Despite hundreds of thousands of openings for long-haul truckers, the allure of the open road is failing to attract many candidates.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — In an economy marked by high unemployment, one might expect people to seize employment opportunities. However, trucking firms are facing significant challenges in recruiting drivers.
According to David Heller, director of safety and policy for the Truckload Carriers Association, there are up to 200,000 job vacancies for long-haul truckers across the country.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a rising demand for truckers, estimating that the current 1.5 million drivers will expand by 330,100 jobs from 2010 to 2020, which is a 20% growth.
Filling these positions is challenging, and retaining drivers is even harder.
“Few people want to drive a truck,” noted Heller.
While truckers earn a median annual salary of $37,930—$4,000 above the median wage across all occupations, with the top 10% earning over $58,000—many long-haul trucking roles remain unfilled.
One significant barrier is obtaining a commercial driver’s license, which requires up to eight weeks of training at a cost of around $6,000.
“Becoming a driver involves rigorous scrutiny, which is crucial,” stated Brett Aquila, a trucker and blogger at TruckingTruth. “It’s risky to put anyone behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound truck bearing your company’s name.”
Once on the road, drivers often find the long-haul lifestyle tough, living in cramped quarters for weeks. Aquila described this adjustment as a “huge culture shock,” compounded by erratic sleep patterns and extended time away from family and friends.
This difficulty contributes to high turnover rates among truckers, even as the improving economy creates new job opportunities.
“As consumer spending rises, more freight needs to be transported,” explained Heller. “Every item you own has likely been on a truck at some point.”
Major long-haul trucking companies like Schneider National, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Swift Transportation, and Werner Enterprises are actively seeking drivers through their websites.
Derek Leathers, president of Werner, indicated that the company currently has around 100 open long-haul driving positions, forcing them to intensify their recruitment efforts and increase advertising spend.
Werner is offering a $5,000 signing bonus for “team driver” roles, where two drivers share a truck and rotate shifts to travel up to 1,000 miles daily. They also provide paid apprenticeships to veterans, aiming to hire 35 per month and utilizing GI Bill funding for truck driving school.
While trucking can be lucrative, it is not without its challenges, according to Leo Wilkins, a long-haul trucker from St. Charles, Minnesota, with 40 years of experience.
Wilkins reports he can earn up to $300,000 annually, and after expenses, clear approximately $150,000, provided he remains on the road and lives out of his customized sleeper.
“I typically stay on the road for six weeks at a time,” he said. “To earn well in this business, frequent trips home aren’t feasible.”
First Published: July 24, 2012: 5:57 AM ET
