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12/08/2006 Driver Shortage Tops Industry Leader’s Concerns
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released its list of the top ten issues currently facing the U.S. trucking Industry. Some 4000 trucking executives participated in the 2006 Critical Issues in Trucking survey conducted by the research arm of the American Trucking Associations (ATA). The yearly survey is used by the ATA to determine strategies and solutions to problems that the membership indicates are the most pressing in the industry.
In this year’s survey concern about the driver shortage moved up to the number one spot bumping last years leader, concern over fuel issues, into the number two spot. The driver shortage was named first, second or third in 57% of the member responses to the survey. The other issues cited by the ATA membership, listed in their order of importance are, driver retention; hours-of-service; highway congestion; regulatory matters; highway construction and infrastructure; liability/tort reform; tolls and highway funding; and environmental concerns.
Part of the survey dealt with possible solutions to the problems that were identified. In the case of the driver shortage, 92% of the survey respondents agreed that the trucking industry “should expand recruitment campaigns to enhance driver image and attract from an expanded pool of applicants.”
The industry is trying some novel approaches to alleviate the growing driver shortage that is currently estimated at 20,000 drivers, and is projected to reach more than 111,000 by the year 2014.
One of these new approaches is an advertising campaign recently launched by the ATA that is designed to recruit new drivers from demographic groups not usually associated with the trucking industry. Specifically the new campaign is targeting people over 50 who are looking for a second career, ex-military, English-speaking Hispanics, women, and couples to work as team drivers.
The ad campaign focuses on what the ATA calls the “emotional side of trucking” and is a major departure from the more traditional focus of previous company-based recruiting efforts that emphasize pay as the major incentive for a career as a driver. Says Mike Russell an ATA spokesman, “we really have to break the mold” of past recruiting practices.
In an interview in Forbes magazine, Matt Smith of SmithGifford, the Virginia based advertising firm in charge of the new campaign noted the research that went into the new campaign. “We interviewed and rode extensively with truckers. What we found was that they did not want to be perceived as macho men…They were there essentially for the ‘romance of the road.’ We showed them the ads we had developed, and they chose two. One expresses that ‘my office has a better view than yours.’ The other was ‘assembly lines don’t give you stories to tell.’”
Smith said that during the research for the campaign they discovered that, at least among some of the demographic groups that the ad campaign is targeting, pay was not the primary attraction for joining the trucking profession, “The emotional side is really the motivator,” said Smith.
The ATA advertising campaign will use a number of different mediums to get its message across. Billboards and trucks will feature images of trucks against the backdrop of beautiful U.S. scenic panoramas with text that conveys a sense of adventure or emotional connection. One ad reads simply, “Have country songs written about you.” The ads will also run in selected newspaper and radio markets.
In addition, the ATA has partnered with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) as a member of the Alliance for an Experienced Workforce. The ATA sees mature workers as a particularly valuable resource in its search for long haul truck drivers. According to ATA, experienced workers “are very good candidates for truck driving. For the most part, their children are raised and on their own, solving one of the biggest drawbacks for younger individuals considering a truck driving career. Additionally, mature drivers tend to be much more responsible, aren’t aggressive drivers, are loyal, and have a strong work ethic. Trucking companies are always delighted to have qualified 50+ drivers.”
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, the nation’s largest truckload carrier, Schneider National, is one of a number of companies that are aggressively recruiting older drivers including husband and wife teams. According to that article 20% of Schneider’s 15,000 independent contractors and drivers are older drivers. In addition, the AARP notes that since November 2005, there has been an 85% increase in the number of driver hires aged 50 and over. | 
