There have been driver shortages before, but nothing like the current one. Lee and Hal Miller of Miller Transporters, Inc. believe a perfect storm of factors are conspiring to make this one longer and more severe than any on record. With drivers holding most of the cards, both Lee and Hal believe it’s the shippers that have the most to lose this time around.
With the driver shortage back with a vengeance, carriers are going to have to get creative in order to keep their fleet moving. Carbon Express President Steve Rush thinks some of the answers to today’s problems can be found by looking to the past.
Shorty Whittington, President of Grammer Industries and Chairman of the ATA, is taking full advantage of the current slow down in freight volumes by stocking up on quality drivers. Shorty believes the glut of quality drivers on the market is a perfect opportunity for carriers to get a handle on their risk management strategies and get ready for the introduction of the FMCSA’s new safety initiative, CSA 2010.
Citing a desire to give service members a head start in their post-military career, Kevin Denny, CEO at Troop Transition, developed Troops 2 Truckers. With tens of thousands of discharged troops destined for a life below the poverty line, Troops 2 Truckers targets service members seeking civilian employment in the trucking industry.
What’s more important, recruiting or retention? Much like the age old chicken and egg question, the question of recruiting over retention has been around trucking as long as there have been drivers. Joe White, CEO of CostDown Consulting, believes they’re both important, but feels that most trucking companies fail miserably when it comes to retention, not spending nearly enough time OR money on the problem.
