Driver shortage decreases slightly to 78,000, ATA says

From Transport Topics.

American Trucking Associations revealed Oct. 25 that it estimates the shortfall of professional drivers has decreased slightly to 78,000 for this year.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello unveiled the new figure during ATA’s Management Conference & Exhibition.

“I said we were about 80,000 short in 2021,” Costello said. “But that was based on forecasting the rest of the year. Turns out it was a little bit higher than that. Not much, 81,250 roughly. This year, I think, when it’s all said and done, we’ll be just short of 78,000. So down a little bit. But still the second-highest level we’ve ever seen.”

ATA calculates the driver shortage by determining the difference between the number of drivers currently in the market and the optimal number of drivers based on freight demand. ATA says the shortage could swell to more than 160,000 over the next decade based on current driver demographic trends and projected growth in freight demand. The trucking industry would need to hire nearly 1.2 million new drivers over the next decade to replace those leaving trucking either through retirement or for other reasons to keep up with demand.

See the complete article from Transport Topics online.