Truck Driver Demand
Trucking Jobs Dominate the Nation’s Workforce
This past January marked my 20th year in truck driver recruitment. Remember when the Sunday paper classifieds was where you turned to find job opportunities? If you’re under 35, chances are good you never used the newspaper to search for jobs. During these past 20 years, I’ve seen relatively low tech trucking companies go digital and I was an early pioneer in online driver recruiting. While a lot has changed about the way folks look for jobs, truck driver demand has been a constant. In the history of trucking, the need for qualified truckers has never been greater than it is today.
In March 2009, the US economy was shedding jobs at a frightening pace as the Great Recession took hold. Where were the jobs? Well, despite some bumps and bruises, the trucking industry was still hiring and training new drivers. The Wall Street Journal even wrote an article about how trucking companies were still hiring and had well-paying jobs for entry-level workers while many other industries had gone dry. As soon as that story hit the newsstands, my phone was ringing off the hook for interview requests because the hot job was truck driving. Why were trucking jobs available when so many jobs in other industries went away?
Everything Moves By Truck
Trucks are a vital part of the supply chain. That gallon of milk in your fridge – it probably made a couple of trips by truck before ending up in your kitchen. A tanker truck took the milk from the diary farm to be bottled and another truck brought the bottled milk to the grocery. That’s two trucks and two drivers. This same example can be used for almost everything in your home. At some point, it was on a truck. Without trucks, life might look like an episode of “The Walking Dead.”
Driver Demand Creates Careers, Not Just Jobs
After that newspaper article, a TV news crew showed up at my office for an interview about trucking careers. The reporter lead off the story with “Need a job? Give truck driving a try.” Sure, it’s true that truck driving jobs are in demand, but I’ve always focused on helping folks make the right career choice. These days, it’s much easier to find a job. But a job is a short term answer in many cases. A career offers more stability and long-lasting earning potential. When truck driving is viewed as just a job, it leads to driver turnover and creates even more demand for qualified drivers. For those committed to a trucking career, there’s plenty of opportunity.
Truck Driving Jobs Are The Most Common
NPR released a study of Census Bureau data from 1978 to 2014 which calculates the most common jobs by state over the last 36 years. The data reveals how America has shifted away from secretarial, farming and machine operator jobs that dominated the late 1970’s. By 2014, the demand for drivers made trucking jobs the most common jobs in 29 states. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the growth of truck driving jobs to increase 11% between 2012 and 2022. It’s further proof how the demand for truck drivers has grown into a stable and secure career that’s “future proof.”
With the demand for truck drivers growing in the coming years, the driver shortage is expected to become an even larger problem. The good news for Class A CDL holders is jobs are plentiful and will continue to be in the foreseeable future. So, if you are looking to lock in some job security with big earning potential, trucking might be the right answer. The place to start is with the right CDL training & the right company.
As a provider of driver demand solutions, Driver Solutions helps trucking companies find and train the best drivers. We’ve eliminated the challenge of paying for truck driving school thru our company-sponsored training. We match new drivers with the best job opportunity and the trucking company pays 100% of the tuition for truck driving school.
Learn how Driver Solutions can help you start a trucking career.