The DOT meeting on July 8 included Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, along with representatives from several trucking groups, including American Trucking Associations, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, the Women In Trucking Association and the Truck Safety Coalition.
Some of the other participants included: drivers groups, industry representatives, safety advocates, organized labor, academics, and government partners. The roundtable was brought together as one part of the Biden-Harris administration to address post-COVID supply chain challenges. The Biden-Harris administration created the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, which is meant to provide a federal response to supply chain challenges as the country recovers economically from the pandemic.
Turnover and the Demand for New Drivers
One item discussed was that turnover rates are over 90% for large long-haul carriers and over 72% for small carriers, meaning that drivers are regularly leaving companies or leaving the industry altogether.
American Trucking Associations’ Executive Vice President of Advocacy Bill Sullivan talked about the industry’s safety record, support for improved infrastructure, and the growing need for more truck drivers across the country.
The trucking industry moves more than 72% of the total domestic freight tonnage. Over 80% of U.S. communities rely exclusively on truckers to receive goods. Sullivan said that they will need to hire 110,000 a year to keep pace with retirement and the nation’s need for truckers. Some potential hires for trucking, Sullivan said, include women, young people, and people from urban and rural areas.
Apprenticeship may be a good option since it would save future workers from debt from training. Both the Biden administration and the Trump administrations have worked to bring in apprenticeships for trucking.
Are you interested in an alternative to the standard trucking business model? If so, take a look at how Relaymile is reimagining trucking to provide drivers with a healthier, more consistent standard of work.
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