Okay. You’ve been reading the news and you heard there’s a driver shortage issue, right? It’s true. There aren’t enough drivers available to drive all the trucks that need to be driven, and this is hampering the economy.
Did the coronavirus pandemic create this problem? No, but it certainly didn’t help it! For many years now, there has been a shortage of truck drivers. And then the coronavirus pandemic came along, and that further hurt the trucking industry as many truckers decided to stay home and get government checks… or they retired early… or switched to a different industry. Anyway, what can be done to combat the driver shortage issue?!
Here are some ideas:
Reach New Demographics
Trucking companies need to reach out to women and let them know they’re welcome in the industry. Currently, only about 6% of commercial truck drivers are female. If the trucking industry could find ways to appeal to more women to apply for trucking jobs, they’d be able to find more drivers.
Localized Routes
What about the lifestyle? Perhaps potential recruits don’t want to have to adapt to the kind of lifestyle where they’re “always on the road and never home.” The trucking industry could figure out better ways to help keep truckers closer to home so they’re not always so far away from friends and loved ones for extended periods of time. Speaking of lifestyle, the industry needs to continue to innovate when it comes to things like offering nutritious food at truck stops and creating nice places to sleep at comfortable rest areas.
Benefits
What about pay? As inflation hits, and prices rise for so many things, guess what? Truckers want more money! So, trucking companies need to increase driver pay if they expect to get and keep their employees. Pay increases can help, as can comprehensive benefits packages and 401(k)/tuition reimbursement options.
Age Reduction
Finally, if the age minimum of a commercial truck driver is lowered to 18 (from 21), that could help fill open positions.
Whether you’re a trucking company in need of dependable drivers or a driver looking for work, learn how Platinum Drivers can help.