The trucking industry historically struggles to integrate a younger workforce. With the federal government now allowing adults under 21 to start a career as interstate truckers, companies are tasked with attracting and retaining newly-minted CDL holders. Supporting this goal, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) recently released a report that crunches the data surrounding the FMCSA Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program.
“ATRI has provided a one-stop resource for creating work environments where younger employees are both productive and fulfilled,” DriverReach Founder and CEO Jeremy Reymer reportedly said. “Carriers looking to increase their number of younger employees or participate in the new Safe Driver Apprenticeship Program will find this report very useful.”
An ATRI advisory committee analyzed survey responses from young truck drivers and carrier interviews to develop a comprehensive understanding of new-hire needs. The report highlighted the following findings.
Carrier Attitudes Toward Younger Drivers
- A common policy among carriers prevents the hiring of any drivers with less than two years of CMV experience, automatically excluding any younger drivers entering the industry. However, among survey respondents, 70 percent of fleets with 100 or more drivers and 61 percent of fleets with fewer than 100 drivers currently utilize drivers with less than two years of CMV experience.
- Among the fleets surveyed by ATRI, 25 percent of large fleets and 18 percent of small fleets currently have a driver apprenticeship program for training younger drivers. However, only 20 percent of large fleet participants and 15 percent of small fleet participants currently utilize any drivers under the age of 21 in some capacity.
Younger Drivers’ Work Perspectives (20-30 years old)
- Pay is important to Millennials and Gen Zs entering the trucking industry: 40 percent said nothing was more important when it came to choosing a career in trucking.
- Love of driving or a sense of personal fulfillment as a driver was mentioned as equally or more important as money by 14 percent of younger drivers.
- Others – 15 percent – shared that it was more important that they could develop skills and grow in a career path that was more than “just a job.”
- Eight percent said that carrier benefits, such as 401k and health insurance, were more critical in their career choice.
- Even though many carriers are unable to offer flexibility to younger drivers, ten percent of younger drivers said that work/life balance was equally or more important than income.
Company Culture
Upwards of 84 percent of younger drivers stated that company culture was important to them. These are the best practices Millennials and Gen Z drivers gravitate toward.
- Promoting supportive managers
- Making sure employees understand each other’s roles first-hand
- Encouraging managers and co-workers to show each other leeway as needed;
- Encouraging employees to ask and share their own unique strategies for success; and
- Establishing opportunities for casual social interaction among employees (such as in the mornings before shifts begin).
Younger truckers also placed a high value on constructive feedback from peers and supervisors.
General Best Practices for Implementing Younger Employee Programs
Interviews from carriers indicated that success was driven by companies committing to a limited number of corporate values. Organizations that attempt broad workplace philosophies tend to see their emphasis become watered down and fail to resonate with workers.
Younger Employee Recruitment
The ATRI report is designed to provide a hiring and retention roadmap to fill the more than 80,000 truck driver shortage that persists year-over-year. These are key recruitment findings outlined in the report.
- Underscore Driving as a Skilled Career Path
- Utilize Familial/Interpersonal Connections
- Approach Outreach as a Two-Way Street
- Improve Transparency
- Publicize Younger Drivers
- Use Targeted Recruitment
A complete copy of the Integrating Younger Adults into Trucking Careers is available online at no cost.
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Erich says
Murder for money is all this is just like the Elds, work visas and the hos
Bob Lee says
ELDs are one of the greatest things to come to the industry. The only ones who don’t like them are those who always drove illegally and caused most of the problems on the road.
James says
Care to show us your FACTS to back up your BS? I’ll wait
Erich says
Do your own research and look up how the accidents have increased since the eld inception. The only thing the eld did was increase compliance rates.
Ted says
I agree, elds are 100 percent better than paper and those with old or glider trucks should be made to adapt, they steal from those who try to comply
Jack Carberry says
That’s a fact.
Sleazy gypos cooked their own goose with the multiple log books.
If that wasn’t enough they are happy to drive the rates down, suck up diesel increases, and live like a caged animal on the road.
Real smart businessmen!
Erich says
Your full of it. I have spent 33 years out here and the Elds have done nothing for safety. And I’ll put my driving record against your any day
Ted says
Hiring 18-21 yr old drivers is a great thought and can work, depending on driver trainer who will be driving with them, will they be a good mentor, and influence in the young driver. There are two many trainers who shouldn’t be trainers, these young people many now come from broken homes that can affect a person whole life. With a good mentor, it could make a big difference in weather they repeat bad influence or create a change in their lives.
jerry says
One thing not mentioned here, is many insurance co’s require carriers to hire employees that are a certain age. If carriers want to hire younger drivers, you can probably count of their rates to go up, possibly by a good amount. And, if younger drivers become involved in a higher percentage of accidents than other age groups, rates may climb even higher, (or some insur. co’s may refuse offer cover, (a bit like many Calif. are now facing with home insurance in high fire danger areas).
I’m sure there are some quality, younger folks who could do as good, or even better than some of the incompetent, poorly trained drivers already on the road, but good training seems tough to find these days.
Clark blasdel says
Same goes for the other ELD suck A$$ES on here!