Important distinction
A brief exchange between a senator and Polly Trottenberg revealed a lot about the deputy secretary of transportation nominee’s knowledge of a long-running dispute in the trucking industry.
During her nomination hearing in March, Trottenberg acknowledged the importance of the trucking industry and showed that she understands the difference between a driver shortage and a driver retention problem.
Trottenberg testified in front of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation as part of her nomination to become second in command at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Trottenberg served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation from 2014 to 2020. As of press time, Trottenberg was expected to be confirmed.
During the more than two-hour hearing, Trottenberg fielded questions from a variety of transportation topics.
Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., asked about the commitment to a strong supply chain and what Trottenberg would do to combat the trucking industry’s driver shortage. During Young’s question, he noted that more than 80% of U.S. communities rely exclusively on trucks for their freight transportation needs.
“I’m coming from a city where we get over 90% of our goods via truck,” Trottenberg said. “We certainly recognize what a crucial industry that is. We will work with you not only on driver recruitment but also retention. I know one of the challenges in the trucking industry is that drivers often come in and get trained and then it is hard to retain them.”
Trottenberg’s transition from the word “shortage” to “retention” is worth noting. It echoes the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association’s position on the issue. OOIDA has long refuted the claims of a driver shortage, pointing to turnover rates of 90% or more for large carriers. A 2019 report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics affirmed OOIDA’s stance, saying the evidence does not support a labor shortage and that increasing wages could alleviate any issues with recruitment and retention. LL