NASHVILLE — The truck driver shortage is at its highest point since the American Trucking Associations began monitoring it in 2005.
The current shortage stands at 80,000, up 31% from the ATA estimate of 61,000 in 2018, according to Bob Costello, ATA chief economist. Costello unveiled the new numbers at the ATA’s Management Conference and Exhibition Monday. Costello made clear the issue is not going away.
“Over the next decade, it could … hit 160,000 at current trends,” said Costello. “Let me very clear about that … This is sort of a warning to the entire supply chain, to the motor carriers, to shippers, to everybody.”
Costello said the supply chain issues of today are far reaching, from factories in Asia backed up to clogged ports to driver shortages. But if the driver shortage in particular doesn’t get fixed, it will become a main cause of a future supply chain crisis.
“We’re going to see these same issues of today, but solely because of the driver shortage,” said Costello.
Costello said fleets have never seen such a big issue, calling it “horrendous” for many carriers.
The causes are many. The industry lost about 70,000 drivers from the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse of the FMCSA, Costello said. He stressed the ATA fully supports the online database of substance offenders, but its toll has been real.
Recruitment has been weak as freight demand has grown. The U.S. workforce is almost half female, but the driver population are only 8% female, Costello said. Fleets also target older candidates. The average age at CDL schools is 35, he said. Costello said life on the road at 35 is a challenge, because many people that age have families.
Instead, fleets and schools should target new candidates at younger ages. “The time to do it is at 18, 19, 20, 21, 22,” said Costello. “That’s the time to do it.”
Post time: Nov-05-2021