Fair to assume the driver shortage is real?

There is no real driver shortage. I have been hearing about driver shortages for decades. We do have a lot of drivers moving from one carrier to another, but according to figures that the ATA and others have published, they are talking about a shortage of 20,000 drivers. When you consider that there are between 3-5 million trucks in this country, that is less than 1%. That is NOT a shortage. When the figure gets up to 300,000 or more, I will agree that there is a real driver shortage. Having said that, we are seeing a rise in wages in some segments of the industry. But, not sufficient to make much difference at this point.

We have lunatics running the government who seem to think that the answer to every problem they create is more regulations and higher taxes. We are shortly going to see some of the best and most experienced drivers leave the industry due to attrition. Many older drivers are beginning to retire and to just hang up their spurs. They are tired of all the BS from the government. Every time we get used to the new rules the government wants to change them. That might begin to create a shortage and that is the fear of some of the major carriers. Older drivers are usually safer and have a stronger work ethic, for the most part. With those people leaving the industry, it will leave a gap. Whether the industry can fill in the spaces is one of those unknowns. Newer drivers don't have the experience that older drivers have and are more able to be independent thinkers than younger, less experienced drivers.

There are too many variables to accurately predict what will happen in this industry over the next 5 years. If history is any indicator, we can expect more useless regulations and higher taxes. It is my hope we can elect more people who will be honest and do what is best for the country rather than themselves. Mexican carriers will be entering the U.S. in much greater numbers and could prove harmful to rates and freight availability, at least with the border states.

 

Well said, It's as if Billy the Mountain said it himself

 

There's a shortage of drivers for a lot of companies but part of it is that there aren't enough regular loads to keep some drivers moving so they quit. Look at any company driver board you can find and it seems like some of them can't find enough loads/miles to meet their pay expectations. I don't know if it's a mismatch of lanes and drivers or what but it seems odd to hear about a shortage yet hearing available drivers sitting.

 

Baby boomers are set to retire like a tsunami in the next few years. Generation Yer's don't want to live on the road. That is why there is a huge push for driverless trucks and cars to move people and cargo.

 

A lot of oil field DRIVERS are getting laid off

 

great trucking companies don't have shortages as significant as bottom feeders who are now getting desperate I.e. Swift

companies like swift jb punt and cr have shortages to the degree that it shows in declining stock valuations and declining year to date revenues

 

No shortage of drivers , just a shortage of drivers willing to work. Get applicants offering to drive whatever , go wherever as soon as they get their bills caught up and some $ in their pockets its well I want to go here and not there, I will only drive this and not that , no one told me that OTR meant being away from home during the week. Then they get the brain wave they need to own their own truck and start the PLEASE LEASE me a TRUCK.

 

Tell your friend to ask her company how many drivers they turn away.Anymore insurance companies make the call and they deny a lot of drivers.Once the new laws in the last 5 yrs became fully implemented i've been waiting to see how it turns out.Almost every company local and long haul are heart up for drivers but they're forced to turn away more drivers then they hire.Wages can keep going up all they want but that's not going to bring in the drivers as many companies are already finding that out.