Data and Insights from Jobcase

Trucking: A Critical Industry in Need of a Broader, More Diverse Workforce

” Transportation hiring has one of the most diverse opportunities to create success but most carriers are still living inside a small box targeting an even smaller audience. If you are not hitting your hiring target then you are not using diversity in marketing to your advantage.“

David McBride
Executive VP of Recruiting and HR,
Lazer Spot

1. Drivers Wanted in a Land of Opportunity

70% of all goods in the US are transported by truck drivers and more drivers are needed across the country than in the previous several years. The maps below show job growth is still outpacing member interest in a lot of states. States like Michigan where job postings are up 22% vs March but clicks are down 38% highlight the hesitancy some people have rejoining the workforce. This data begs the question, why aren’t people applying?

2. A Coast-to-Coast Impact on Trucking in 2020

A variety of factors come into play when trying to answer the question of why people aren’t applying to jobs. Many of these topics have been ongoing issues in the industry and are even more glaring now. There is no single answer or solution, but understanding the mindset of job seekers, and the nuances and complexities of the hiring market are necessary. One of the largest factors is demand for drivers is higher than normal largely due to the e-commerce boom over the last 12 months and the restocking surge in grocery stores.

• More CDL holders are currently retiring than there are new license holders entering the workforce.
• There was a 40% drop in CDL training classes in 2020
• According to a recent Centerline study, 76% of truckers say that competitive pay is the top factor in their decision to take a job, yet 1 in 2 say that current wages are not competitive.
• Life on the road is a hard sell especially in a pandemic with businesses closed in many areas.

3. Hiring Needs to Go Where It’s Never Gone Before

Did you know that 41.5% of truck drivers are minorities but women only make up ~7.8% of drivers? And that it’s estimated that 54% of the new drivers needed in the next 10 years will be due to the retirement of current drivers?

“The market of drivers has changed significantly over the last 10 years but most carriers are still using the same classic tactics to attract candidates. And just because you are using email and text instead of fax machines doesn’t mean you are using the newest technology to hire.“

David McBride

The largest available segment of future workers will exist in the 18-20 year old age range. While they can’t drive interstate until they are 21, having a strategic growth plan to get them invested in your company can keep them in the labor force. It will be more important than ever to know where your diversity gaps exist and leverage data to help solve the problem. In the last six months, 45% of the clicks to Trucking jobs on Jobcase came from women.

What employers in trucking can do today:

1. Be transparent about pay and Covid safety protocols in job descriptions, hiring events, and marketing materials. Potential employees want to make an informed decision and you can empower them with information especially in reskilling and continuing education, from our own research 55% of workers are interested in getting additional skills.

2. Test something new to engage with a broader audience of workers. Update your imagery to reflect a diverse staff and help attract a more diverse candidate pool too! If you haven’t run Hiring Events before, try them. If you haven’t run candidate engagement ads before, try them. Ask your Jobcase representative how to diversify your audience, and leverage the Jobcase community via a Company Hub.

3. Highlight key differentiators like training reimbursement, growth plans, increased time-at-home benefits, shorter routes, etc. If drivers are staying in state, do you have a plan to hire 18-20 year olds and incentives to keep them on staff until they reach 21? Given there has been an average of 6 job postings per hire over the past few years, casting a wider net is needed to sustain a peak season that is almost year round now.