BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — A new survey by a truck driver recruitment advertising agency has found that 40% of truckers are currently seeking new driving opportunities.
That’s a nearly 7% increase compared to the previous fall survey conducted by Conversion Interactive Agency (CIA), in partnership with employee retention agency People. Data. Analytics (PDA).
That previous survey identified 33.3% of drivers as expressing a desire for new opportunities, according to a CIA news release.
“Over the years, CIA and PDA have consistently tracked this metric, this is the highest percentage and the largest increase since they began monitoring this data,” the news release notes. “This statistic is important to carriers in the transportation industry for informing strategic decisions related to recruitment, retention and overall workforce management. The survey results indicate a need to adopt and utilize new tools to pursue and process driver applications and feedback using the latest technology.”
Kelley Walkup, CIA’s president and CEO, said that with more drivers looking for new opportunities, carriers have a larger pool of potential recruits to fill their open positions.
“Embracing innovation and technology is crucial for success in today’s driver market, and drivers have demonstrated their willingness to adapt,” she said. “By leveraging technology like Conversion’s Lead Assist platform with advanced AI automation, we’ve seen a significant boost in the speed and quality of full applications.”
As for the current freight recession, a slight majority of drivers, 54.9%, said they are optimistic about it ending sooner rather than later.
These results reflecting a positive sentiment within the industry were slightly down compared to 56.1% of drivers were optimistic in our previous fall survey.
“While drivers continue to remain optimistic, other data in this survey shows that patience may be waning as drivers are becoming more restless in search of more predictable pay and better home time,” said Scott Dismuke, PDA’s vice president of operations.
One topic that drivers are not feeling as positive about is electric trucks. When asked about their feelings toward electric trucks, a significant 72.3% of drivers expressed negative sentiments. The reasons for these negative feelings were varied, ranging from the lack of infrastructure to a general lack of knowledge about electric trucks.
“These results underscore the importance of educating drivers as the industry integrates electric trucks,” added Dismuke. “The data shows there are hurdles to getting driver buy-in.”
The trucking industry faces competition for talent not only from other carriers but also from outside industries. When asked what field they were working in before starting their career as a truck driver, almost 40% mentioned warehousing, construction, or manufacturing. Truck driving is often a second or third career for new drivers, with the average age of new entrants into the industry being 35.
As the freight market slowly improves, Walkup and Dismuke agree the task of recruiting and retaining drivers will persist as a formidable challenge for trucking companies of all sizes.
“As competing industries expand their job offerings, the trucking industry must emphasize that truck driving is a well-paying, stable career,” Walkup said. “It’s crucial to tell that story in your recruitment marketing messages.”
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
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