Driver Shortage: There Might Be A Solution

Think Outside the Box

Addressing the obvious driver shortage issue has proven taxing on organizations in the transportation industry. The existing labor force demographic shows the industry is comprised mostly of male drivers, age 45 and older. Women and younger drivers now seem to be the most opportune recruits. The only challenge targeting high school students is the 3-year waiting period before they can legally apply for an Interstate Commercial Drivers License. Three years is an ample amount of time for other potential employers to persuade these prospects to choose other careers.

Women, as it stands, only account for 6% of the driving force in the U.S. More importantly, recent studies (including a survey of North Americana fleet drivers by Stay Metrics) have shown that hiring
women to transport your goods might be a better bet, as women are overall more satisfied with driving for a living. Therefore, they are more apt to be long-term, loyal employees.

Veterans are another perfect target, because they are in search of meaningful occupations as they
finalize their service term.

Try taking these steps to build a stronger, larger driving crew:

• Pursue Women, Younger Drivers and Veterans.
• Survey Your Drivers: Let Them Voice Their Pain Points, Opinions and Concerns Anonymously; Make Sure Action is Taken to Better Serve Your Drivers.
• Increase your Drivers’ Pay: Offer Comprehensive Benefits Bundles with More Competitive Wages.
• Increase Your Drivers’ Time at Home: Give Drivers More Local Routes and Consider Less Than Truckload (LTL) Shipping.
• Utilize Freight Brokerage Sites to Book Loads Ahead of Time to Reduce Drivers’ Shipping Dock Wait Times like Transfix.