Good labor is hard to find, and it’s only getting harder. Recent research sponsored by DDC FPO determined how labor, skill, and work ethic shortages – particularly in customer service and inside sales roles – impact carriers and third-party logistics providers.
August 1, 2022driver shortage
Business, Safety, Logistics 
Panelists (from left) Donna Kintop of DDC Group, Andrew Boyle of Boyle Transportation and ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. (Dan Ronan/Transport Topics)
Industry Faces Obstacles in Bid to Mitigate Driver Shortage
Panelists (from left) Donna Kintop of DDC Group, Andrew Boyle of Boyle Transportation and ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. (Dan Ronan/Transport Topics)SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Accelerated retirements, an aging workforce, a decadeslong declining birthrate and low unemployment rate continue to cause challenges for the trucking industry as it seeks to overcome the 80,000-plus driver shortage.
May 18, 2022 Government, Business 
Student drivers practice at Carolina CDL Training Center in Candler, N.C. (Carolina CDL Training Center)
House Lawmakers Introduce Trucking Workforce Bill
Student drivers practice at Carolina CDL Training Center in Candler, N.C. (Carolina CDL Training Center)Legislation aimed at incentivizing individuals to join the trucking workforce was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
April 5, 2022 Government, Business 
Walsh and Buttigieg (head of table) with Department of Labor officials and ATA industry executives, including Spear and Sumerford (lower right corner) at the signing. (SunJae Smith/American Trucking Associations)
Labor Department Partners With ATA on Apprenticeship Program
Walsh and Buttigieg (head of table) with Department of Labor officials and ATA industry executives, including Spear and Sumerford (lower right corner) at the signing. (SunJae Smith/American Trucking Associations)WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has partnered with American Trucking Associations for an apprenticeship program that could play a significant role in easing the industry’s driver shortage, and presents motor carriers with an opportunity to directly work with and train new entrants to boost their driving ranks.
March 1, 2022 Government, Business 
A student trains behind the wheel with his instructor. (Roadmaster Drivers School)
Workforce Boards Offer Funds for Driver Training
A student trains behind the wheel with his instructor. (Roadmaster Drivers School)A pair of Oregon trucking executives are on a mission to encourage motor carriers to follow their lead and join obscure local entities called workforce boards, which over the years have quietly distributed millions of dollars to train an array of skilled and unskilled workers, including truck drivers.
February 24, 2022 Government, Business, Safety 
Students at C1 Truck Driver Training attend classroom instruction. (C1 Truck Driver Training via YouTube)
Government Aims to Streamline CDL Process
Students at C1 Truck Driver Training attend classroom instruction. (C1 Truck Driver Training via YouTube)The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration amended its regulatory guidance to clarify that federal statutes and regulations do not prohibit third-party testers from administering commercial driver license learner permit knowledge tests.
February 3, 2022 Government, Business, Safety, Logistics 
bluecinema/Getty Images
Under-21 Driver Pilot Program Raises Carrier Reporting Concerns
bluecinema/Getty ImagesWhile trucking industry trade groups have expressed support for a federal apprenticeship program that will train under-21 drivers to operate tractor-trailers across state lines, concerns are being raised that some of the initiative’s reporting requirements for motor carriers are overly burdensome.
January 25, 2022 Business, Logistics 
Mark-It Express noticed an uptick in applicants after raising driver pay last August. (Dennis Jourdan Photography/Mark-It Express)
Fleets Find That Raising Pay Doesn’t Solve Driver Shortage
Mark-It Express noticed an uptick in applicants after raising driver pay last August. (Dennis Jourdan Photography/Mark-It Express)The flurry of fleets that raised pay early in 2021 to recruit and retain truck drivers amid labor shortages snowballed into a widespread industry trend. However, for many fleets, it’s not necessarily bringing in the expected results.
January 10, 2022 Government, Business, Technology, Safety, Logistics 
John Sommers II for Transport Topics
Truck Driver Shortage Looms Over 2022
John Sommers II for Transport TopicsTrucking is likely to continue to see a shortage of professional drivers with the underlying causes showing no signs of stopping in 2022.
December 27, 2021 Business 
"VA Ready’s mission is to help Virginians gain skills and help employers find the skilled talent they need," says VA Ready CEO Caren Merrick. (VA Ready via YouTube)
Virginia Partnership Aims to Recruit, Train Drivers in the State
"VA Ready’s mission is to help Virginians gain skills and help employers find the skilled talent they need," says VA Ready CEO Caren Merrick. (VA Ready via YouTube)The Virginia Trucking Association is partnering with a public-private partnership on an initiative to recruit and train drivers for trucking jobs in the state.
December 21, 2021