Is The Truck Driver Shortage Worsening?

Are safety concerns clashing with economic ones? When it comes to the trucking industry, the question may be justified.

Louisiana motorists have long been worried about 18-wheelers on the road, aware that if the many safety regulations dictated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) cover most of the potential safety issues, their enforcement is far from being watertight.

Devastating large truck crashes in Louisiana can be caused by motor carriers who, pressured by competition, delivery deadlines and the need to cut costs, may be tempted to fiddle with the FMCSA regulations.

Be it tampering with the hours-of-service registry in logbooks, or hiring under-qualified drivers, most of the safety issues some motor carriers try to get away with revolve around truck drivers.

This is why the persistent shortage of qualified, experienced, healthy and drug- or violation-free truck drivers is a major factor in the battle between road safety and economic growth.

A recent article on the subject confirms that the shortage is the result of:

• Older, baby-boom generation drivers retiring;
• Young drivers not eager to work hard and away from home for a low pay;
• Strict qualification requirements to apply for a CDL (commercial driver license);
• High driver turnover.

It has now become so difficult to fill truck driver jobs that motor carriers are pursuing each other's drivers. If the shortage persists, the cost of delivering goods could rise, while truck drivers' wages rise. Let's hope that this last point will help in finding a new balance between the conflicting interests of economy and safety.

The New Orleans truck accident attorneys of the Young Firm take your safety seriously. If you have been hurt in a car or truck accident caused by someone else, contact us for a FREE discussion of your case.