Opinion: The Human Side of the Driver Shortage

Michael Nischan

Vice President

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants

Truck transportation is a crucial element in the supply chain, delivering the right goods at the right time to the right customers.

According to American Trucking Associations’ “American Trucking Trends 2015,” trucking continues to be the dominant mode of freight transportation in the United States, moving more than 68% of all domestic freight. In reality, it would be hard to find anything in your home or office that didn’t travel by truck at some point on its way to you.

Despite it being our country’s lifeblood, there is a serious truck driver shortage that is only getting worse. ATA estimates the United States is short 35,000 truck drivers, a number that is expected to surge to 240,000 by 2023.

Things such as increasing regulation, traffic, higher costs and drivers changing jobs during the recession all have contributed to the shortfall. But there’s also a human side to the problem, fueled by shifting demographics, wellness, issues of work-life balance and difficulty attracting young drivers.

So what can the industry do about these human issues and adapt to the evolving needs of a younger, more technology-enabled workforce to remain competitive in tomorrow’s economy?

It really comes down to two main issues. The first of these is simple demographics. The average age of U.S. truck drivers is 53 and continues to rise. We lose drivers to retirement every day without replenishing their ranks with younger drivers.

Losing drivers to retirement is inevitable, which makes the second issue even more vital: paying attention to the health and wellness of the drivers you do have, extending their productive careers in the process. The fact of the matter is, a lot of drivers just aren’t healthy — more than 70% are obese and more than half of them are smokers. This isn’t good for them, and it’s not good for your business. And it doesn’t just affect their productivity during their career: It also increases the likelihood that they’ll exit early from the industry.

Both issues are serious, but not insurmountable. Just as the characteristics of drivers and potential drivers are shifting with the times, the industry also must adapt and change to head off this looming transportation crisis. But how?

An obvious step in recruiting more drivers is the hiring of U.S. military veterans. As a rule, veterans tend to be younger, self-disciplined and in better physical condition — all of which result in a more productive workforce with a good chance of staying on the job longer. All 50 states have made it easier for veterans to become commercial drivers, but the states could do much more to promote this. And programs such as Troops to Trucks, currently operating in several states, should be rolled out nationwide.

But veterans alone won’t be enough to eliminate the scarcity of drivers. We also have to tap into the millennials. This generation tends to be motivated by a different set of priorities. They are more concerned with having a job with meaning, good work-life balance and a healthy lifestyle. So recruiting large numbers of them is going to require a cultural shift.

Companies that aren’t accustomed to dealing with this new generation must learn to embrace their different values and meet them halfway.

This means using social media channels for recruiting and communicating; making the job more appealing by providing modern, comfortable, high-tech trucks with automatic transmissions and making the technology they’re used to an integral part of the job. It also means providing them with adequate compensation and benefits. And, as an industry, we need to do a better job of promoting the value drivers bring to our country and the unique and attractive aspects of the job.

Improving driver health and wellness also will require a culture change for everyone involved. Given the average age of today’s driver, they probably didn’t grow up with the same health consciousness as the younger generation. As a result, we have a driver workforce prone to all sorts of health and wellness issues that cut into their productivity and shorten their careers.

Drivers and carriers share the responsibility of addressing this issue, but carriers must lead the way by doing everything possible to educate drivers and encourage them to adopt healthy lifestyles. This includes wellness programs to educate drivers on diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol, with newsletters and educational information sent to the home to involve the entire family.

These programs should do more than just give lip service to the issues. They work best when led by a committed role model whose leadership and attitude can make all the difference. Education and strong role models can encourage drivers to adopt healthier habits that will help them live longer, spend more quality time with their families and be more productive.

The driver shortage is a serious problem that requires new ways of thinking, creative solutions and, most important, cultural changes within the industry. Everyone involved should take a close look at the human side of the equation and start planning now for how they will address these issues.

Nischan is responsible for EPIC’s transportation risk-control practice. He works out of the Southeast Region office in Atlanta and has more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement, private-industry management and consulting.