The Best Ways To Solve The Truck Driver Shortage
You might have noticed a growing shortage of drivers to handle your heavy trucks. There are older truck drivers who are retiring and there just aren't as many young truck drivers entering the industry as in the past. During the recession, with less construction and fewer purchases, the driver shortage was not noticeable. However, as the economy has picked up again, the shortage might be more noticeable.
Attracting Younger Drivers
One approach has been to aggressively work with recruiters who will guide potential recruits into driving school. Many companies have offered positions to drivers before they have even graduated from driving school. Drivers are less willing to sleep in their trucks than in the past. To make long haul driving jobs more appealing, trucks can be designed to be more comfortable. Automatic transmissions are also becoming more common among heavy trucks, which makes them more appealing to younger drivers. As it becomes more possible to access the Internet from a heavy truck, younger drivers may be more willing to take these positions with the knowledge that they could stay in touch with friends and family during their downtime.
Reducing The Need For Long-Haul Drivers
Improving logistics by reducing the distance that truck drivers must travel will not only attract drivers, by reducing the number of long-haul drivers, but will also lower operating costs by using less fuel. Firms should be strategically placed in locations that minimize the distance between various destinations. It may also be necessary to simply not do business with locations that are too far away.
Relying On Driverless Options
Another option you may want to investigate in the future is driverless deliveries. Companies have experimented with the use of drones and technologies are being developed that will allow for trucks to travel to their destinations automatically.
Hiring Retirees
If you cannot attract young drivers, another solution is to hire retirees. There are many individuals who are forced into retirement, but would still like to continue working. The upside is that these employees often have more experience and a strong work ethic. However, these workers will leave their positions sooner than younger workers, often due to age-related disorders.
Outsourcing
If you are not able to attract new drivers, you may need to resort to outsourcing some or all of your shipments. This may drive up costs, forcing you to pass more expenses onto the consumer. But in this current job market, this may be the only solution.
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