, enduring long unpaid waits to unload, experiencing sexism, facing sleep deprivation, followed by unhealthy diets and low pay. These issues inevitably contribute to severe accidents, costly lawsuits, and the emergence of trucker convoys expressing their frustrations. According to Tra Williams, owner of FleetForce Truck Driving School, around 1,200 truckers are retiring weekly, prompting the American Trucking Association to declare a shortage of 80,000 drivers, a number that could double by 2030.
The prospects for the industry appear bleak, possibly even desperate.
However, Steve Rush presents a different narrative.
Rush began his trucking career in 1965 and progressed through various roles in dispatch and driving. He purchased his first truck in 1969 and spent the next few years developing a small fleet under a larger carrier. By 1983, he established his own trucking company, Carbon Express, in Wharton, NJ. Today, Carbon Express operates approximately 60 trucks nationwide, offering drivers an average salary of $85,000 while maintaining single-digit turnover rates. The company is an outlier in the industry.
“Most drivers love to drive a truck,” Rush explains. “When you enjoy your job, it’s easier to go to work. But you also want fair treatment and pay. Back in 1965, that was achievable. The situation turned after deregulation. Now, I look at the industry and feel disheartened… We are causing our own problems, and the shortage is real.”
The typical truck driver, Rush claims, doesn’t wish to be away from home. The romanticized idea of truck driving as a path to freedom doesn’t reveal the truth: travel can be grueling, especially without a proper bed, bathroom, and personal space. “We operate coast-to-coast using day cabs,” he notes. “In 2018, we even dispatched trucks to Alaska using day cabs. When my drivers are on the road, they stay in hotels.”
Ellen Voie, president and CEO of Women in Trucking in Wisconsin, shares Rush’s frustrations regarding industry standards and highlights owners like him who prioritize change. “The industry is slow to evolve,” she says. “When we advocate for better conditions, like putting drivers in hotels and paying overtime, companies dismiss it as too expensive. But I counter that turnover is equally costly.” According to Voie, drivers at Carbon Express appreciate their working conditions and feel empowered, as they get paid overtime, have a supportive environment, and enjoy competitive salaries.
Rush believes enhancing the industry’s appeal involves fostering a better environment for drivers, which includes improving training and prioritizing safety. Following a recent tragic accident in Colorado, he sent his most experienced drivers to a mountain driving school in British Columbia. “There’s a lack of training,” Rush emphasizes. “No standard training exists. The U.S. government should classify this job as a professional skill and implement regulations on training. This would enhance skills and attract more talent, signaling that truck drivers are professionals.”
Carbon Express drivers earn nearly double the standard industry salary of approximately $50,148, according to a March 2022 salary search. The company also carefully monitors each driver’s sleep to promote safety on the road. “I flipped my first truck at 23 years old,” Rush reveals. “I initially thought I was just fatigued, but after learning about sleep patterns in training, I realized the issue. Since then, our rollover incidents have become virtually nonexistent.”
Rush has also shifted recruitment to focus on younger drivers, emphasizing in-house training. “Our average driver age has decreased to mid-40s, with several drivers under 25. Training them correctly from the start helps prevent bad habits. If they remain accident-free for a year, we’ll reimburse their schooling.”
Chevy Dillinger, 25, represents the new generation of truckers. He joined the field at 22, drawn by the opportunity to earn good money while traveling. Now, as an owner-operator for Carbon Express, he enjoys meaningful work, stating, “When you drive for someone else, you’re helping them achieve their goals. I want to build my own company one day.” Dillinger acknowledges the negative perceptions about truck drivers and contrasts his experience at Carbon Express, where he feels fairly treated and sees the potential for growth in the industry.
