truck driver shortage

DOT awards $3.5 million for truck driver training

WASHINGTON — The federal government has released millions of dollars to 27 community colleges across the country to boost training for new and current truck drivers as well as military veterans.

The $3.5 million in competitive grants awarded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant Program aims to increase the number of CDL holders who have received enhanced operator safety training, according to FMCSA, with a focus on...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dot-awards-3-5-million-for-truck-driver-training

Election-year politics cuts into small-trucker priorities

Legislation and regulation affecting trucking is downshifting as the election year moves into full swing, but the most prominent lobby representing truck owner-operators is keeping the pressure on lawmakers and the administration to do right by its members.

“The unfortunate reality is that this particular Congress is totally engaged in election season, and rather than focusing on some of the issues we would like to see them focus on, they’re pretty much engaged in doing what they think they need...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/election-year-politics-cuts-into-small-trucker-priorities

TIA warns Congress of rampant fraud in trucking

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WASHINGTON — Rampant fraud in trucking has become an $800 million problem and the Federal Motor...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/tia-warns-congress-of-rampant-fraud-in-trucking

Ramaswamy advocates trucker-friendly policy at Iowa 80

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate, unveiled his trucking policy at Iowa 80 on Thursday. He also shared his opinions on the current state of America’s $875 billion trucking industry. 

“Each of us deserves to live in a country where we’re each allowed to achieve that maximum of our potential,” said Ramaswamy, speaking about the American dream. “I don’t think that’s the case today for the way we’re treating truckers in this country, who are the backbone of our economy, are the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/vivek-ramaswamy-advocates-trucker-friendly-policy-at-iowa-80

Driver tax credits, truck parking capacity part of new bipartisan bill

Truck drivers would be eligible for up to $10,000 in tax credits, along with training incentives, as part of new bipartisan legislation aimed at retaining and recruiting drivers.

The Safer Highways and Increased Performance for Interstate Trucking (SHIP IT) Act, introduced on Tuesday by U.S. Reps. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., and Jim Costa, D-Calif., also incorporates truck parking funding and an hours-of-service exemption for livestock haulers — long-sought measures by drivers and carriers.

The...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/driver-tax-credits-truck-parking-capacity-part-of-new-bipartisan-bill

Feds reject industry advice for under-21 truck driver program

Federal regulators have rejected certain recommendations from trucking and safety groups on its CDL pilot program for those ages 18-21 as regulators work to keep the project on track before a White House approval deadline.

In a notice scheduled to be published on Monday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration stated it is turning down advice from the American Trucking Associations and others that the agency do away with a requirement that carriers participating in FMCSA’s Safe Driver...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/feds-reject-industry-advice-for-under-21-truck-driver-program

About that “driver shortage”

Driving is difficult work and there is a scarcity of experienced, good drivers. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

The most polarizing term in trucking is the “driver shortage.”

To drivers, the term often gets them fired up and angry – it makes them feel as if they are a commodity.

The trucking industry is one of the most cyclical industries on the planet; it goes through booms and busts.

Until just a few weeks ago, the industry was dealing with a significant capacity shortage. This occurs when there aren’t enough trucks available for dispatch to match all of the freight in the market. In 2021, there was a...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/about-that-driver-shortage

White House laying foundation for ‘next-generation trucking workforce’

The White House unveiled on Thursday a sweeping initiative aimed at shoring up the ranks of the nation’s truck drivers that could potentially lead to boosting driver pay.

The Biden-Harris Administration Trucking Action Plan, to be led by the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Labor, is being launched in the wake of trucking industry challenges exacerbated by the pandemic that include high driver turnover rates, an aging workforce, long hours away from home, and time spent waiting to load and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/white-house-laying-foundation-for-next-generation-trucking-workforce

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