Myriad Factors Are Leading to the Increased Demand for Truck Drivers

A cashier at a local store recently told a customer, “We haven’t gotten a truck in for a few weeks. The goods are ready to be shipped but they just don’t have enough truck drivers to make all the deliveries.”

That statement has been echoed by many retail workers across the nation as the driver labor shortage continues to impact stores like Dollar General, Walmart, and others. Take a look at the shelves at many retail stores and you’ll notice a lack of replenished goods, sometimes for weeks at a time. Goods can’t be restocked if truckers don’t deliver them, right?

Many Factors Affect the Driver Shortage

The labor shortage in the trucking industry isn’t new. It has been an issue for almost two decades! But with the coronavirus pandemic happening? It has gotten worse, much worse.

So what has happened recently? Many drivers retired. Fewer new recruits are coming into the industry. And the drivers currently working, driving trucks? They’re overworked and frankly getting worn out by all the stress this pandemic has caused.

Furthermore, not enough people are getting into truck driving, which means many carriers have openings that aren’t getting filled. Say a carrier has a workforce of 140 people and needs 20 more drivers. Where will those drivers come from if there’s a lack of interested applicants?

At the moment, most truck drivers are male. About 6.6% of truck drivers are female. Could the industry do what it can to appeal to more females to become truckers? Yes.

What about trucking schools that teach new truckers? The pandemic essentially shut them down for many months, which didn’t help the driver shortage.

What are some of the main things the industry could do to fill vacancies? Higher pay, more at-home time, and treating people better are all potential solutions. The industry better do something soon, or else consumers will continue to face bare shelves at stores.

Fortunately, if you need dependable truck drivers, the experts at Platinum Drivers are here to help.