Page 37 - ATR 1 2015 web

short on Pay

Can raising driver wages slow the driver shortage?

nel—new people into the industry to The issues of driver compensation,
By Bethany May offset the people who are retiring. Pay lifestyle demands and the respect owed
Managing Editor is a big part of that and the different but not often enough given to the posi-
lifestyle. If I can’t get paid enough in tion cannot be separated in recruiting
While freight volumes and demand the long term to warrant me living this and retaining drivers.
continue to grow, the conversation lifestyle, then I’m not going to stay. It The industry’s heels aren’t coming
about the driver shortage becomes may be a job for a season, but it won’t off the ground and certainly aren’t step-
louder. In the American Transportation be a career.” ping on any gas pedals until everyone in
Research Institute’s (ATRI) annual sur- In the last year, publications like the industry understands and reconciles
vey of trucking’s top issues, the driver the The New York Times, Business Insider the wages of American truck drivers to
shortage has consistently been ranked and Bloomberg published articles focus- the demanding lifestyle.
in the top five. This year, the supply- ing on driver pay as the solution to the
demand imbalance is second only to driver shortage, and American Trucking Price oF the LiFe
hours-of-service regulations. Associations Vice Chairman Kevin Burch The industry may not be able to
Though the concern has been claims it isn’t that simple and pay isn’t improve parts of a driver’s life because
growing since 2010, finding a resolu- the only thing driving the shortage. of inconveniences built into the job.
tion is getting more complicated as the Furnell, who regularly speaks about Long haul drivers will always have to
aging workforce inches closer to retire- recruiting and retention in transporta- spend some nights away from home.
ment and a younger class is needed to tion, says that current wages can only Drivers will always log a lot of sedentary
replace them. Lori Furnell, vice presi- play a role in getting some drivers into hours behind the wheel.
dent of business development at ACS the industry, but once they realize the Furnell says, “They [new driv-
Advertising, explains, “The biggest issue hourly rate or wage advancement oppor- ers] don’t know what they are getting
we have is the hole in the bucket. We tunities, it doesn’t keep them in one
don’t have enough coming in the fun- place or even in the industry. 

arkansas trucking rePort | issue 1 2015 37