Editorial: The Challenges Ahead

A review of the tens of thousands of words that were spoken during Transport Topics’ annual Management Outlook Forum, and reported on in these pages last week, shows that the No. 1 topic on virtually everyone’s mind is the industry’s drivers.

The panelists spent a great deal of time talking about drivers: how to find them, keep them and train them.

We heard how a lack of drivers is leading to fleets parking some of their rigs, and how the shortage of drivers is having a direct impact on the sales of new trucks. There’s no way companies are going to invest in new equipment if they can’t be sure they can attract the drivers to move them.

Some of the hopeful news that came out of our forum: Shippers are beginning to accept that there is a capacity problem in the industry and, as a result, they’re much more open to accepting rate increases than they have been for many years.

This is likely, our experts agreed, to mean the industry — and especially the truckload sector — can make the rate hikes stick this time. And while a lot of the increase is destined to go to higher driver wages and benefits, the truckload carriers may be able to retain a few of the increased dollars to cover their rising fuel and insurance costs.

Less hopeful news came last week in the form of reports that the federal government’s new proposed hours-of-service regulations contain many provisions sure to make trucking unhappy.

Well-placed government sources tell us that the rules would limit drivers to 12 hours of driving and mandate four half-hour rest breaks and 10 straight hours of rest each day.

The rule would also mandate that the industry install electronic data recorders to facilitate enforcement of the rules, which would be the first substantive change for the industry in more than 60 years.

The industry had been pushing for a 14-hour workday, and hoped to forestall the government’s mandate of black boxes on trucks.

The new rules, which have been at the Office of Management and Budget for review for weeks, are sure to spark a major fight in Washington once they officially emerge. The industry needs to be ready to make its voice is heard.

For the full story, see the Jan. 17 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.