PADUCAH, KY — We got much-needed rain Thursday, but it’s not going to put a dent in our low river levels. That’s affecting barge traffic as we enter harvest season, slowing down delivery of goods. It’s a problem we’re seeing on land as well, but for a different reason: a truck driver shortage.
Nationally, we’re short about 80,000 drivers, according to the American Journal of Transportation. And the shortage is affecting all of us.
A local CDL training service says that fewer people driving means fewer goods moving, which makes the prices of goods go up for consumers.
Tyler Bohannon talking in his office at CDL training and services in Paducah
“I finally made my dream come true,” said Tyler Bohannon, who is now an official CDL-licensed driver. “Growing up, I’ve always seen trucks and kind of been around them a little bit, and I was like, man, that would be cool,” he said.
He just completed the course at CDL Training Services in Paducah. He knows he’s just one driver, but he hopes to make a difference in the trucker shortage. “I am wanting to be a part of the change, to help make the numbers go up and try to inspire more people to want to do it,” he said.
Over at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, workforce liaison Peter Sierra says many factors are contributing to the shortage. The upfront cost for students, which is thousands of dollars, is a big one. “The CDL program doesn’t qualify for college tuition,” Sierra said.
“And when you tell them, well, you’re going to have to find a way to, you know, fund your education, they get discouraged because they have nowhere to dig from to get that kind of funding,” he said. He believes the field needs more federal assistance and funding.
Michael Crawford talking in his office at CDL training and services in Paducah
Along with the high prices of classes and certifications, Michael Crawford with CDL Training Services in Paducah says that truckers retiring and leaving the field are also causing the shortage. “I think sometimes it’s confusing for people coming in to have no previous knowledge of the industry or how to get started,” Crawford said.
but Bohannon says it’s a risk worth taking. “It was definitely a surprise, like I said again, taking the risk of losing my full-time job to come here full-time and trying to figure out how I’m going to pay for it, but I got lucky,” he said.
Sierra also says it cost about $4500 to go through the course. But that doesn’t cover the permit test, permit, and license.
That’ll cost about another $150.
But there are programs students can apply to for help paying those costs, including the Kentucky Farm Brokers Program and Kentucky Farm Workers.
But there are certain requirements you must meet to qualify, including having a clean driver’s license.
CDL Training Services said that about 95% of their students graduate with a job, and many companies will pay for you to get your license.
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