If you’ve been following the news, then you might know there is a shortage of available truckers to do the work needed to be done to properly serve the U.S. economy. You’d also know that there’s a looming diesel fuel shortage, and that’s not good news for truckers, retail or society in general.
Trucking Remains a Core Component of Our Economy
The reality is that the trucking industry is the backbone of our economy. Goods don’t just magically show up at Wal-Mart. It takes a lot of truckers and trucks to bring the country’s consumable goods to market, and while planes, trains and boats help make that happen, ultimately it’s mostly trucks that truly deliver all across the country to busy cities, rural backwaters and everywhere in between.
But There is Still a Shortage
Despite some valiant efforts, there’s STILL a driver shortage. Many drivers are retiring and not being replaced fast enough. There’s also a problem with people using drugs and alcohol– you can’t drive a truck if you’re under the influence! Sadly, many, many people like to drink and smoke and use drugs, so that narrows down the number of drivers that can safely carry out their duties– trucking companies stop drug users from working, thankfully, or else there’d be a lot more fatal accidents.
The trucking industry also has a hard time enticing young people who grew up with everything handed to them, getting participation trophies and generally taking the lazy attitude, “I don’t want to work, I just want to play on my phone all day.” So how are you going to convince someone from Generation Z to do a hard job that requires weeks on the road away from the comforts of their home? It’s a tough sell, that’s for sure. Right now, the industry could use 50,000 more drivers and in the years to come, that number blossoms to 175,000. Yikes.
Other Miscellaneous Happenings
What else is happening with the trucking industry? It seems like technology is kind of trying to take over, doesn’t it? Self-driving trucks could eliminate the need for humans to drive trucks in the future– we shall see. Trucks are getting more computer-oriented than ever– it’s almost like trying to fly a complicated airplane nowadays.
If you need helping finding truck drivers for your fleet, contact Platinum Drivers today.