by TQL
3/22/2011
Many are worried about the growing shortages of drivers and what this might mean for their shipping costs. According to some industry professionals the transportation industry could be looking at a shortage of 400,000 drivers by 2012.
The issues the industry has been facing for years have not gone anywhere. This includes an aging driver population and a minimum driving age that prohibits recruiting recent high school graduates. Add to this a shrunken recruiting pipeline and you have a serious driver shortage looming in the future.
During the recession, fleets cut recruiting and training efforts to save on overhead. Many driving schools closed down, as well. As a result, some say the industry is hiring only about 100,000 drivers into the market each quarter. Because of this, even if there were an influx in the number of people who wanted to become drivers, only a certain number could proceed due to a lack of companies who are currently able to integrate new drivers into their organizations.
Bottom line: Most economic signs point to an increase in the amount of product needing to be moved and less capacity to ship them. While trucks may be hard to come by in the near future, you can count on TQL to help facilitate your transportation needs. 24/7/365 – it’s what we do.
