The White House announced a program Thursday to address ongoing workforce challenges in the trucking industry, that have worsened in the pandemic. The Biden-Harris Administration’s Trucking Action Plan includes four strategies intended to strengthen America’s trucking workforce. The program will kick off a 90-day apprenticeship program for employers, expedite commercial driver licensing and identify states with CDL hurdles, and focus on recruiting, training and retaining drivers from underrepresented communities to better overall jobs.
The American Trucking Associations estimates the current driver shortage to be around 80,000—an all-time high for the industry, and experts say with expected freight growth, the shortage could surpass 160,000 in 2030.
Trucking industry groups have been working on solutions to the driver shortage for years. American Trucking Associations Executive Vice President of Advocacy, Bill Sullivan, said, “We are encouraged that the Biden Administration has not only recognized the importance of adding new and well-trained Americans to the trucking workforce, but has announced a path forward with what we believe will become a robust training opportunity for future commercial truck drivers.”
The registered apprenticeships for trucking will allow employers of all sizes and industry segments to provide debt-free paths to a trucking career with high-quality training. The Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship will be working with interested employers to build apprenticeship programs in as little as 48 hours.
As part of the effort to reduce barriers to drivers obtaining their CDLs, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced immediate funding of over $30 million to help states expedite CDL testing and issuance. Several states, including Arkansas, are experiencing significant testing delays from a backlog created by insufficient staffing, turnover and increased demand.
The Truck Action Plan is part of the Administration’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force that launched earlier this year to address tightening bottlenecks in the supply chain. The steps announced in the Trucking Action Plan include solutions and timelines to begin taking action for the next 30 days, 60 days and 90 days as the country continues to economically recover from the pandemic.
“We thank the President and his administration for recognizing the important work of the men and women in the trucking industry. We appreciate any effort to support and expand access to quality driving jobs and address the pandemic-driven delays in obtaining a commercial driver’s license,” said Shannon Newton, president of Arkansas Trucking Association. “We welcome the opportunity to work together in sharing our industry with a new cohort of drivers.”
The Arkansas Trucking Association is made up of approximately 300 trucking and service companies. The organization helps members grow their business and profits while protecting the collective interests of trucking companies in the political and regulatory arenas.
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