Truck Driver Shortfall at 25,000, Key Steps to Fill the Gap

While demand for truck drivers remains high, the big challenge for the industry is how best to hire and retain quality talent, particularly given a driver shortfall anticipated to be 25,000.

According to HireRight in its Employment Screening Benchmark Report, drivers leave the industry to make more money and spend more time at home. In response, employers have responded by increasing pay, upgrading equipment, and offering incentives and innovative programs to keep their drivers on the road.

The report shows that 51 percent of respondents said drivers were leaving to make more money, 41 percent said it was to spend more time at home, and 27 percent were seeking better benefits.

In addition, the increased pressures on drivers from hours-of-service regulations, electronic logging, and driver Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) scores may also make other sources of income more attractive. Proactive steps to improve retention show employers are offering bonuses based on productivity and performance, flexible work arrangements, and even opportunities for drivers to become owner/operators.

The Transportation Spotlight also addresses recruiting and shows that the top two recruitment methods are referrals (74 percent) and online job boards (64 percent), followed by print media (57 percent) and job fairs (37 percent).

Historically, transportation employers are slow to adopt the use of social media for recruitment, with only 25 percent using it, while the use of smartphones among drivers has increased, representing an important area of potential recruitment to be mined.

When asked about additional driver recruitment methods used, more than one-third (36 percent) stated they offered a signing bonus. This approach is becoming more widespread than in recent years and in some cases is even being offered for recent truck driving school graduates.

Category: Driver Stuff, General Update, Management