Hiring gap between large and small trucking firm problematic
THE number of employees at large truckload and less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers hasn’t recovered to pre-Covid crisis levels, reports IHS Media.
US Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) data shows the unadjusted number of long-haul truckload employees in September was 15,700 short of its previous peak in August 2019.
Long-haul LTL employment was 7,400 short of its July 2019 peak.
Long-haul truckload employment tracked by the BLS totaled 511,000 jobs in September, while LTL employment reached 261,100 jobs.
Local, general freight trucking companies have 14,500 more workers than they did in October 2019, their peak payroll month pre-Covid crisis.
The companies added 17,900 jobs from January through October, while long-haul truckload carriers added 12,300 employees and LTL carriers added 5,600 workers.
Meanwhile, 92,000 new for-hire carriers registered with the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) through October, compared with 59,500 for all of 2020, according to FTR Transportation Intelligence.
“It’s not a shortage, it’s a shift,” said FTR vice president Avery Vise.
“It could very well be structural, meaning it would be permanent.” As more drivers strike out on their own, fewer remain available for larger contract motor carriers, sending more shippers to the spot market for capacity. “Clearly this is going to continue for a while.” said Mr Vise.
Said Bloomberg senior freight transportation and logistics analyst Lee Klaskow: “Expectations are that things are going to remain pretty good if you’re a trucker.”