St. Johns, Mich. (WILX) – The “help wanted” sign is out for drivers who deliver items to stores across the country. It comes as the industry faces tens of thousands of unfilled jobs.
According to the experts, the truck driver shortage is expected to worsen before it gets better. By the year 2030, experts anticipate a shortage of about 160,000 drivers. High demand, a retiring workforce, and a lack of new drivers all lead to the shortage.
The Tri-Area Trucking School in St. Johns trains drivers to help fill those vacancies.
“A lot of places are hiring. A lot of places are looking for skilled drivers. Recently, we’ve had places reach out to us and they are interested in students whether they have the experience or not,” said Adam Beaver, Tri-Area Trucking School Instructor.
Beaver teaches commercial truck driving skills, helping students like, Daniel Wilson, get prepared to work in the trucking industry through their job placement program.
“I’m actually already working for them, Schlegel Sand and Gravel here, actually, in East Lansing. So, I moved up here for them, for their job,” said Wilson. He moved here to learn skills that he said keeps items stocked on store shelves.
According to Wilson, “truckers move the world.”
Pre-trip inspections, back maneuvering, and road techniques — basic road skills that driving instructor John Shaw said helps students start their career sooner than later. “Actually on my hat here, JB Hunt, we’ve been working them. They do an account for Meijer distribution center.”
“We get a lot of people from DNR come through. Anything from tree trimming places. We train a lot of the Pepsi drivers in the area. Coca Cola drivers.”
To attract and keep new drivers, companies are offering incentives like higher pay and sign-on bonuses. “We cover everything from your virtual learning on into your hands-on, in the yard here learning, and your road driving.”
Experts said it is important to note that the shortage of truck drivers in the U.S started before the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a recent study from the American Journal of Transportation, improving work conditions could help close the truck driver gap. like booking drivers into hotels instead of expecting them to sleep in their cabs.
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