Truckers are a key part of freight transportation. 70% of all cargo is transported throughout the US highways. According to CBS News, the freight world needs to hire about 90,000 truckers a year to keep up with demand. And if truckers drive America’s economy, this is an alarming concern.

“A Shortage of Trucks is Forcing Companies to Cut Shipments or Pay Up” by Jennifer Smith from the The Wall Street Journal, really emphasized the growth in cargo freight in 2018. Not only did December of 2017 hit record levels in freight volumes, but 2018 has started out with a bang. The amount of freight needed to be transported is way more than the number of truckers available to transport it.

For example, in the spot market, about 10 loads were waiting to be moved in comparison to the previous year that had only 3 loads that were waiting to be transported. Truckers with the weather conditions have raised their price; depending on the company’s location and pick up wait time, the available truckers will turn down the job. The weather conditions have imposed great difficulty with the trucker’s transit, and companies in Canada are willing to pay double for truckers that are willing to make the trip.

Keep in mind that this is the slow season, so imagine when the freight market picks up in April. To keep with demand, companies are increasing truckers’ salaries and benefits. The lifestyle of a trucker isn’t an easy one, but companies are investing hard to attract more and more drivers. With a median salary of $41,000, many people are turning to trucking to live a better lifestyle, but hiring agencies still need to work hard to convince thousands more to join in. But even with all these actions, statistics still show that demand will outreach the drivers.

Written by Iris Arden (Ramon Inc.)