Trucking industry needs drivers, so what's it take?

Skill wanted
A crash in Paoli last month, when a truck driver unsure of how much weight she was hauling and unwilling to navigate in reverse crossed a bridge and caused major structural damage, didn’t shed the most flattering light on the profession. The driver, who passed her commercial driver’s license test in May, said she knew that the bridge could handle 6 tons of weight, but admitted she didn’t know how much 6 tons was — her truck weighed about 30 tons.

While that example represents a low point for drivers, area companies do their best to attract top talent and train it properly. Willing drivers have been tough to come by lately, as a national trucking shortage has hit Dubois County, an area that heavily relies on logistics.    

Jasper-based Meyer Distributing offers a $5,000 signing bonus and their drivers usually start out in the $50,000 range. Jasper Engines & Transmissions doesn’t offer a signing bonus, but truckers receive quarterly evaluations with the potential for a raise and the starting salary is near $60,000. However, because of a combination of factors — partly because of industry regulations, partly because of stereotypes — there aren’t enough drivers.

The Wall Street Journal reported last year there was a shortfall of 48,000 truckers in an industry of 800,000. According to the American Transportation Research Institute, nearly 30 percent of truck drivers are 45 to 54 years old and 6 percent are 65 or older. Folks 20 to 24 years old comprise only 5 percent of the field. With an aging driving pool, retirements on the horizon and reinforcements in short supply, things aren’t expected to change soon. FTR, an industry research firm, has projected that by 2017 the trucking shortage will grow to 250,000.  

Meyer Distributing owner Mike Braun said his logistics company is usually two to three drivers short of where he wants to be.

“It’s still a tight market everywhere, the Midwest especially,” Braun said.
Regulations, stereotypes to manage


Federal laws prohibit anyone younger than 21 from driving across state lines in a truck weighing 80,000 pounds, which is the weight limit for trucks on interstate highways. Last year, legislation was introduced to make it so drivers as young as 18 can cross state borders. Some have pushed back against that rule change and the legislation is still pending.

Braun would like to see a system that allows 18-year-olds who have earned the opportunity through merit to drive across state lines. In addition to the legislation, Braun would like high schools to more actively inform students of the trucking path as well as create an increased emphasis on advising high school students about alternative post-secondary educational routes such as vocational schools.

Under the current format, Braun sees a pool of potential truckers that’s being squandered.  

“We’d like to see something where there isn’t a three-year gap,” Braun said.

Gary Love, who works in operations at Meyer Distributing, said the stereotype of a trucker is that he or she is unfit. Those connotations can hurt the industry’s appeal to young folks. But Love noted the job comes with physical requirements — ranging from an eyesight test to a blood sugar test — as well as knowledge and skills assessments. Being a trucker is, in some ways, a specialized position. Truckers must know their vehicles inside and out and be able to work with technology and diagnose vehicle problems. Ultimately, the position carries considerable important responsibility.

“You’ve got 80,000 pounds driving down the road and it can cause a lot of damage,” Love said. “You’ve got to respect this big piece of machinery.”

Truck drivers are limited to driving 11 hours per day and 70 hours per an eight-day work week. After reaching the 70-hour mark in the allotted time, the driver must take a 34-hour break. Both Meyer and Jasper Engines have over-the-road truckers who travel longer distances. OTR truckers for Jasper Engines go coast to coast. Meyer OTR drivers make trips to 51 locations across the country.

Welcome to the road

At Meyer Distributing, Dennis Adams is helping to train his wife, Kris, for the CDL test. The test is a three-part exam that measures driving skill, knowledge of a truck and how it operates and knowledge of industry rules. The couple has been using cones to practice driving and parking maneuvers in a parking lot.

Love is in charge of training drivers at Meyer Distributing for the CDL test — the company pays for training — and uses a 72-slide PowerPoint  presentation to educate potential drivers. The training covers everything drivers need to inspect before they stick their key in the ignition as well as the necessary steps required after the engine is off.

The written part of the CDL deals mostly with industry regulations. Love said the first thing Meyer Distributing looks for when hiring a trucker is that the driver is safe and follows rules, with the company completing background checks on the individual as well as examining trucking and civilian driving records.

Jasper Engines, which is short five drivers, has not implemented a CDL-oriented training program yet, but the plan is to have a program in place within the next two months.

“If we have someone interested in (trucking), we’re going to bring them in-house and help them train for the CDL,” said Curt Petry, who works in the Jasper Engines Transit Division.  

The program would primarily involve a hands-on learning experience with Jasper Engines providing a parking lot and spotter to physically train the potential driver, as well as Jasper Engines introducing drivers to the company’s expectations for professionalism. Petry added that the drivers would be expected to take a separate CDL training course — not provided by Jasper Engines — to better learn the regulations of trucking. While there isn’t an exact outline for how long the training might last, Petry said Jasper Engines will pay for the CDL license and that the goal is to have drivers able and comfortable before they take the exam.

“There is a driver shortage,” Petry said. “We thought that (training) would be an opportunity to fill our driver pool.”

Trucking school on hold

With a local trucking shortage in a county heavy on logistics, Dubois County’s only community college and an economic development group have stepped up to quell the deficiency. VUJC and Dubois Strong are collaborating to bring a commercial driver’s license training course to VUJC. The only problem? No applicants to teach it.

“A retired person with a CDL may not be interested in doing teaching,” Jim McFaul, director of continuing education at VUJC, said through email. “If retired, they can make more money driving part time. Driving part time, they can set their own hours and not have a structured time commitment, which is required for teaching class six to eight hours a day for eight weeks.”

Dubois Strong President Ed Cole first spoke about the class to the Dubois County Commissioners and Dubois County Council last March. At one time, the class had a projected start date of fall of 2015, but without an instructor the class remains on hold.

“We do not have any applicants,” McFaul said last week. “So until we can find a qualified instructor, we cannot run the course.”

The job requires “three years experience driving Class A tractor-Trailers and a desire to share your knowledge and experience with others,” according to its listing on the Vincennes University website. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to Vincennes University Human Resources, 1002 N. First Street, Vincennes, IN 47591 or email jobs@vinu.edu. WorkOne, the state’s employment office, will offer financial assistance for the class to those who qualify.   

“The trucking firms all have expressed interest and have their own employees they want to get the CDL,” McFaul said. “We (also) have a short list now of interested students.”