T R A NSPORTATION
GEARING UP FOR NEW CAREERS Good pay, independence, and opportunity to see the country are attracting newcomers to professional driving By Allan Stein
distancing. There was freedom to be found in wide-open spaces and winding roads amid stifling lockdowns and theoretical flattening of curves. In 2021, tractor-trailers are still king of the road, despite a growing nationwide shortage of drivers numbering in the tens of thousands. Steven Strong, campus director at Southwest Truck Driver Training (STDT) in Phoenix, says few occupations today offer the romantic allure of long-distance truck driving or the promise of a high-paying job after a brief training period. STDT, which has two campuses in Arizona and one in Nevada, currently boasts hundreds of new students this year who are seeking to earn their commercial driver’s license (CDL) and get straight to work after graduation. Total enrollment at STDT this year ex-
28 I N S I G H T November 19 – 25, 2021
ceeds 1,400, compared to 1,200 a year ago, Strong told Insight. “We’re definitely seeing a good number of folks wanting their commercial driver’s license. I think what’s fueling the interest is the training is short—four to eight weeks—and the entry level is pretty high,” he said. There are currently more job openings than there are truck drivers, Strong said. Because the average age of a truck driver is 52, retirement counts as a leading factor fueling the worsening shortage of drivers, which numbers close to 100,000, according to the American Trucking Association. In most cases, an STDT student can expect to have a job waiting for him or her following successful completion of the program. Nearly 15 percent of graduates this year are women, Strong said. “Not many drop out. Some [graduates] want to see the country. Some want to drive locally” and enjoy quality time with family, he said. At Roadmaster Drivers School, which is based in St. Petersburg, Florida, President Brad Ball said interest in the four-to-five-
The average age of a truck driver is 52. Retirement is a leading factor fueling the worsening shortage of drivers. week program has never been greater. “Yes, we have seen an increase in folks interested in the program over recent years, especially with all of the supply chain news and carriers offering historic increases in pay and bonuses, improving driver routes,” Ball told Insight. “We do have a waiting list at some of our school locations in the busiest markets, but not at our Phoenix location. Classes start every Monday, but it takes a week or two to get through the enrollment process and become scheduled for a start date,” he said.
Like Driving in a Small Apartment The interest in becoming a CDL-licensed
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, COURTESY OF ROADMASTER DRIVING SCHOOL, COURTESY OF ROADMASTER DRIVING SCHOOL, SHUTTERSTOCK
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hroughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many considered longhaul truck driving to be the ultimate in social
