Explosion of New Truck Driving Jobs as Economy Recovers

Major freight carriers are struggling to keep up with demand as the economy recovers. The reason for the struggle is that there are currently about 35,000 truck-driving positions that haven’t been filled, and the shortage is affecting freight delivery.

During times of economic unsteadiness, consumers hold on to their money. They try to pay down their debt and cut out all non-essential spending. They stop buying houses and new cars are a luxury. Contractors see no demand for new construction and retailers stop ordering products, which means producers stop ordering raw materials. This behavior is reflected in the amount of freight being shipped across the country and overseas.

Trucking industry revenues were significantly impacted by the recession, taking a $40 billion hit from 2008 to 2009. The climb out of the recession has been slow, but the industry is expected to see revenues exceeding pre-recession numbers for the first time next year when it’s estimated to pull in $281 billion.

Part of the reason there are so many trucking positions open now is due to the seven percent of drivers who left the industry or were displaced during the recession. Another issue affecting new truck driving jobs is that the aging Baby Boomer truck drivers are retiring at a rapid rate, leaving a younger generation to take their place. The industry also faces competition from the construction industry in times of economic upswing as drivers migrate from the road to construction jobs or factory work.

New regulations on the industry, limiting the number of hours one can operate a truck, has also impacted the trucking industry.

The economy has recovered. Manufacturers require millions of tons of raw materials to produce their products. The bulk of those raw materials are delivered via the trucking industry, which year after year picks up a larger percentage than rail or shipping. The American Trucking Association estimates that there are now 35,000 new truck driving jobs open and that it can skyrocket to 240,000 by 2020 if the industry can’t start enticing younger workers into careers as drivers. Some carriers are making attempts to entice drivers by paying for the cost of licensing and/or truck driving school. Others are offering signing bonuses with varying degrees of success.

While the attraction to driving for some is the life on the road doing long-haul jobs, it’s the only thing keeping others from choosing the industry. Having a job that allows you to be home for dinner every night is important for many Americans, especially those with young families. Spirit Miller Driveaway Services can offer just that to people looking for new truck driving jobs. We offer flexible hours so you can be home when you need to be home. We offer trip routes that you prefer and you will never have to load or unload. For more information about an exciting new career path, contact us today.