Truck drivers are essential to commerce and economic recovery, especially in booming Texas. To help keep freight moving in the Lone Star State, Roadmaster Drivers School has opened a new facility in Fort Worth, TX.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- According to McKinsey & Company, as economies worldwide struggle to recover from the supply chain disruption of the past few years, they face three major challenges: labor shortages, equipment availability, and the ripple effects of global bottlenecks.(1) In the U.S., one component of the labor problem is a major shortage of truck drivers. The American Trucking Associations estimates that to function at an optimum level, the nation needs 80,000 more truckers than it currently has—a record shortage.(2)
"The national economy," says Brad Ball, President, Roadmaster Drivers School, "relies on a new generation of trained truckers. To help meet the needs of the country's biggest trucking state, Texas, we've opened a new training facility in Fort Worth."
The importance of trucking to the economy, says Ball, cannot be overstressed, noting that an estimated 80% of American communities rely exclusively on trucking for freight services.(3) Trucking is particularly important to sprawling Texas, which is both geographically the largest of the 48 contiguous states and the site of a major economic boom. In the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the U.S. Labor Bureau reports the addition of 294,700 jobs in the 12 months ending in May, about three times more than typical annual gains before the Covid-19 pandemic.(4)
In fact, Texas led the nation for overall job growth in June, setting a new employment record for the eighth consecutive month.(5) Texas also, Ball points out, leads the nation in number of truckers, with 172,000 people employed as truck drivers—over 40,000 more than second-place California.(6)
Meanwhile, the trucking industry itself is changing. Once thought of as an almost exclusively male occupation, it is now home to a record and growing number of women.(7) The training and education required to enter the profession is increasing,(8) and compensation levels are becoming significantly higher(9). It is one of the more highly paid fields open to non-college graduates, and it is a field open to all, offering equal pay for equal work. There is, Ball says, no pay gap in trucking.
On Thursday, September 8, between the hours of 10:00 am and 5:00 pm, members of the press, prospective students, and the general public are warmly invited to the grand opening ceremony of Roadmaster's new training facility at 309 Successful Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76140.
"Trucking," says Ball, "is an essential and increasingly well-paid and respected profession. If you—or someone you know—is in the market for a better future, I urge you to come and talk to us. It might turn out to be the best thing you ever did."
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 160,000 graduates with 22 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.
References
1. Overcoming Global Supply Chain Issues | mckinsey.com/industries/travel-logistics-and-infrastructure/our-insights/overcoming-global-supply-chain-challenges.
2. Jones, Chelsea. "US Truck Driver Shortage Is at All-Time High." wkyt.com/2022/04/12/us-truck-driver-shortage-is-all-time-high/.
3. Vennetti, Lexi. "East Texas CDL School Sees Increase in Students amid Truck Driver Shortage, Inflation." kltv.com/2022/07/21/east-texas-cdl-school-sees-increase-students-amidst-truck-driver-shortage-inflation/.
4. Kaplan, Talia. "Texas Jobs Boom amid Lower Taxes, Less Regulation." http://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/texas-job-boom-amid-lower-taxes-less-regulation.
5. Russ, Julianna. "Texas Leads Nation in Job Growth, Austin's Unemployment Rate Increases." KXAN Austin, 24 July 2022, kxan.com/news/local/austin/texas-leads-nation-in-job-growth-austins-unemployment-rate-increases/#:
6. "What States Have the Most Truck Drivers?" Fremont Contract Carriers, fcc-inc.com/what-states-have-the-most-truck-drivers/.
7. Bisaha, Stephan. "Truck Driving Has Long Been a Man's World. Meet the Women Changing That." 19 houstonpublicmedia.org/npr/2021/09/19/1037513003/truck-driving-has-long-been-a-mans-world-meet-the-women-changing-that/#:
8. "New CDL Rules Come at Challenging Time for Texas Trucking Industry." KXAN Austin, 9 Feb. 2022, kxan.com/news/local/austin/new-cdl-rules-come-at-challenging-time-for-texas-trucking-industry/.
9. "Walmart to Offer New Truck Drivers $95K-$110K a Year to Combat Shortage." NBCUniversal News Group, 7 Apr. 2022, nbcnews.com/business/business-news/walmart-truck-driver-salary-pay-first-year-trucker-shortage-rcna23482.
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Media Contact
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SOURCE Roadmaster Drivers School
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