Baby Boomers Creating Truck Driver Vacuum

There’s no denying we are living in an era where our population is rapidly aging. The baby boomers (those aged over 55) are rapidly reaching retirement age and this is starting to leave skill shortages across a wide range of industries. The truck driving workforce has an average age of 44 years with over 50% of all drivers aged 35 plus. With a high proportion of those drivers being from the baby boomer era, their retirement from the workplace is starting to create a truck driver vacuum.

Statistically, the trucking industry is only recruiting at a rate of around 1.2%. Meanwhile, the rate of those leaving the industry is around 2.5% – this is leaving an annual shortfall of at least 1.3% – while percentages may mean little, with over a million people employed as truck drivers, that’s an annual shortfall of 13,000 new drivers. As demand for more goods rises, this shortfall will only become worse.

The trucking industry has reached a point where younger drivers are needed. It has not quite reached desperate status yet, however, in some regions it’s not far off it. Trucking has struggled to lure younger people, with most new recruits being in the 30-plus age group.

For those in the 21-30 year age group, now is a great time to seriously consider truck driving careers. Wages and conditions are good and new drivers are assured of long careers with relatively stable employment. During the recent recession, few drivers lost their jobs and those that did were able to find new employment fairly quickly.

If you’re considering a career change, then look a little closer at the trucking industry. It only takes a few weeks of truck driver training and you’re ready to start your new career.