Trucking schools brace for influx

Americans in general may be struggling to find work after a long recession, but there are jobs aplenty in the cab of an 18-wheeler. Trucking companies are reporting a shortage of drivers nationwide, which could delay shipments and ultimately raise the price of goods.

“During the recession, companies had to cut the work force, so now that freight volumes are picking back up they don’t have the work force to accommodate the demand,” said Brandon Borgna, spokesman for the American Trucking Association in Arlington, Va. “A lot of drivers are older. There isn’t that younger generation stepping in.”

But filling those jobs could prove tough. New federal rules that clamp down on drivers and companies with poor safety records could force veteran drivers to quit or retire and scare off new drivers with a blemished past.

And an economist says he’s skeptical when businesses claim to have a driver shortage. He said the current need for drivers may be short-lived, lasting only as long as companies restock shelves after the recession.

Nonetheless, schools that train truckers to get their commercial licenses are preparing for an enrollment spike.

“It’s going to be hot and heavy,” said Tim Megard, of C1 Truck Driver Training, an Indiana-based company that operates schools in four states. “The big companies will be taking out ads.”

Trucking companies, many of which have cut back routes and driven off employees through retirements and layoffs the past couple of years, are now looking to rebuild their work force. More than 140,000 trucking jobs have been lost since 2008, and many smaller trucking companies went belly up, a report from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals says.

A Bureau of Labor Statistics report says about 290,000 truck drivers will need to be hired by 2018 to meet the expected demand. Today, about 1.8 million people are employed as long-distance tractor-trailer drivers.

The downside to driving a truck isn’t the pay – entry level salaries of nearly $40,000 are common. Instead, the biggest complaint is time away from home. Many first-year employees drive for six days at a time, with one day off per week.