According to data released by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) last month, annualized turnover rates for truckload line-haul drivers were at 127 percent for the first quarter of 2007. This is the highest the turnover rate has been for this group since it peaked at 136 percent during the fourth quarter of 2005. The ATA also reported that the small carrier rate for the same period was 102 percent.

Although these numbers seem staggering, the ATA says they're in line with what has been considered “average” over the past few years.

With the trucking industry currently experiencing some softness in the form of excess capacity, industry analysts say that the impact of this ongoing shortage is not as severe as it could be. However, that hasn't stopped carriers from taking steps to bump up the driver numbers and expand capacity.

At Con-way Truckload, a new pay structure and related initiatives were recently rolled out to attract and retain qualified team drivers. “We believe there is a direct correlation between driver retention and offering quality benefits,” says Clay Halla, president of Con-Way Truckload. “With a consistent driver base, we are better able to understand our shippers' freight transport needs,” adds Halla.

While Con-way has good intentions, one major piece of the problem in attracting and retaining drivers is that there are simply fewer candidates to pick from, says Todd Jadin, Schneider's senior vice president of operations, recruiting.

“Fewer people are deciding to become truck drivers when entering a profession,” says Jadin. “Part of that has to do with how education is geared today, with more people going to college, as well as lifestyle issues [related to the profession] that keep you away from home, as well as regulatory issues like hours-of-service that can have a significant impact on compensation.”

According to an often-sited May 2005 report that economic consultancy Global Insight prepared for the ATA, there is a projected need for another 320,000 long-haul drivers between 2004 and 2014.

Though this report is more than a year and a half old, ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello says he is hearing that carriers are facing the same challenges they were facing when report was first released. “Things are not getting better and there is no silver bullet to solve the problem,” he adds. “This problem is multi-tiered, and a lot of different things need to happen [to make the situation better], including augmenting pay and lifestyle issues associated with the profession.”