The turnover rate among commercial truck drivers dropped by one percent in the first quarter of 2012, indicating a shift towards more quality truck drivers entering this growing career field. However, some trucking officials don’t see the trend continuing.
“This reprieve, while surprising, is likely temporary,” said Bob Costello, ATA chief economist. “As the economy continues to recover, freight volumes should continue to grow, which along with regulatory challenges related to hours-of-service and the government’s CSA fleet oversight program, will continue to cause the driver market to tighten and the turnover rate to rise.”
Turnover rates among commercial truck carriers are high because the demand for drivers is so high that many carriers are too quick to hire. Job seekers seek a bright future in trucking, but without completing a profession training program, such as the one at Diesel Driving Academy, the prospects for remaining in this profession long term is low. Professionally trained drivers have a much higher success rate at staying in the commercial trucking industry long term because they have the proper training and experience to not only handle the challenges of this career field, but they also find much more enjoyment than those that receive no training.
Turnover among large truckload fleets had risen to 89 percent in the third quarter of 2011 after bottoming out at 39 percent in the first quarter of 2010. For all of 2011, the large truckload turnover rate averaged 83 percent, the highest average since 2007 when churn averaged 117 percent.
If you are looking for a new career then becoming a commercial truck driver might be the perfect fit. This industry is growing every year and the starting pay is above average. However, the best way to enter this career field and establish a long-term career as a commercial truck driver is by completing a quality driver-training program at a school like DDA, which is considered one of the nation’s finest commercial truck driver training programs.
