Industry Need
Industry Need: The trucking industry is currently facing a driver shortage that is drastically impacting all aspects of transportation. The American Trucking Association conducted a study in 2016 and concluded that in 2015 there was a need for 48,000 truck drivers. Due to an aging workforce and less people entering into the industry this number is expected to grow to 175,000 by the year 2024.
Wages: Due to an increased demand for qualified drivers the industry is seeing an increase in driver wages. Commercial driver wages went up by 7.8% in October 2016, much higher than the national average of other careers that only grew by 2.8%. The median wage of a commercial long haul drivers is $54,000 with those working for private fleet earning up to $73,000.
