As the pandemic-stressed global supply chain begins to show signs of recovery, trucking remains in dire need of drivers. Brad Ball, President of Roadmaster Drivers School, explains how essential it is to the economy to add more truck drivers, which in turn helps the supply chain and supports growth.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 9, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Every year, $294 billion in goods are shipped to and from Oklahoma, a figure expected to increase by 61% over the next two decades.(1) Meanwhile, delays and transport issues continue to plague the global supply chain, still slowly recovering from disruption caused by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.(2) At the same time, the need for workers to fill job openings throughout the US created by the so-called Great Resignation continues; a record number 4.54 million Americans quit their jobs in March, according to the US Department of Labor.(3)
Taken together, notes Brad Ball, President, Roadmaster Drivers School, these statistics present a challenge for US regional economies and the people who work in them—particularly one like Oklahoma, which is rapidly diversifying from its roots in the oil and gas industry into aerospace, biotechnology, health care, and logistics.(4) "Oklahoma's economy," says Ball, "like the nation's, requires a new generation of trained truckers. Our new facility in Oklahoma City—the state's capital and largest metropolitan area—will help supply them."
The global supply chain disruption, notes Ball, began early in 2020, when factories in Asia and Europe, hit hard by the pandemic, were forced to shut down or reduce production. In response, shipping companies, expecting a corresponding drop in demand for shipping, cut their schedules. When instead of dropping, demand for manufactured goods and shipping rose instead, disruption followed. Shipping and delivery problems are expected to be with us through most of 2022, and perhaps longer.(5)
Meanwhile, the trucker shortage is expected not only to continue, but to worsen; the American Trucking Associations estimates that if current trends continue, the shortage could surpass 160,000 by 2030.(6) This, Ball points out, creates a significant opportunity for new drivers. Shippers are raising truckers' salaries,(7) and trucking is already one of the better-paid professions open to non-college graduates. It is also, he notes, a field open to all, offering equal pay for equal work: there is, Ball says, no pay gap in trucking.
Some of the truck driver shortage, notes Ball, is attributable in part to the effects the COVID pandemic had on the industry. Drivers retired early while the supply of new drivers couldn't keep up with increased pace in the demand for goods. In response, trucking companies have been revisiting working conditions, scheduling issues, and raising salaries to make the job more attractive and increase retention rates. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average weekly earnings for long-distance drivers have increased approximately 21% since the beginning of 2019. The U.S. Transportation Secretary has recently recommended even greater increases in respect and compensation for this invaluable workforce.(8)
On Thursday, June 2, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., members of the press, prospective students and the general public are warmly invited to the grand opening of the new Roadmaster Driving School of Oklahoma City at 5801 SW 11th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73128. "Trucking," says Ball, "is an essential and increasingly well-paid, respected profession."
About Roadmaster Drivers School:
Roadmaster, headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL, is a nationwide training organization for professional truck drivers. They have 30 years of experience training more than 150,000 graduates with more than 20 training locations nationwide. By focusing on giving students the best education and maintaining high job placement standards, Roadmaster has gained a national reputation in the trucking industry for quality training of entry-level commercial truck drivers—noted for their training practices to be the most hands-on and safety-focused training in the country. For more information, visit http://www.roadmaster.com.
1. Francis-Smith, Janice. "Report: State and Local Funding Needed for Roads." The Journal Record, 16 June 2021, journalrecord.com/2021/06/16/report-state-and-local-funding-needed-for-roads/.
2. "Supply Chain Disruption: Is the Worst over?" Reuters, 3 Nov. 2021, reuters.com/business/global-markets-supply-pix-2021-11-03/.
3. Cox, Jeff; "Job openings and the level of people quitting their jobs reached records in March"; 3 May 2022; CNBC; cnbc.com/2022/05/03/job-openings-and-the-level-of-people-quitting-their-jobs-reached-records-in-march.html
4. "Industry." Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, okcchamber.com/index.php?submenu=Industry&src=gendocs&ref=Industry&category=OklahomaCity.
5. "Analysis: World's Damaged Supply Chains Brace for Painful Recovery." Reuters, 11 Feb. 2022, reuters.com/markets/europe/worlds-damaged-supply-chains-brace-painful-recovery-2022-02-11/.
6. Service One Transportation, Inc. "Trucking Industry Faces Record Driver Shortage; Service One Transportation Says Young Truck Drivers Can Lead Turnaround." 9 Mar. 2022, prnewswire.com/news-releases/trucking-industry-faces-record-driver-shortage-service-one-transportation-says-young-truck-drivers-can-lead-turnaround-301499075.html#:
7. Kim, E. Tammy, and Rayford, Sean. "The Supply-Chain Crisis Is Creating a Rare Opportunity for Truck Drivers." The New York Times, 18 Nov. 2021, nytimes.com/2021/11/18/opinion/supply-chain-trucks-south-carolina-ports.html.
8. Ngo, Madeleine, and Swanson., Ana "The Biggest Kink in America's Supply Chain: Not Enough Truckers." The New York Times, 9 Nov. 2021, nytimes.com/2021/11/09/us/politics/trucker-shortage-supply-chain.html#:
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SOURCE Roadmaster Drivers School
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