One Driver's Appeal to Congress and the Trucking Industry

As recently as two years ago the trucking industry was being warned not to dismiss the idea of an acute truck driver shortage.

Did they listen? Apparently, not.

According to the American Trucking Association’s report: U.S. Truck Driver Shortage: Analysis and Forecasts, issued in 2005, the long-haul, heavy-duty truck transportation industry in the United States currently is experiencing a national shortage of 20,000 truck drivers. Another 219,000 must be found to replace drivers 55 and older who will retire in the next decade, putting total expansion and replacement hiring needs at 539,000 or an average of 54,000 new drivers per year for the next decade.

Careerbuilder.com, a leading national job bank, recently ranked heavy-duty truck driving No. 18 on its list of the top 25 jobs for 2006. That is not to say that heavy-duty truck driving is one of the best jobs out there; only that there is a very acute and increasing demand for experienced and qualified drivers.


David Goodson, a management consultant specializing in transportation recently wrote in e-trucker, “Many fleets believe they can compete with truckload carriers for drivers simply by increasing their wages. But even by keeping wages at parity, few fleets are equipped to effectively compete in a tight marketplace for drivers.” He further stated, “I still see numerous private fleets treating driver recruiting as if it were a personnel function. This mindset is based on the premise that good jobs are in short supply – that all the personnel department has to do is advertise the job, have prospects come in and fill out an application and pick out the best applicants.”

This is no longer the case.

Brad Wong in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s October 10, 2005 edition, reported Jim Tutton, vice president of Washington Trucking Associations as saying that to keep up with demand, the state (of Washington) will need about 10,000 to 15,000 new drivers in the next five years. “Motor carriers are telling us every day that they have trucks parked up against the fence because of a lack of drivers," Tutton is quoted as saying.

In spite of the growing acute shortage, which a very few are attempting to address by raising wages, www.BigRigJobs.com , in a posting dated January 30, 2006, reports “The Chicago district said of Business Spending that truck driver shortages persisted. In spite of these persistent truck driver shortages, ‘trucker wage gains reportedly slowed’.

While it is understandable that many in the trucking industry are holding back from addressing the shortage of drivers for fear of depleting their bottom lines, lack of an aggressive and meaningful plan to deal with this problem now will only result in exacerbating the problem. Immediate and substantial increases in driver remuneration may help, but more, much more, need to be addressed if this problem is to be cured.

To entice experienced and safe drivers to remain in the industry and to present a viable and attractive future to new driver prospects, the industry needs to sacrifice its antiquated sacred cows beginning with the industry’s closely guarded exemption from the Fair Labor Standards Act
The American trucker deserves the same protection of law as other American workers enjoy. The era of remuneration based on piece-work (pay-per-mile) is sick and should be put out of its misery. A fair and competitive pay-per-hour with overtime after 40 hours would go a long way to addressing the growing problems. While the new HOS rule (if followed) addresses driver rest, such a rule will never address, nor is it meant to address, the economic and social justice that the American truck driver is being deprived of.

The repeal of this exemption will not cure all problems facing American trucking, but will go a long way toward a healthier and safer industry.

Category Posted: General