How Have Pay Hikes Affected the Truck Driving Industry?

Have you noticed it seems like there are “help wanted” signs everywhere you go? And have you been reading news reports about many industries offering pay hikes to keep and attract workers? How have pay hikes affected the truck driving industry?

So, as you probably know, people have been buying things online in record numbers, and those things need to be delivered by truck… so the demand for truck delivery drivers is through the roof. What about long-haul truckers? There aren’t enough of them. Trucking companies have hiked pay, but that hasn’t persuaded enough people to take these jobs.

The Actual Effect of an Increase in Truck Driver Pay

So instead of attracting new hires, the pay hikes have, instead, had this effect: current truckers are bouncing from company to company, looking for the best “deal.” Turnover for drivers is around 95% for truckload carriers, aka long-distance haulers. 95%? That’s crazy!

Meanwhile, current drivers get to be selective about their jobs and their amount of time on the road. The pay hikes mean they feel they can work less but make more money, which, in turn, leads to driver shortages that the pay hikes were supposed to fix. As expected, drivers want to “be home more.” So long-haul routes are suffering from a lack of drivers, which, in turn, translates into goods not getting where they need to go when they’re supposed to– and that’s why you go into stores and see empty shelves these days.

Truckers don’t have it easy. It can be a stressful, lonely job and there’s the issue of homesickness. A lot of times, dads and moms miss out on their kids’ milestones because they’re away from home so much.

What’s the solution to this problem? Who knows… one thing is for sure: it’s not necessarily pay hikes.

Are you a CDL driver looking for a job? Platinum Drivers can help– call us today at 844-800-1421.