Page 30 - ATR 3 2014 web

DRIVERS, lifestyles and family relationships. pendent contractors (10th) in the top
Continued from page 22 An ATRI annual report showed that 10. Only drivers ranked truck parking
operational costs of trucking actually (third); driver health/wellness (eighth);
percent of current drivers are ages 45-54 dipped from $1.706 per mile in 2011 and driver distraction (ninth).
and another 19.8 percent are 55-64. In to $1.633 in 2012, Brewster reported. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety
fact, there are more drivers age 65 and Wages dropped from 46 cents to 41.7 Administration’s new hours-of-service
older than there are 24 and under. cents, while benefits dropped from 15.1 regulations remain the biggest area of
Brewster said this is an ominous cents to 11.6 cents – the result, she said, common concern. To find out how big
trend – one that caught the attention of carriers hiring new entrant drivers that concern is, ATRI surveyed 2,370
of the audience at the conference. The who were paid lower wages. Fuel costs, drivers and 446 carriers and analyzed
industry’s failure to define its own on the other hand, rose from 59 cents more than 40,000 driver logbooks after
image has made it harder to recruit to 64.1 cents. Average carrier costs per the change in the rules. More than 80
younger drivers. That’s not just a prob- hour also fell, from $68.21 to $65.29. percent of carriers said their company
lem now; in the future, the industry Not surprisingly, commercial driv- has lost productivity, and half needed
will have to recruit older Americans in ers and motor carriers see many things more drivers to haul the same amount
search of a second career because it did differently. In the “Critical Issues” sur- of freight. Another 23 percent had
not attract them when they were young. vey, respondents were presented about raised driver pay to attract new driv-
“All of these are just pointing to a 25 challenges facing the industry and ers and keep their current ones, and 15
dangerous demographic trend that we asked to choose three. The driver short- percent had purchased more tractors.
are up against as an industry,” she said. Drivers also were being negatively
“We’re going to have to make these affected. Almost half of those surveyed
changes pretty soon, and they’re going said the mandate’s restart provision
to have to be fairly dramatic to reshape requiring them to rest two consecu-
the work environment for drivers if tive nights from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. had a
we’re going to have a chance of dealing significant or major impact, while only
with this cliff that we’re on.” 13.3 percent said it had no impact. Half
Contributing to the problem is of all drivers said the one restart per
driver turnover. After hitting lows of week provision had a significant impact.
under 50 percent in the recession years More than 82 percent said the rules
of 2009 and 2010, turnover rose in had a “somewhat negative” or “very
2011 and 2012 as drivers saw job oppor- negative” impact on their quality of
tunities in other sectors such as con- life, and 66 percent said the rules had
struction. However, turnover leveled out made them “somewhat more fatigued”
in 2013 at around 100 percent for large age was seen by motor carriers as the or “much more fatigued.” Another 67.4
carriers and about 75 percent for small. most critical issue, but drivers didn’t percent said their pay has decreased.
Less-than-truckload turnover rates were even rank it in the top 10. They said the Analysis of logbooks found that more
only 13 percent in 2013. hours-of-service regulation was most restarts were occurring after drivers had
Retaining drivers will be as impor- important, which motor carriers consid- rested more hours than under the old
tant as recruiting new ones, but how ered second. CSA was ranked second by rules. Now, more than 47 percent of all
to do so? Naturally, solving the driver drivers and third by motor carriers. The restarts occur after a driver has rested
shortage problem will require compen- economy was ranked fourth by motor between 59 and 72.99 hours; under the
sating drivers better, but pay has not carriers and fifth by drivers. Other old rules, it was less than 40 percent. In
kept up with inflation, according to areas of similar concern: the electronic other words, drivers are sitting around
statistics from the American Trucking log device mandate (fourth by drivers, waiting to go back to work.
Associations. Changes to the traditional sixth by carriers); driver retention (sev- CSA was ranked second by driv-
trucking lifestyle may be required as enth by both); fuel supply and prices ers and third by motor carriers as the
well. Every August and September, (sixth by drivers, ninth by carriers); and biggest concern in the Critical Issues
ATRI polls drivers, carrier executives transportation infrastructure (fifth by survey. From 2011 to 2013, ATRI has
th
and other industry stakeholders in its carriers, 10 by drivers). conducted surveys of carriers, drivers,
annual “Critical Issues in the Trucking Aside from the driver shortage, shippers and law enforcement. Those
Industry” survey. Given three choices there were five other areas ranked in surveys have included 14 questions to
of how to improve retention rates, driv- the top 10 by either carriers or drivers gauge a stakeholder group’s collective
ers said the best strategy would be to but not both. Only carriers ranked tort understanding of CSA. Drivers, who
promote healthier work/life balances, reform (eighth) and the status of inde- have been surveyed each year, have

30 ArkAnsAs truckinG report | issue 3 2014