If your trucking company has been struggling to hire drivers, odds are you aren’t alone. A CareerBuilder study just revealed that truck driving jobs are the fourth “hardest-to-fill” positions in the United States. CareerBuilder conducted a nationwide survey that included more than 2,000 hiring managers. HR and hiring managers were asked to identify the hardest-to-fill jobs within their companies that remain open for 12 weeks or more.
According to Overdrive Online, nearly half of carriers are offering sign-on bonuses to entice drivers. Two years ago, only 12 percent were offering bonuses. Trucking companies are searching for other ways to improve driver retention, such as pay based on performance and an increased focus on safety. Still, many fleets aren’t considering increasing the base pay. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the base pay for truck drivers to be about $38,000 per year.
So, why are truck drivers leaving the transportation industry? Some are retiring, some are finding better paying jobs in construction or the oil and gas industry. Others find it just as easy to work under the table doing landscaping, snow plowing etc. Also, some are even opting for working multiple part time jobs so they can remain at home.
It’s predicted that 25 percent of today’s drivers will retire or leave do to a physical issue in the next ten years.