In an Industry that is already feeling the pressure to increase the number of truck drivers. The Growing US economy increases the demand for CDL Drivers and is pushing the envelope even high.
The ATA said the driver shortfall could reach 50,000 positions by the end of this year and if trends hold, will grow to more than 174,000 by 2026.
In an industry that has its work cut out to fill these positions with qualified drivers, the good news of a growing economy could push the ATA estimates even higher. For now, this will cause the cost of moving goods higher which will affect both retailers and manufacturers. They are already paying the highest prices to move their goods in years.
This is a two-part problem. The shipping demand in blowing up while the number of trucks and Truck drivers to move this freight is not increasing nearly fast enough as illustrated by this chart showing the number of loads per truck.
ATRI recommended that the industry works with to develop a graduated commercial driver’s license program to attract younger drivers to the industry and partner with the Department of Labor to create a national driver recruitment program.
The lack of enough drivers is a severe problem. You add to the fact that more and more people are making purchases with e-commerce the demand in the trucking industry is going to continue going up.
You will need to see an increase in driver wages coupled with a reel push to attract new and younger drivers to the industry to begin to relieve this pressure.
This problem is a good one to have and solve. As the economy grows and the Trucking Industry begins to meet its demand for drivers, the effect on employment will be positive as well.
