The trucking crisis has been big news recently. With a decrease in certified drivers, comes the need to improve the standards to meet demands. 2020 looks like another year for a decline in the trucking industry, but why?
Trucking Crisis – An Uneasy Life
The answer here is pretty simple. It’s a hard life to be a trucker. With little respect from other motor vehicle drivers, police, and even their employers, many have turned away in search of more effective life strategies.
Health Concerns
Sitting for long periods of time is bad for your back. You can ask any trucker what challenges they face and they will tell you they have back problems. Now, many professional drivers have ways to get around this, but many searching for a new career path feel that they can have a better life doing something else.
Trucking Crisis – Hard for Families
Being gone from your family for long periods of time can put a dent into how you view the position. Many families make it work, but for those starting to build their careers and their family life, the long distances between home life and work-life are a major deterrent for prospecting employees.
The Pay
Plenty of long-time truckers have made their success through hard work. They can tell you that they make over $100,000/year. These guys are the real deal when it comes to trucking. If you are starting out, unfortunately, this is not the case. With the national average for truckers being $42,000/year many have found more comfortable options to make money.
Trucking is some of the easiest work you can get without a college degree, so the appeal is available for many Americans looking for opportunities.
It Takes the Right Kind of Person
Many truckers will tell you that it is a good idea to become a CDL driver. It provides the opportunity for many to improve their current working position. Anyone working a minimum wage job can make an impact on their lives by getting their CDL license. Unfortunately, not many are willing to put the time in for the position and many do not see the benefits.
There have been improvements since then. With higher benefits and higher wages to meet the demand for truckers, the industry could face an upswing in the near future.
Experienced Drivers are Leaving
There is a generational gap in how the trucking industry is viewed. Where it was an honest living for many back in the day, it has certainly lost its appeal with the later generations. The focus on technology has shifted the idea of what a “good career path” looks like. Many of the younger generations have been focussed on big-tech.
The experienced drivers are retiring now. This has created a large gap between newer prospecting employees and older, more experienced ones.
