Page 10 - ATR 2 2019 digital

NEWS IN BRIEF

AMERICAN TRUCKING
ASSOCIATIONS REBUTS BUREAU
OF LABOR STATISTICS’ DENIAL
THAT THERE IS NO DRIVER
SHORTAGE
When the Bureau of Labor
Statistics released a working paper
in March that refuted the trucking
industry’s claim that it is experiencing
a driver shortage despite rising wages,
American Trucking Associations Chief
Economist Bob Costello criticized the
paper and its findings.
In the Bureau’s piece, “Is the U.S.
labor market for truck drivers broken?”, drivers to – motor carriers cannot sim- job. Not adjusting their conclusions for
authors Stephen Burks and Kristen ply hire anyone to do the job, there are something as important as work-life
Monaco conclude that, contrary to many barriers to entry for new drivers: balance leads the authors to make some
industry and media statements, the age requirements, CDL testing stan- ill-found claims,” Costello says.
trucking labor market is consistent with dards, strict drug and alcohol testing
other blue-collar occupations and while regimes and, perhaps most importantly DOL REVIVES OBAMA
for-hire over-the-road drivers experience for many fleets, safe and clean driving ADMINISTRATION’S OVERTIME
high turnover rates, the labor supply is records.” PAY EXPANSION WITH
not exceeded by demand. The trucking industry’s driver REVISIONS
“Unfortunately in their article Mr. shortage claims are not based on a lack In March, the U.S. Department of
Burks and Ms. Monaco demonstrated of applicants for available positions, Labor issued a proposal to extend man-
some basic misunderstandings about but rather a skills mismatch. Costello datory overtime pay to 1.3 million more
the trucking industry generally and how says that carriers report there are not workers after an Obama administration
we at ATA and in the industry discuss “enough applicants who meet the rule that would have extended pay for 4
the driver shortage,” said Costello. demanding qualifications to be hired. In million workers was struck down by a
In his critique, Costello first notes some cases, carriers must reject 90% of federal judge.
the size and diversity of the industry applicants out of hand because they fail The current rule states that work-
and that within trucking, it is accepted to meet at least one of the prerequisites ers who earn less than $23,660 a year
that the driver shortage is mostly con- to drive in interstate commerce.” (a threshold set in 2004) are eligible
tained to the over-the-road or long-haul The authors’ claim that the labor for overtime pay when they work more
for-hire truckload segment. He also market for trucking is similar to other than 40 hours in a week. In May 2016,
points out the age of the data used is blue collar jobs fails to consider the the Labor Department under Pres.
nearly two decades old. weight of hardship truck drivers bear in Obama doubled that maximum sal-
“Second, this work ignores ATA’s comparison to other workers in similar ary to about $47,000. However, in late
long-standing contention that at the fields. Nov. 2016, just before the rule was set
heart of the shortage is the need for “Unlike their blue collar breth- to take effect, a federal judge in Texas
qualified drivers. Unlike other ‘blue ren, truck drivers are often away from ruled that the increase was too high
collar’ jobs the authors compare truck home for long stretches as part of the 

10 Issue 2 2019 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT