President Joe Biden wants to recruit more veterans and women for the trucking industry amid a national shortage of drivers that makes it harder to take products to store shelves.

Presenting on Monday a plan to overcome the bushes for more truck drivers, Mr. Biden and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg highlighted the critical role of truck drivers, especially during the pandemic, when American families relied on them for the delivery of essential items such as groceries and groceries. medicine.

“You can thank a truck driver for letting you know,” Buttigieg said.

The industry in 2021 had a record 80,000 drivers, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), a trade group. Long-distance drivers, who often face strenuous routes and may be on the road for weeks at a time, are especially rare. According to the Department of Transportation, approximately 300,000 truck drivers leave the profession each year. The COVID-19 pandemic only worsened the shortage of drivers because training and apprenticeship programs were closed or limited to their operations.

Nick Geale, ATA’s vice president of labor policy, said opening up the industry to women, veterans and younger drivers, who are currently

to a large extent restricted access to the profession would help address job challenges.

“Quality jobs are restricted to people 21 and older, so we’re losing an entire generation because of the construction, food service, and other industries,” MoneyWatch told CBS.

Approximately 70% of merchandise in the U.S. is delivered by truck. In addition, 80% of the country is completely dependent on trucks for the daily delivery of essential goods such as food, water, toilet paper, personal protective equipment and vaccines.

“Some companies have increased their pay three times in one year, and that’s unheard of in the industry,” Geale said. “Signature bonuses are available regularly. If you have a good track record and want to drive a truck today, you can write your own ticket. Right now, it’s very much a pro-driver marketplace between signing bonuses and general increases.”

Not everyone agrees that there is a shortage of skilled workers. Steve Viscelli, an economic sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania, said there are enough Americans who have been trained and have the necessary licenses to drive trucks; they just don’t want to.

“The problem is really that of rotation and retention,” he said. “We don’t lack people who have already been trained to drive these trucks. The industry only has a high-rotation system.”

He expects the imbalance between supply and demand to be resolved “when the economy goes into recession and consumer spending eases.”

Ultimately, he believes that the biggest attraction for entry-level drivers is the best jobs that don’t initially require them to be on the road for long periods of time initially.

“We have a historic opportunity to make things better for truck drivers,” Viscelli said.

President Joe Biden wants to recruit more veterans and women for the trucking industry amid a national shortage of drivers that makes it harder to take products to store shelves.

Presenting on Monday a plan to overcome the bushes for more truck drivers, Mr. Biden and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg highlighted the critical role of truck drivers, especially during the pandemic, when American families relied on them for the delivery of essential items such as groceries and groceries. medicine.

“You can thank a truck driver for letting you know,” Buttigieg said.

The industry in 2021 had a record 80,000 drivers, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), a trade group. Long-distance drivers, who often face strenuous routes and may be on the road for weeks at a time, are especially rare. According to the Department of Transportation, approximately 300,000 truck drivers leave the profession each year. The COVID-19 pandemic only worsened the shortage of drivers because training and apprenticeship programs were closed or limited to their operations.

Nick Geale, ATA’s vice president of labor policy, said opening up the industry to women, veterans and younger drivers, who are currently

to a large extent restricted access to the profession would help address job challenges.

“Quality jobs are restricted to people 21 and older, so we’re losing an entire generation because of the construction, food service, and other industries,” MoneyWatch told CBS.

Approximately 70% of merchandise in the U.S. is delivered by truck. In addition, 80% of the country is completely dependent on trucks for the daily delivery of essential goods such as food, water, toilet paper, personal protective equipment and vaccines.

“Some companies have increased their pay three times in one year, and that’s unheard of in the industry,” Geale said. “Signature bonuses are available regularly. If you have a good track record and want to drive a truck today, you can write your own ticket. Right now, it’s very much a pro-driver marketplace between signing bonuses and general increases.”

Not everyone agrees that there is a shortage of skilled workers. Steve Viscelli, an economist at the University of Pennsylvania, said there are enough Americans who have been trained and have the necessary licenses to drive trucks; they just don’t want to.

“The problem is really that of rotation and retention,” he said. “We don’t lack people who have already been trained to drive these trucks. The industry only has a high-rotation system.”

He expects the imbalance between supply and demand to be resolved “when the economy goes into recession and consumer spending eases.”

Ultimately, he believes that the biggest attraction for entry-level drivers is the best jobs that don’t initially require them to be on the road for long periods of time initially.

“We have a historic opportunity to make things better for truck drivers,” Viscelli said.