It’s time to rethink your recruiting strategies: Today’s truck drivers are younger and more ethnically diverse

The demographics of the 3.58 million drivers crucial to the trucking industry is evolving. That’s the conclusion of the July report from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI).

The baby boomer generation, which has long accounted for a majority of truck drivers, is shrinking by the day, while members of Generation X are getting old enough to retire.

The ATRI study looked at age, gender, racial diversity, education level and such items as marital and parental status in its effort to identify current driver demographics and how they’re shifting, and to gain a better understanding of today’s drivers. The ATRI team used data from a dozen different driver surveys in addition to government data sources — including the Bureau of Labor statistics, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS), and summary CDL statistics received from states.

Is there a driver shortage?

The group also took a stab at the controversial “driver shortage,” acknowledging that the issue has supporters and detractors, with this statement:

“There is a running debate as to whether the trucking industry is truly experiencing an economist’s definition of a truck driver ‘shortage,’ with some arguing that rudimentary changes to pay, work-life balance and industry image will generate a large infusion of truck drivers.”

According to ATRI, these arguments ignore well-documented technical and regulatory barriers to entry.

“During moderate to strong economies, nearly every motor carrier will decline profitable revenue loads due to a lack of truck drivers; this reality creates a ‘de facto’ driver shortage that is not easily addressed by motor carriers alone,” the statement continues. “The truck driver shortage commonly prevails in the for-hire sector with Class 8 tractor-trailers/over-the-road (OTR)/nonlocal drivers.”

In other words, it’s harder to find qualified drivers to fill long-haul positions than it is to fill regional and local jobs.

Younger drivers needed

The study revealed the average age of truck drivers to be 47 — a bit older than the average age of 42 for the rest of the U.S. labor force.

The trucking industry, long dominated by drivers born in the baby boomer generation (1946-1964) has undergone a shift in recent years. The average age has actually dropped due to the influx of Generation X (1965-1980) drivers, who now make up 40.8% of the driving workforce. Baby boomers now make up only 20.7%, and that percentage is shrinking yearly as more leave the workforce due to retirement or death.

Millennial Generation drivers (1981-1995) make up 30.7% of the driving force, and Generation Z (1996-2010) drivers make up 7.5%. But while the two younger groups make up 38.2% of the truck driving force, they actually make up 52.6% of the total U.S. labor force, a clear indication that many are choosing careers other than trucking.

“Faced with an aging driver workforce, it is critical that the industry understand and adapt to the expectations and realities of attracting younger individuals to driving positions,” the ATRI report notes.

There is, however, another issue that comes into play. Whereas prior generations generally received their drivers licenses as soon as they came of age, many teens today aren’t doing so. In New York, 25% of individuals 16 or older did not have a license. The national average was 14%.

While 16-year-olds aren’t considered candidates for driver positions in trucking, the foregoing of even getting a license means they aren’t gaining driving experience and growing driving skills before they get into trucking — shrinking the future pool of potential drivers.

Women needed in trucking

Another demographic studied was the percentage of female drivers in trucking. Although they make up 47.1% of the U.S. work force, women still occupy only about 4% of truck driving positions. That percentage hasn’t changed much in the past 20 years. Ongoing recruitment efforts by CDL schools and carriers don’t seem to be increasing the number of women entering the field.

Some of the disparity is undoubtedly due to societal norms, but stakeholders in the trucking industry might find good opportunities in this demographic with a bit of effort. Larger percentages of women drive vehicles that require a Class B CDL, especially buses, indicating that part of the issue with larger trucks is the time away from home that comes with irregular-route trucking.

Ethnic diversity is growing

The ethnic makeup of the driving fleet has changed dramatically, according to the study. In 2014, 77% of drivers were White. That percentage fell to 63% in 2023. In the same period, the percentage of drivers who identify as Hispanic grew by 4% and is now 23% of the total; the percentage of Black drivers rose 8% and is now at 23%. The percentage of Asian drivers effectively doubled to 4% of the driving fleet. Both Black and Hispanic driver numbers exceed their percentages in the overall U.S. labor force, where their participation has also increased, if not to the same extent.

The study identified two “pathways,” or demographic groups, that could be potential sources of labor for carriers. Former foster youth were studied, with a notation that many individuals that age out of foster care need “stable job opportunities” due to the lack of stable family support or financial resources they have experienced. A second pathway studied was Justice-Involved people, those who have been incarcerated or paroled by the justice system. The study concluded, “Recognizing the criticality of the truck driver shortage issue, some motor carriers are more receptive to hiring justice-involved
individuals, a practice often referred to as ‘second chance hiring.’”

While some carriers have relaxed hiring prohibitions regarding applicants with criminal records, barriers remain. Carriers who haul in and out of seaports and other restricted areas require drivers who can qualify for Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) cards, and carriers who haul into Canada need drivers who can meet that country’s requirements. Firms that haul high-security freight will also have stiffer requirements. Carriers without those special requirements might benefit, however, from considering applicants from this group.

If trucking is to find the drivers it will need for future growth, reaching younger drivers from diverse backgrounds will be a critical step.

Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.

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