Jobs in Transportation Taking Significant Rise

The trucking industry plays a major role in the U.S. economy. However, the industry needs more workers. According to the Labor Department, the U.S. unemployment rate came up one-tenth of a percentage point, but nearly 300,000 jobs were added in June.

The trucking industry added 2,300 jobs to that total. However, when you take transportation as a whole, we see that nearly 8,000 jobs were created in June. Overall, unemployment has fallen by 1.1 percentage points in the last 12 months. The government continues to be optimistic about the economy and future growth, but the underutilized labor market resources prevent the government from raising interest rates.

Another reason recovery remains stagnant is because hourly earnings, in most industries, haven’t budged. One Department of Labor administrator said the participation rate is “disappointingly” slow. What we know of the trucking industry is that truckers step into work at a higher salary than the average four-year college graduate will step into straight out of college. Another difference between the two demographics is that truckers don’t come out of their trucking school with the crippling debt that college students rack up with their student loans. Most students, for example, have a student loan debt of $25,000, which is quite the cross to bear.

As an industry, trucking is not in the clear. Too many truckers are retiring; as we see 10,000 people per day in America reach a milestone birthday of 65 which is retirement age. This is having quite an impact on the amount of truckers available to haul freight. Trucking companies across the U.S. are offering incentives to try to get more people interested in jobs in transportation.

According to another report that shows the manufacturing sector expanding over the last 14 consecutive months, even more truckers will be needed soon. Not since 2011 have we witnessed such rapid growth within the manufacturing industry. Those raw materials need to be hauled from point A to point B, and truckers transfer the bulk of it. Obviously, there will be a greater need for jobs in transportation.

One of the problems the trucking industry has in getting people inspired to work jobs in transportation is the perceived long, over-the-road lifestyle that keeps truckers away from their families. Not all companies require such sacrifices from their workers. However, the very same thing that keeps some people from the industry is what attracts others. Despite making an average salary of $38,000 a year, trucking companies are finding it difficult to attract as many truckers as they need.

If anything, the recession only masked the issue that has been staring the industry in the face for quite some time. Now that we’ve pulled out of the recession, the shortfall of quality drivers has become impossible to ignore. The U.S. government has projected that by 2020, the country will need 330,000 new truckers to help transport all the goods produced here.

At Spirit Miller Driveaway Services, we’re doing our part to offer quality jobs in transportation to qualified candidates. If you’re not interested in trucking because of the long periods away from home, Spirit Miller is the place for you because we let you choose your schedule. Contact us today and find out how your new career in the trucking industry will positively impact your life.