Trucking is a Wide Open Field for Job Seekers, But Few Seekers are Takers
With so many people looking for jobs, it’s amazing that the demand for truck drivers is so high. The oil and gas sectors are gaining momentum, leaving the need for truckers soaring. Companies are desperate to find certified drivers. Now that the older generations are retiring; there aren’t enough new graduates for the business.
Employers are fiercely fighting for drivers; this makes it easy for employees to switch companies at the drop of a hat, the latest report showing a 97 percent in driver turnover rate. With the competition so high, it means an earnest raise in the pocket books of current truckers. Entry-level pay starts at around 40,000 to 50,000 annually and will go up from there with potential to top out at 100,000.
Companies also have to try to get more work done in a shorter amount of time. The Department of Transportation passed new regulations on the hours truckers are allowed to drive to prevent fatigue induced accidents caused by drivers running 82 hours in a seven day period. The new rules are making companies take a 15 percent cut in driving time by preventing drivers to run more than 70 hours in a seven day period requiring a 34 hour break after the 70 hour mark.
Unfortunately, most job seekers pass over truck driving jobs because certification is required, meaning you have to go through a program, very much like college, over a period of weeks to earn a CDL license. Not only is getting certified time consuming, but the time away from home is another drawback. Depending on what division the company runs, drivers can be away from home for up to six weeks at a time. Most people are taking care of family members and cannot afford to be gone for that long. Absence can also put a strain on marriages and kids.
Trucking companies can offer good paying jobs to a lot of job seekers. With three million drivers already nationally running, employers are looking for at least 30,000 more. But the demand is so high because people can’t take the time to leave home and go to school only to come home and leave again for long periods of time. It is just not practical for today’s workers.
Global Procurement & Supply Chain Professionals Read This…
…Carefully curated procurement & supply chain issues that make you look smart, sent to your inbox every week.
PLUS: Get the FREE Procurement Case Study when you subscribe: “How McDonald’s Overcame Global Supply Chain Obstacles”
