NOVEMBER 8, 2018 – For the second year in a row, the driver shortage was ranked as the number one issue in the trucking industry according to The American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI’s) annual survey.
The Institute released the results of their large-scale survey last week, which included responses from motor carriers, commercial drivers and other industry stakeholders. Respondents were asked to select what they believed to be the three top issues in the trucking industry from a list of 26 possibilities. Almost one-third of respondents ranked the driver shortage as the industry’s top issue.
A Proposed Solution
With the driver shortage estimated at 50,000 by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) – a number that is projected to grow in the coming years – respondents were asked to provide a possible solution to this problem. The vast majority of respondents advocated for getting younger drivers behind the wheel faster by making it possible for 18-21 year olds to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. An apprenticeship program to attract, train and retain younger drivers was proposed, which aligns well with the DRIVE-Safe Act that was introduced in the House of Representatives this year. If enacted into law, this program would provide on-the-job training to 18-21 year olds to enable them to work as interstate drivers.
Other Top Issues
Hours of Service issues and driver retention rounded out the top three trucking issues for 2018, followed by:
- Electronic Logging Device mandate
- Truck Parking
- Compliance, Safety, Accountability
- Driver Distraction
- Transportation Infrastructure/Congestion/Funding
- Driver Health and Wellness
- Economy
Falling just short of making the list were issues around highway safety and crash reduction, tort reform and automated truck technology. To download and read the full report, please click here.
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