Fayetteville Technical Community College has filled its current courses training CDL drivers, a trend seen regionally and across the country. (Photo published with permission from FTCC)

Demand for truck drivers fosters creative responses

By David Kennard

Truck drivers are in short supply according to sources keeping an eye on the commercial transportation industry.

Fleet Advantage, with headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, released information Thursday, showing that the trucking industry nationwide is anticipating a shortage of 100,000 drivers by 2023.

That’s a number that will no doubt impact buyers and sellers alike — especially with the holiday shopping season approaching.

Cumberland County and its host of distribution centers may feel the impact more than most areas, but the region is certainly not alone in its concern over the kink in the American supply chain.

According to a CNN report on Thursday, “US ports, railroads, trucks, delivery services, warehouses and the many people who run them — is overwhelmed.”

Of course, the silver lining, if there is one, is that demand for consumer goods is an indicator of a recovering economy. Walking the line between supply and demand is business as usual for manufacturers, but the common thread between sellers and buyers often includes the transportation factor.

While qualified drivers are in short supply, educators and transportation industry officials are working on the solution.

Locally, Fayetteville Technical Community College’s trucking program is full to capacity. The college has a steady demand for training thanks to its relationship with Fort Bragg. 

“Transitioning service members do enroll in our CDL program,” said Catherine Pritchard, from the school’s Office of Marketing & Public Relations. “We are also a registered CSP (Career Skills Program) through SFL Tap (Soldier for Life – Transition Assistance Program) at Fort Bragg.”

The industry has also seen a push for non-traditional employees — women as drivers and the plethora of other jobs in the supply chain.

“Facing a decades-old struggle to retain drivers—and a pandemic that’s cranked up demand for shipping—fleets long staffed by mostly male drivers are now looking to get more women behind the wheel,” according to a prepared statement from Fleet Advantage. “With the trucking industry anticipating a shortage…recruitment efforts directed at women are becoming increasingly common.”. 

That’s a trend FTCC is seeing as well. 

“There are 12 people in [the] class, all male at this time, but we've had women come through,” Pritchard said.

Around the country, other creative options are playing out as well.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, Centerline Drivers, a recruiting firm in Burbank, Calif., specializes in placing truck drivers in high demand areas, even if it means flying them across the country. 

"Our team looked around and found we had drivers available locally and came up with the idea to fly them [to a remote region of the upper Midwest], put them up and have them work until the job was done," said Shane Keller, Centerline's managing director of recruitment. "The drivers were dedicated to that company, and for six weeks moved the products the company needed to move."