COVER STORY: Transportation’s Perception Problem
Recruiting the Younger Generation:
An Industry Perception Problem
In 2016, Millennials became the largest portion of the American workforce, overtaking both Gen-Xers and Boomers. As the transportation industry faces record-breaking labor shortages in the next few years, and with the average age of truck drivers inching closer toward retirement, it’s critical to start recruiting the next generation of transportation professionals now.
Labor shortages in transportation are nothing new. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be 108,400 new trucking jobs to fill by 2026. To put that in perspective, there are currently 3.5 million truck drivers, which includes approximately 500,000 long-haul drivers. The shortage is staggering…and getting worse. Gen-Xers currently make up the largest portion of owner-operator drivers, and while we’ve seen exponential growth in this area from Millennials — they overtook Boomers in 2019 to become the second largest group
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in this category — this group isn’t keeping pace with Boomer retirements. With good pay and incentives, what’s holding back younger drivers? In a word? Perception. The Perception Problem From the outside looking in, the perception of the transportation industry being a boys’ club isn’t far from the truth. The average age of truck drivers is 55 years, and women comprise a paltry 10-percent of the total driver workforce. Many drivers live in their trucks while they are away from home for days on
