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The Trucking Shortage and Young Drivers
“This is the mother of all truck driver shortages.”
That is what Jason Seidl, transportation analyst at Cowen & Co., had to say to Reuters on the subject of the current shortage of drivers in the Trucking and Freighting Industry.
Mr. Seidl is all too correct in his claim. The trucking industry has a shortage of drivers that is due to increase significantly in the next decade. The average truck driver is older, and will be retiring soon, and the industry is not attracting new, young recruits at a fast enough pace to supply the market. The fact of the matter is that the youngest sectors of the work force do not want to be truck drivers.
But why is that so? What can the industry do to change this?
How to Attract Young Drivers to Your Fleet
Financial Incentives
The first solution may seem pretty obvious- pay drivers more. Special financial incentives specifically geared towards millennials are being offered by several trucking and freighting organizations nationwide. Reuters reports that some companies, particularly in the ‘energy states’ of Texas and Pennsylvania, are offering significant signing bonuses to new drivers, ranging anywhere from $500 to &12,000. Others are reimbursing drivers for up to $7,000 on the cost of obtaining the necessary licensing if they pledge a fixed number of years of service to their company. So far, these methods have proven rather effective.
Work/Life Balance
But the root of the problem doesn’t lie simply in monetary terms. Young drivers want to establish a family life and work regional jobs. Brian Fielkow, president of Jetco Delivery, told CNBC, “Guys don’t want to sleep in trucks anymore. They want to sleep in their bed.” 18-24 year olds are not attracted to entering a career that requires weeks on the road. This factor is also a turn-off for current, older truck drivers. Nearly 17% of drivers interviewed in a CCJ survey reported that they would change fleets or occupations in order to get more home time. Perhaps this should serve as a wake-up call to the industry, as a whole. The truck driving paradigm needs to change– a new system needs to be implemented in which drivers can work more regular hours, travel shorter distances, and have more time at home to focus on family life.
Quality Trucks
The last complaint that trucking companies are trying to address is the quality of the trucks themselves. Not only do people not want to be away from home for weeks at a time, but they really don’t want to do it in a cramped, beat up sleeper cabin. There are already some efforts to ameliorate this problem, though. CNBC reports that Students at Carnegie Mellon University have been working on bringing the comforts of home to the inside of the truck’s cabin. They have designed new trucks that include small, ergonomic kitchenettes that permit drivers to cook their own meals, and an area to bring along a pet. Such additions and renovations may make the travel aspect of truck driving seem less daunting. If fleet managers are serious about increasing their appeal to the younger generations, then they should consider what changes could be made to their trucks in order to make them more hospitable.
Growing Your Fleet
The three aforementioned issues have caused the younger generations to lose interest in the trucking industry. Only time will tell if trucking companies will make the necessary adjustments to the nature of the business, and if the forecasted half a million empty jobs in 2020 will be filled by the future of the American workforce. Do you have an empty bank account that needs to be filled so that you can take on new jobs? Are slow paying clients preventing you from hauling all of the freight that you are capable of? If so, get in touch with Factor Finders, today. We offer a number of money-saving programs that can help your fleet expand, grow wealthy and even attract young drivers.
