Welcome to the very first post on our blog at hotshottrucking.com. You'll now find regular blog updates both here and on our other websites within The Expedited Group of Companies as we look at the industry where we work, the news and developments that affect our industry and some of the trends and reports that matter to those interested in hot shot trucking, hot shot freight, urgent freight, trucking and transportation in general. Let's get rolling.
Few words are more likely to conjure up stereotypes quite as readily as the word 'trucker'. Either through the media or experience, for many a free living and free thinking king of the road comes to mind and more often than not people will always tend to assume a trucker has to be a man, but that's a stereotype that could be changing soon. There's a national shortage of drivers and that could change the gender balance in the trucking world.
Whether you're in the industry itself or purely an observer you've likely read and heard about the severe national shortage of drivers at present. It's not a great surprise due to an economy that contracted so violently and rapidly during the last decade that a lack of drivers was always a problem waiting to happen when the economy eventually turned around. Although that recovery has had more than its fair share of bumps there has been an extended period of growth within the economy in general and very certainly within the transportation sector.
All of which now sees an industry that analysts suggest is at least 25,000 truckers short and perhaps as many as 30,000 or more, moreover based on projections that shortage is forecast to grow significantly in the coming years. The ratio is quite significant when Bureau Of Labor statistics show in terms of nationwide trucking about 860,000 drivers are currently employed nationally.
We could discuss at length about why the younger demographic aren't taking up trucking in the numbers they readily did in previous decades but it's certainly at the heart of the problem. Whether it's an expectation of working locally in the service sector or chasing a desk job at all costs it seems young men aren't filling cabs the way they always used to. Recruitment shouldn't be as difficult as it's proving to be but such huge shortages could become the leading trucking story of the next decade based on current projections. Perhaps the general uncertainty with the economy remains key, or something about the (occasionally) open roads not holding the appeal they once did, but beyond red tape and training there are still lucrative and reliable careers to be found throughout the nation.
Above I think you'll find this recent audio feature on NPR above about the growth in women truckers well worth your time (just click the play button to listen), a workforce that is currently represented by females at a rate only around 5% could see many of those vacancies filled by qualified drivers in next to no time if these ratios were to increase. Of course in part that means relinquishing some of those old stereotypes, but for the health of the nationwide trucking industry it would be a welcome change.
I'll be back soon with more updates and please feel free to comment below and follow the blog via our social media channels too.
Additional resources; Bureau of Labor Truck & Transporation Statistics | NPR All Things Considered | Women in Trucking Foundation |
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