Truck drivers seem to be a vanishing breed these days. While it was a thriving industry in the past, major trucking companies are having difficult bringing in new recruits. It is estimated that the industry as a whole needs between 35,000 and 40,000 new drivers to meet today’s shipping needs. This number may increase to 240,000 drivers in the next decade or so. If the need for drivers isn’t filled, there will be raised shipping costs and longer transit times to get things where they need to go. It could disrupt the whole retail industry.
Many Reason for Driver Shortages
So, what are the reasons behind the shortage of drivers? Some experts believe it is because there are more safety regulations in the industry, which leads to stricter working requirements. Also, the pay remains low compared to the work drivers must do, and in spite of the gains of the retail industry that drivers serve. With working conditions tougher than they’ve ever been in the trucking industry and pay not meeting the requirements of the job, the only drivers on the road now are ones who have been doing it for years, or even decades. The trucking workforce is aging, and young truckers aren’t showing any interest in entering the profession.
Driver Shortages Limit Growth
The shortage of truck drivers is holding back growth for many trucking companies. These companies might become well known players in the market with high profits, were it not for the shortage of drivers to deliver their goods. It is a hardship on companies to plan for shipping their goods when they cannot be sure how many drivers they will have available to deliver them.
Turnover is High
Those young drivers who do join the industry tend to not stay in it. It is difficult on young families to have one member away on the road for much of the time, and divorces among truck drivers who are new to it are common. Older drivers have spouses who are used to the schedule, so it isn’t so much of an issue with them. The average amount of time young truck drivers stay in the industry is around 10 to 11 months, which costs companies a lot of money in continually having to recruit and train new drivers. Because of this issue, many companies are offering four figure signing bonuses to new drivers, and have lowered their entry-level requirements to the point where they will take kids right out of high school and train them to be drivers. If a person gets into the industry before they have experience doing anything else, they have a better chance of staying in the field than someone who may have done other work before giving truck driving a try.
Poaching is another problem in the industry. Once smaller companies get drivers recruited and trained, they are often lured away by bigger companies offering more money and more perks. Many smaller trucking companies believe they will eventually have to outsource their shipping to larger companies, which will push up their costs of operations, leading many to go out of business or have to drastically scale back their operations and make much less money.
The Veltri Advantage
The good news for young drivers considering a career in trucking is that not all trucking companies are created equal. Some companies treat their drivers better and pay them more than other companies. As a truck driver, you have your choice of working wherever you like, as all companies need drivers. You can write your own ticket into the company that values its employees the most and has the best benefits for you. Veltri, Inc. is one of these companies.
The average driver has been working at Veltri, Inc. for around six years, and sometimes more. If you’ve been driving for at least two years and your record is clean, you can join Veltri. We are renowned among other dedicated trucking services as a company that treats our employees with respect and shows them they are valued.
With a compensation package and benefits that are above average for the industry and higher pay than most companies, even young truckers will find a rewarding career here and plenty of reasons to stay. Best of all, we are family friendly. As a local and regional trucking company, our drivers never have to spend any downtime on the road. All of it is spent at home with their families. The future of the trucking industry in attracting and retaining young truckers is modeled at Veltri, Inc.