Pay not a contributing factor to ‘driver shortage,’ according to ITA president

February 25, 2022

Ryan Witkowski

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As supply chain issues persist, industry leaders continue to grasp at solutions to end the crisis. The perfect answer seems to be elusive, but according to Allen Hodges, president and CEO of the Idaho Trucking Association, the answer isn’t driver pay.

“I don’t believe it’s how much they’re earning because we have members now that pay six figures to drive a truck,” Hodges said during a Feb. 22 appearance on Bloomberg TV. “And that doesn’t require a college degree or anything. We have a lot of members that pay high five-figure salaries.”

Hodges’ claim isn’t unfounded, although it may not tell the whole story. A search of trucking jobs in Idaho with salaries of $85,000 or better on Indeed.com returned 605 results. Among those, 290 of the listings claim to provide weekly home time.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has researched driver pay. Its data and input from drivers shows that high salaries are usually offset by much higher costs, such as truck payments, insurance and costs associated with running a business.

Lewie Pugh, executive vice president of OOIDA, says that pay tops the list of concerns for truckers.

“Pay them, and they won’t have a shortage,” Pugh said. “The top issues with drivers is pay and parking. That’s according to drivers.”

The notion of ending a perceived driver shortage by increasing pay is supported by a 2019 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “We should expect that if wages rise when the labor market for truck drivers is too tight, the potential for any long-term shortages will be ameliorated,” the report concluded.

OOIDA has refuted the idea of a driver shortage. The Association says the current supply chain crisis is more nuanced.

“A careful review of the facts paints a completely different picture, one that is marked by retention issues and, at times, an unattractive working environment due in large part to long hours and inadequate compensation,” a November 2021 OOIDA Foundation report concluded.

Misconceptions in trucking

Rather than pay, Hodges says misconceptions of the industry are steering potential drivers away.

“A lot of it is lifestyle and a lot of it is misperception,” Hodges said. “People hear of driving a truck and that they’re going to be gone from home for two weeks or three weeks, which is not true. We need cement truck drivers. We need dump truck drivers. We need log truck drivers. Those jobs, you’re home every day.”

While local routes do allow for more time at home, Pugh says that there are other reasons why drivers are leaving the industry.

“Not everyone can run local, and even when you do it is long hours,” said Pugh. “Food, lifestyle and other issues are why people don’t want to drive truck.”

Youth in trucking

One measure taken by the ITA to combat a perceived driver shortage focuses on recruiting younger drivers. A mobile trucking simulator, purchased by the association earlier this year, is making stops at high schools across the state.

“We go to the high schools, and we let them participate in a simulator – which is realistic – and it gives them a taste of what trucking careers are like,” Hughes said. “We’re finding out that people aren’t engaging our youth anymore. Whether it’s a plumbing trade or a truck driving trade.”

As with any aging workforce, the need to bring younger drivers into the industry has been noted. In Jan 2022, the FMCSA announced the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program, which would give select 18, 19 and 20 year olds the opportunity to drive interstate routes.

OOIDA is opposed to lowering the minimum age for commercial interstate drivers. In a Jan. 21 statement, the Association cited concerns over safety and oversight of the new program.

“We believe that licensing under-21 drivers for interstate commerce will lead to more crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks, especially if the (program) is implemented without establishing comprehensive safety oversight,” the Association wrote. “Before moving forward with the program, we urge the agency to include additional data collection metrics that will enhance quality of the information gathered during the pilot program and will help ensure that it accurately determines if under-21 drivers can perform safely throughout the country.” LL

Listen to the interview