David Clark, who was the CEO of Flexport, a logistics company, resigned on Wednesday September 6, 2023. After leaving Amazon in June, Clark had a tough time transitioning and faced criticism over his leadership style. Flexport founder Ryan Peterson, the previous co-CEO, will be replacing David as he is reportedly considering a run for governor of Texas in 2026. Read more…
Category Archives: CDL Driver Shortage
ALCOHOL HELPING TO FUEL THE LOGISTICS INDUSTRY
During the heart of the truck driver shortage last year, “Walmart decided its own ranks of 1.6 million employees might want to learn how to drive a big rig for Walmart,” so the company “dangled first-year truck driver salaries of up to $110,000 and a 12-week training program for its Walmart and Sam’s Club store and warehouse workers” Former retail employees recently constituted the first graduating class from a training center in Walmart’s Sanger distribution center in Denton County, Texas. Read more…
WALMART TRUCKING PROGRAM PRODUCES FIRST GRADUATING CLASS
During the heart of the truck driver shortage last year, “Walmart decided its own ranks of 1.6 million employees might want to learn how to drive a big rig for Walmart,” so the company “dangled first-year truck driver salaries of up to $110,000 and a 12-week training program for its Walmart and Sam’s Club store and warehouse workers” Former retail employees recently constituted the first graduating class from a training center in Walmart’s Sanger distribution center in Denton County, Texas. Read more…
SHUTDOWN OF YELLOW TO AFFECT TRUCKERS
About 30,000 workers are set to lose their jobs as the shipping company Yellow has apparently shut down operations. Being one of the country’s biggest carriers specializing in smaller freights that don’t fill up an entire truck, the closure will “likely affect how certain goods will continue to be delivered.” Read more…
TRUCKING SCHOOLS AIM TO HELP WITH NATIONAL DRIVER SHORTAGE
160 Driving Academy, a truck driving school in Lenexa, is trying to “bridge the gap between people who want higher paying jobs and a national need for more truck drivers.” The program is hoping to achieve its goal of having 150 graduates a year, with the 2 year old program already seeing 100 graduates come through so far. 160 Driving Academy also hopes to entice people who may not be interested in the traditional college experience. Read more…
TRANSPORTATION HIRING STRUGGLES COULD CONTINUE INTO 2023
The Utah Transit Authority continues to look for bus drivers, as a tight labor market makes filling these positions a struggle. The shortage has even forced the UTA to cut back, and even eliminate, some bus routes earlier in December. While companies like UPS, FedEx and Amazon continue to hire, “truck driving companies are having a shortage all the way around. Schools are having trouble finding school bus drivers.” Read more…
LAWMAKERS STILL BELIEVE THERE’S A TRUCK DRIVER SHORTAGE
While many truck drivers and economists no longer believe there is a truck driver shortage, there are many lawmakers in Washington who do. Recently, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona introduced a bill that would “do away with certain requirements for obtaining a commercial’s driver license.” There are lawmakers who believe such a law would help ease the purported shortage by “helping hardworking Americans and slashing costs for all.” Read more…
NEW TRUCK DRIVING COURSES COMING TO HIGH SCHOOLS
With the trucking industry in dire need of workers, high schools such as Williamsport High School are introducing trucking courses as part of a nationwide push to steer young drivers towards the industry. As the American Trucking Association “projects that trucking companies will need to hire nearly 1.2 million drivers over the next decade,” it is imperative that an aging workforce is supplemented with more youthful recruits, including teenagers. Read more…
TRUCK DRIVER SHORTAGE CONTINUES
Numbers of drivers continue to decrease as the labor crisis in the trucking industry worsens. According to payroll data from the U.S. Labor Department, “the trucking sector lost 11,400 jobs month-over-month in September. That’s the largest decrease since April 2009.” With the average age of applicants too close to retirement, and a general lack of over-the-road drivers, there’s no immediate respite for the industry in sight. Read more…
WALMART HIRING TRUCKERS
Though Walmart’s plan of hiring 40,000 new employees ahead of the busy holiday season is lower than last year, holiday season staffing is as strong as ever. Amongst the positions quickly filling up are “approximately 1,500 full-time, permanent truck drivers with starting pay up to $110,000 a year.” Read more…