ATA believes turnover rate may indicate an increase demand for drivers

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) recently announced that hiring in the trucking industry picked up in the fourth quarter in 2010 and a high turnover rate for linehaul truckload drivers may signify an increased demand for drivers.

Officials said in the ATA's quarterly trucking activity report that truckload carriers increased payrolls in the last three months of 2010. Small companies increased their employment by 0.8 percent while large business hirings were boosted by 0.3 percent.

A recent survey by the ATA shows that turnover among linehaul drivers at large fleets rose to 69 percent in the fourth quarter, which is the highest level since the second quarter of 2008.

"Fleets are clearly hiring more drivers as demand for freight hauling increases," said Bob Costello, ATA chief economist. "In addition, while part of the turnover can be attributed to regulatory changes, we believe the bulk of this churn is due to increased demand for drivers."

To make operators more attractive to prospective employers, drivers may wish to enroll in online CDL classes. This training varies from state to state.

By Andie Martin

ATA believes turnover rate may indicate an increase demand for drivers

Friday, April 15th, 2011